The 25 Most Stylish Comedians

Ok, so we’ve already broken down the

deal with sitcom
characters, but they all have help from a little thing called

the wardrobe department. Most comedians don’t have that sort of luxury, and

plenty use their personal style to set themselves apart. The running joke in the entertainment industry is that comedians simply

aren’t supposed to look good, it makes them easier to laugh at. True. (We're looking at you Steve Harvey.) But there are more than a few exceptions. Here are our picks for those

funnymen who have a sense of style as sharp as their wit. Check out our list of The 25 Most Stylish Comedians.

"There's very little advice in men's magazines, because men don't think there's a lot they don't know. Women do. Women want to learn. Men think, ‘I know what I'm doing, just show me somebody naked.’”

Style-wise, Jerry Seinfeld hasn’t exactly been an icon. not with his steady collection of dad jeans and ill-fitting shirts, anway—but his sneaker game? That’s a whole other story. He's managed to rock heat on a consistent basis.

“I'm from a little place called England. We used to run the world before you.”

—Golden Globe Awards, 2004



The formerly portly British comedian recently slimmed down his physique. He also cut a number of celebrities down to size during the 2011 Golden Globes. Aside from the scathing wit, Ricky Gervais 2.0 is also armed with a well-fitting wardrobe of staples like v-neck sweaters that aren’t too tight but definitely don’t hang off his body.

“My girlfriend looks a little like Charlize Theron… And a lot like Patrick Ewing.”

—Live at the Purple Onion, 2007



Most big guys make the mistake of buying larger sizes to compensate for their size. Not so with Zach Galifianakis. While he looks good in a suit, his personal style is a great assortment of knits, vintage-looking polos, and plaid buttondowns.

“I'm so humbled by a girl's ability to let me do her \ Cuz honestly I'd have sex with a pile of manure”

—“I Just Had Sex” 2010



Turtlenecks and chains aside, Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer have always had that laid-back every guy vibe. They clearly have a taste for the things that made the 90’s awesome: brightly colored suits, cheesy shades, and unadorned yet shiny necklaces, but when it comes to channeling an accessible cool guy look, the three do well with a simple assortment of jeans, hoodies, sweaters, and T-shirts that actually fit.

"If you like strange, specific stuff—that's a nerd. Kanye West is a black nerd. He likes strange, specific stuff. If you go up to Kanye West and say, 'Hey, what are your favorite things?' He'll be like, 'Robots and teddy bears.' That's a nerd."

While his stand-up routines usually see him in a t-shirt or hoodie, he knows how to clean up when necessary. With appearances in a Band of Outsiders lookbook and an ad campaign for Puma, the two very different brands are the kind of style gamut that the young comedian runs with ease.

“Yes, I would say my comedy is grunge, evidenced by the fact my jokes have put an end to big-hair glam comedy.”

—Cracked.com interview, 2006



Car enthusiast, championship college football team player, and classically-handsome, Joel McHale is the last person you’d expect to be really funny. But he is. And as the host of “The Soup” he’s known to rock razor-cut Rag & Bone suits and skinny ties on the regular.

”I’m going to Jazzercise. Working out to hot be-bop. Circuit training to John Coltrane.”

—The Mighty Boosh, “The Strange Tale of the Crack Fox”, 2007



Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt play off each other’s respective energy in comedy and in style. Noel’s rock-and-roll attire is balanced by Julian’s slightly more dressed-up gear. It’s not a bad look for either of them, as they rock their respective looks well.

“I would define my looks as a Victorian Childcatcher. Or an S&M Willy Wonka who likes to use a riding crop on his own leg in his spare time.”

Brand is a man of particular clothing tastes. Sure tight pants, mostly unbuttoned shirts, thin scarves, and tousled hair aren’t for everybody, but this dude manages to make it work. At least his chick Katy Perry seems to think so, and that works for us.

“Some people see things that are and ask, Why? Some people dream of things that never were and ask, Why not? Some people have to go to work and don't have time for all that.”

The typical George Carlin uniform was a white tee, an unbuttoned shirt, jeans, and simple sneakers. As he aged, he went from the slim-fitting rugged attire of the 70s and at times adopted a more Beatnik all-black look. Either way, always cool, and always funny as hell.

"You can trouble me for a warm glass of shut-the-hell-up! Now, you will go to sleep or I will put you to sleep. You're in my world now, Grandma.”

—Happy Gilmore, 1996



Aside from his feature-length jab at the fashion industry in Zoolander, Ben Stiller has always had fun with his clothes while looking good in them. Remember his dressed to the nines Na’vi outfit at the Oscars?

"That reminds me of something funny. My father died when I was 17. That’s not what was funny; he was funny. People always said to me ‘Oh, you’ll never grow up to be as funny as your dad.’ And now, he’s not around to see me be not as funny as him.”

—Saturday Night Live, 1977



Getting old can take its toll on party animals like Bill Murray, but when he came back on the scene, he did so with panache. Propelled into the spotlight again through the stylish eye of Wes Anderson, it seems Mr. Murray’s taken a few quirky cues from the director. Lateley he’s looking good in a suit and tie.

“Here I come to save the day!”

—Saturday Night Live, 1975



Andy Kaufman’s style was as quirky and offbeat as his comedy. Take for example the slicked-back hair and black turtleneck under a collared shirt look, no one really does this anymore. The Cooper Black typeface shirt proclaiming his title as Women’s Wrestling Champion of the World definitely predated OFWGKTA’s merch table.

"Because when things can't get any worse, it's Biden Time!"

—Saturday Night Live, 2010



Jason Sudeikis has a style akin to every other New Yorker, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. With the timeless side part on his head, this is one funnyman that looks coiffed-enough without being overdone.

“Every time I kiss you I taste what other men had for lunch.”

—Wild Thing, 1988



Sam Kinison looked and partied like a rockstar, yet delivered caustic jokes often about religion with the same fervor as a Pentecostal reverend. Given his past as a preacher, the latter isn’t too surprising. Kinison rolled with musicians like Billy Idol, Steven Tyler, and Tommy Lee. He had a loud mouth, but his clothing choices (and prominent headwear) reflected his intensity perfectly.

“I don't wanna leave you with a bad impression of my father. No, no, because my father wasn't always this brutal. No, sometimes he drank too.”

—Freak, 1998



One of the more influential Latin comedians, John Leguizamo has had a pretty interesting career. He’s played Luigi in the dreaded Super Mario Bros. flick, Benny Blanco in Carlito’s Way, and a heavily-stylized Tybalt in Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet. Leguizamo stays fresh in an array of leather jackets, hoodies, and suits.

“Don't keep reaching for the stars because you'll just look like an idiot stretching that way for no reason.”

Conan’s successor set himself apart from the other late-night hosts by showing he’s in touch with the kids. For example: he hired The Roots as his backing band, made Stephen Colbert cover Rebecca Black’s Friday, and booked Tyler, the Creator. Though it seems all hosts have to adhere to a dress code of suits during showtime, Fallon manages to make it look cool every night.

“I wasn't always black. There was this freckle, and it got bigger and bigger.”

Before the Coogi sweaters, Bill Cosby was a pretty dapper dude. In the 70s, you could find him in some pretty crazy kits, but that was all going with the spirit of the times. Let’s be real though: he’s here because of the Coogi sweaters.

"If you went to the grocery store and they was
playing [“Every Day I'm Hustlin'”] you'd buy everything in that bitch."

Thrust into the spotlight as “Money Mike” in Friday After Next, Katt Williams has since had several successful comedic ventures. His style follows the vibrant wardrobe tendencies of other black comedians, but isn’t as ostentatious as say… Steve Harvey, with whom he’s had some past beef.

"Starbucks says they are going to start putting religious quotes on cups. The very first one will say, 'Jesus! This cup is expensive!'"

Despite Will Ferrel’s feelings on Conan’s facial hair, we definitely thought it was a welcome rebellion to the clean-shaved talk show hosts of the days of yore. He also looks fresh in his new casual wardrobe: a variety of simple tee shirts and perfectly-fitting leather bombers.

“How come people who smoke
can’t ever find they damn lighter?”

Cedric the Entertainer rocks a more subdued look than some of his peers. He also has great taste in hats. His material alone qualifies him as one of the Kings of Comedy, but we like to think it’s his style that helps him hold onto that crown.

"Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell, no!"

—Animal House, 1978



Even decades after Animal House, college fashion is still influenced by John “Bluto” Blutarsky. Crewneck sweatshirts? Madras shorts? High-top sneakers? Yep. Belushi would go on to become a style icon again along with Dan Aykroyd as The Blues Brothers. His humor and personality may be sorely missed, but at least the style cues will be around forever.

“America is the land of opportunity where every young, poor boy can grow up and say, ‘Hey look, there goes a rich guy.’”

The iconic former Tonight Show host’s wardrobe is akin to his interview style, casual enough but never not classy. Sure, he looked fine in a suit, but off-camera he often sported some pretty sweet cardigans.

“Miami Beach is where neon goes to die.”

Lenny Bruce’s comedy was groundbreaking and controversial. Part Rat Pack and part Beatnik, Bruce threw some nice-looking trench coats into the mix during his routines, and was almost always spotted with a cigarette hanging from his lips. This man made looking like you just got up cool decades before it actually was.

“I'm sadistic. I go to the supermarkets to watch mothers lose it and beat the shit out of their kids.”

—Eddie Murphy Raw, 1987



Murphy’s amazing commitment to the leather suit spanned two features: Delirious and Raw. It was a look he definitely owned, and has been paid homage to by many of his contemporaries and his successors. The leather is just part of what makes this Eddie a legend.

“Where the fuck am I? And how do you get to Deroit?"

Style is never about what you're wearing. It's about how you wear it. And no one rocked the afro, mustache and suit like Pryor. And before Kanye, MJ, and Eddie Murphy, he was the progenitor of the vibrant red suit. Much like his cutting jokes, his look stands the test of time.