Skip to Content

In Photos: James Dean's Iconic Style

A look back at the teenage rebel's classic bad boy style.

By
Sitting, Monochrome, Monochrome photography, Black-and-white, Portrait photography, Portrait, Stock photography,
Getty Images

In honor of the late actor's birthday, we take a look back at The Rebel Without A Cause's best looks, which paved the way for classic American bad boy style.

1
CALIFORNIA - 1954: Actor James Dean poses for a photo on the set of the Warner Bros film 'East Of Eden' in 1954 in California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Getty Images

1954

2
CALIFORNIA - 1954: Actor James Dean poses for a photo on the set of the Warner Bros film 'East Of Eden' in 1954 in California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Getty Images

1954

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
3
CALIFORNIA - 1954: Actor James Dean poses for a photo on the set of the Warner Bros film 'East Of Eden' in 1954 in California. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Getty Images

1954

4
.tif
Getty Images

1955

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
5
American actor James Dean (1931 - 1955) leans against a wall on the set of director Nicholas Ray's classic film, 'Rebel Without a Cause', 1955. (Photo via John Kobal Foundation/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Getty Images

1955

6
April 1, 1955 SCHLITZ PLAYHOUSE OF STARS James Dean and Pat Hardy in "The Unlighted Road". T7530_1c
Copyright CBS Broadcasting, Inc., All Rights Reserved, Credit: CBS Photo Archive
Getty Images

1955

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
7
James Dean and Sal Mineo in a scene from the film 'Rebel Without A Cause', 1955. (Photo by Warner Brothers/Getty Images)
Getty Images

1955

8
No Merchandising. Editorial Use Only. No Book Cover Usage
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Everett Collection/REX USA (189755ag)
JAMES DEAN
JAMES DEAN 1955


Rex USA

1955

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
9
No Merchandising. Editorial Use Only. No Book Cover Usage
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Everett Collection/REX USA (189755as)
JAMES DEAN
JAMES DEAN 1955


Rex USA

1955

10
James Dean kicking back in a scene from the film 'Giant', 1956. (Photo by Warner Brothers/Getty Images)
Getty Images

1956

Watch Next 
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Features

earth viewed from space

Why Are Young Women Leaving the US?

person holding a book titled all about love by bell hooks

Can This Book Be Saved From Performative Males?

collage of various images featuring individuals in different settings and activities

Millennials Are Mourning James Van Der Beek

two individuals posing in front of a city skyline

How Conner Ives Turned a T-shirt into a Movement

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
minneapolis

A Week in the Life of a Mutual-Aid Group in Minneapolis

beckhams

The Beckhams and the Lure of Celebrity Family Feuds

topshot an anti iranian regime protester lights a cigarette with a lit paper depicting ali khamenei, supreme leader of iran during a gathering outside the us consulate in milan, on january 13, 2026. (photo by piero cruciatti / afp via getty images)

Why Can’t I Feel Hope About the Uprising in Iran?

closeup of two individuals one whispering in the others ear

Rachel Eliza Griffiths on Salman Rushdie's Attack

odds and betting information displayed in text format

The Sports Betting Craze Is Bad for Women, Too

memorial poster for an individual named renee

An Elegy for My Neighbor, Renee Nicole Good

area impacted by fire with remnants of a chimney and charred landscape

When the Fires Stopped Burning in Altadena

sweet home alabama, patrick dempsey, reese witherspoon, 2002, (c) walt disney/courtesy everett collection

Why Engagements Aren’t a Surprise Anymore

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below