Barney Stinson: How I Met Your Mother‘s Fashion Legend

As fashion experts, we’re huge How I Met Your Mother fans and jumped at the chance to analyze the show’s biggest fashion icon: Mr Barney Stinson. During long days, and even longer nights, we tirelessly devoted ourselves to counting, observing, describing and analyzing Barney’s style – laughing and crying when one of the suits died – to quantify what truly makes him such a fashion icon.

Challenge accepted!

A legendary character
Barney – master of suits – was never intended to be one of the show’s main characters, however over time he has developed into a complex, character full of charisma and legen…wait for it… dary wit. But it’s not just Barney the character that’s evolved, also his style and above all, his hilarious costumes have become bigger and better. His carefully chosen outfits have become a significant part of both Barney and the show as a whole. They are thoughtful, well-designed and full of character, ensuring that Barney is a trendsetting icon.

***WARNING SPOILERS***
What would Barney be without his suits? It’s hard to imagine. Each suit carries a story, a secret, a dose of madness and magic. He has a suit for everything: eating, drinking, seducing women, singing, dancing and sleeping – he lives for suits! Barney’s style never falters, cementing him firmly as a significant player in men’s fashion.

Since the show began, Barney has worn many legendary suits. But can you remember a time when he wasn’t in a suit? Self five!

Barney Stinson isn’t just a blonde charmer with funny jokes, he is stylish and fashion conscious and leaves nothing, much like his perfected closet, to chance. For example, we noticed that a Boss shirt, without a tie, with the collar open is a sign of distress or lack of confidence. In “Third Wheel” (S03 E03), he spends the evening in the company of two attractive women. Just before he’s about to ride the “tricycle” he panics and deliberately spills red wine on a white carpet to get out of the situation; what is he wearing? A shirt with the top button open and no tie.

His sharp eye for detail also extends to his accessories, such as the silver tie pin and the Signet ring he wears after proposing to Robin. Could this be a sign that he’s become a more mature man, ready to commit?

Another intriguing fact appears in “Oh Honey” (S06 E15). Barney’s seen wearing all green, whether it’s a simple tie, shirt or scarf, everything is green. Why you ask? Was the episode shown on St. Patrick’s Day? No! It’s used as a reference to the game Clue after Marshall refers to it in order to explain Ted and Zoey’s relationship to his mother. Therefore the show’s creators made Ted Professor Plum, Zoey Mrs. White and Barney Mr Green. And even his Oxford shoes and socks were always selected appropriate to the extraordinary suits he was wearing, even when they went to the beach like they did for Ted’s and Stella’s wedding.

After nearly nine years, Barney has worn his final, and perhaps most important, suit and it’s time to say goodbye. Barney Stinson, we’ll miss you (and your suits)!