The successful vampire show The Vampire Diaries ran for eight seasons and included many memorable characters. One of the all-time fan-favorites was Damon Salvatore. Damon started out as a bad guy in the show, determined to force his brother Stefan and his girlfriend Elena aside and get Elena for himself. They did get together, in the end, but not before Damon turned to the good side.
Damon was always a suave and handsome guy, but even he sometimes missed the mark when it came to fashion. Here are Damon's 5 best outfits from the show and 5 worst outfits that he wore.
Best: Human Damon
Before he became a vampire, Damon lived quite a happy life with his father and younger brother Stefan. Yes, he and his father Giuseppe often clashed since Damon had a rebellious streak even back then, but at least he and Stefan were the best of friends... until Katherine came along, made both of the brothers fall in love with her and then left them to their transformation to vampires.
Damon mostly dresses in black as a vampire, but this outfit proves that even white looks good on him, partially because it creates a contrast between the clothes and Damon's dark hair.
Worst: The 1970s
The Vampire Diaries primarily took place in the 21st century but it also included more than a few flashbacks into the past. After all, Damon and Stefan, two of the main characters, were born in the 1840s and turned into vampires in the 1860s so they've been around for a while, to put it mildly.
That also means they experienced more than one fashion trend and their choices haven't always been the best. Like this punk version of Damon from the 1970s. The jacket is alright, but the t-shirt feels a bit too forced. Plus, it almost looks like Damon is wearing eyeliner, and he's the last person on Earth who needs it.
Best: The Uniforms
Whatever the era, there are a few universal truths about Damon Salvatore. And one of them is this - the man can rock a uniform like almost no-one else. Damon first went to do his part in the Civil War, back when he was still human, and even then he was a dashing soldier.
He once again did his part for the good of his country during the First World War, and he looked even better in this uniform then he did in the Civil War. If Elena could have seen him back then, chances are she would have fallen for him much faster than she actually did.
Worst: Messy Outfit
As said above, when Damon became a vampire, his whole life changed and his choice of wardrobe mirrored this change. Damon felt like a bad guy many times in his life, and the clothes he put on reflected that and sent out the message he wanted - that he's dangerous and shouldn't be underestimated.
Damon keeps wearing black clothes even when he grows closer to Elena and while he pulls them off most of the time, this outfit is not the best, because it's messy, uneven and looks like it hasn't been ironed for ages, which, in turn, makes Damon look like a slacker.
Best: The Flannel
Let's be honest - not every man can pull of flannel shirt, in fact, a lot of them can't, but that's not the case for Damon who looks incredible in this simple, but still effective outfit. There's no going around it - dark-haired people often look great in red since it creates a contrast between their hair and the lighter color.
Plus, Damon usually wears well-fitted, but somewhat harshly looking clothes, so it was a nice change to see him in something more relaxed since it made him look softer and more approachable. And finally, it also doesn't hurt that the shirt emphasizes his wide shoulders.
Worst: Wrong Size
Picking the right size of your clothes is very important since choosing wrong can have a detrimental effect even on the best outfit. Damon doesn't look bad in this picture, but he should have gone for a different shirt, or at least one cut in a different way.
The sleeves of the shirt he's wearing are too tight, but the front of the shirt is too loose and it makes the whole outfit look uneven and strange if one looks at it for a longer period of time. To be fair, Stefan has the same problem of wearing either too big or too small clothes, so Damon's not the only one.
Best: Suit-Up!
Of all The Vampire Diaries characters, the Original vampire Elijah Mikaelson is the one best-known for wearing suits in his everyday life. But he's not the only guy from the show who cleans up nice. Damon isn't wearing suits anywhere near as often as Elijah but when he does, he does so with style.
Yes, he doesn't look particularly happy in this scene but that doesn't change the fact that Damon and suits are a good combination. The light makes his shirt looks almost blue, which, in turn, brings out the blue of Damon's eyes, and the clean, cut lines make him look elegant and composed.
Worst: Too Dark
Damon has proved over and over again that he can pull off dark outfits, but even then there are exceptions to the rule. Sometimes, he ended up looking somewhat dull and lifeless, and a wrong combination of shades drained the colors from his face.
The jacket and a shirt he's wearing in this scene don't look so bad, but they're both rather dark and don't have much going on for them. Sticking up to a single color would work, but two dark colors feel like overkill. Stefan solved it better by wearing a white t-shirt which brings the so needed color to his clothes.
Best: Man In Black
Unlike his younger brother Stefan, Damon's number one favorite color clearly is black, as he wears it most of the time throughout the series. He looks good in lighter colors as well but can pull off black too, depending on the material and shape of the clothes he's wearing at the moment.
This shirt is rather simple but Damon still looks good in it, since it contrasts with his pale skin and blue eyes, is tight, but not too much, and has a neckline that draws attention to Damon's neck, one of his strong features. Not every black outfit Damon put on in the show hit the mark but this one did.
Worst: Zipped Up
Sometimes it's those little details that can make or break any outfit, and even vampires aren't immune to the rules of fashion. For example, Damon often likes to wear jackets, sometimes leather jackets, and he can usually pull them off. But while this outfit isn't entirely bad, it would look much better if it showed more of Damon's throat.
Zipped up like this, Damon's neck looks too short, virtually nonexistent, and it makes his head look that much bigger in comparison which isn't very flattering. Of course, the angle of the scene could also be at fault, but as seen above, Damon looks good with his throat visible, so why not use it?