Riverdale: Jughead’s Slow Transformation In Pictures

Resident weirdo, detective, and most recently, a published writer: Forsythe Pendleton “Jughead” Jones III wears many hats on Riverdale, apart from his omnipresent beanie. He’s had a rough journey on the show, starting off with homelessness and a shady dad. He did find a place for himself in the world once the Southside Serpents adopted him as their own, and got much recognition for his writing skills, but the sinister town always came back for Jughead.

His look definitely evolved from his sad, helpless days of season 1 to more a confident and edgy aesthetic season 2 onwards. He had his moments with Gryphons and Gargoyles and Stonewall Prep, which have resulted (for now) in his more adult look.

10 Season 1

The introduction to the TV avatar of Jughead in Riverdale‘s first season was pretty well-received. This Jughead was angsty, sweet, had a penchant for writing alone in cafes, and fans loved him. The iconic crown from the comics was adapted into a beanie, and it fit young Jug’s wavy, dark locks well.

His looks mainly included sherpa jackets in denim, plaid, and neutral colors, with jeans and boots, or hoodies with plaid shirts. His dark wardrobe reflected his state of mind. He was younger and looked like an innocent, young boy going through a tough time.

9 Season 1

Jughead strayed away from his jeans and a jacket uniform quite a few times during this season, but not too far. His suit and tie look still stuck to the darker palettes he usually sported, and he kept it real with his beanie.

The showrunners also paid tribute to the Archie comics in Jughead’s dream sequence, where he ruminates over what the perfect life is, and if it’s some caricature of the American dream. He donned a full vintage getup, with the blue turtleneck and the actual paper crown.

8 Season 2

In one of the last scenes of the first season’s finale, Jughead surprised everyone by accepting the offer to be a part of the Southside Serpents, to everyone’s surprise. As he shrugged on the grungy leather jacket, it was the beginning of the biggest change in Jughead’s physical looks and his attitude too.

Jughead pretty much stuck to his beloved Serpents jacket, with a plaid shirt or the “S” t-shirt. Many mistakenly believe that it stands for “Southside”, but the “S” is a direct inspiration from the comics, where Jug wore it often — and it stands for “Squirrel Hill Independent Tigers.”

7 Season 2

Along with his gritty leather and denim looks, the Serpents leader had a few more up his sleeve. As he grew into his role in the community, he became more confident in himself, which also changed his body language. His physique became beefier too, which could be seen when he wore a vest.

This season also marked the first time he put on a cook’s uniform at Pop’s when the gang was fund-raising for their favorite milkshake spot, but it wasn’t the last time.

6 Season 3

Getting experimental was not Jughead’s cup of tea, but something about Gryphons & Gargoyles really tickled his curiosity, so much so that he wore elaborate medieval-themed clothing for a school dance.

He also wore a plaid sherpa jacket similar to the one he wore in season 1, which was a nice recall to the more innocent kid he was back then. Jughead’s formal wear was probably the best from all the boys on the show — he wore a beautifully tailored suit in the finale of the third season during Penelope’s twisted obstacle course.

5 Season 3

Season 3 was a summery season in Riverdale. All the main characters shed their extra layers and so did Jughead. His favorite “S” emblazoned t-shirts were out in full glory, in different color combinations, and his hair was cropped slightly closer to his head.

The beanie, however, stayed atop Jug’s mane of hair like a crown, no matter what the weather was, even when he embarked with Archie on a journey to escape town.

4 Season 4

Jughead’s talent got him a place at the prestigious Stonewall Prep, where his writing was supposed to be honed and crafted, but the teen detective ran into a den of mysteries, as usual. His transfer from Riverdale High to the new school meant wearing a uniform, which he did for half of his screentime.

The blazer, tie, and shirt ensemble actually looked great with his hat, and even though he didn’t get treated well at the school by his wealthier peers, he looked really good.

3 Season 4

Another signature Jughead outfit was his shirt, suspenders and pants look, which he wore several times in season 4. It was a sign of his maturing taste that he wasn’t only seen in hoodies and jeans, and perhaps even a warmer weather outfit.

Overall, Jughead transformed into a more dapper version of himself in season 4 and experimented well with newer looks, which fans loved immensely.

2 Season 5

The latest season of Riverdale showed two Jugheads — one on the day of graduation and one seven years later. The younger Pendleton went to prom with his lady love, Betty, in a dashing suit and slim tie, while the latter was a jaded, unhappy writer who dealt with his mental wounds with drink and drugs.

The older Jughead gave up his beanie, for obvious reasons, and wore stereotypical “broke writer” clothing: this rumpled nightshirt being a good example.

1 Season 5

A notable addition to the Jughead of the future is his glasses, which are a result of hours of screentime from writing his novel, presumably. He looks disheveled and sported stubble with some signs of aging. His wardrobe is also slightly reminiscent of an old man — with shirts beneath sweater vests, checked overshirts and corduroy pants.

To get out of his debt, he decided to join Pop’s as a cook again and wore the same uniform he had worn years ago, albeit without the bow-tie and smile.

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