When it comes to dressing up for a photo session or dressing down to hang out with friends, the Backstreet Boys never seem to have a problem showing off their unique sense of style. However, in keeping up with the constant promotion of their tunes, including their self-titled cd's chart-topping hit "Quit playing games with my heart", bandmates Kevin Richardson, A.J. McLean, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Howie Dorough tell BB that the clothes they to wear aren't always the clothes they get to wear in front of the camera.

SAY CHEESE!

"One time we did a photo shoot with some European magazines, and they made us dress in costumes, like Halloween costumes, but they were really, really corny." 17-year old Nick shares about one fashion disaster."There was one that Brian picked out, a Batman outfit, and we called him Rat Boy because his ears were pointing way out." Dressing up like superheroes outside of the Halloween season isn't the only problem the guys have encountered while traveling the road to popularity. In a Canadian photo session, Nick swears they had to wear almost nothing at all! " "We were in our underwear", he gasps."No, it wasn't JUST underwear," 22-year old Brian cuts in."It was T-shirts and shorts.It was just a little weird". It just goes to show you that there is always an element of surprise when someone else does the shopping. That's why the boys like to shop together for clothes they like whenever they get a break from their hectic schedules.

I FOUND THE PICTURE THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT, AND NICK WAS RIGHT, THEY ARE PRETTY MUCH JUST IN UNDERWEAR!!

HOUSE OF STYLE

When it comes to shopping for Howie, the 24-year old tells BB that he's "more of a dressier,stylish kind of person. I like to wear clubbing wear when I go out dancing and stuff. Sometimes I wear the tight kind of retro shirts and jeans that are closer fitting me than those humongous pants". But that doesn't go for all the guys. A.J.likes his clothes "too big" as opposed to Howie's more tailored approach. A.J. admits his clothing is "extra, extra large," and just because he fits into a size 30 pants doesn't mean that that's what he'll choose to wear. Instead, the 19-year old tells BB, he's more likely to belt up a size 36! As for the oldest acapella artist of the bunch, 25-year old Kevin's taste for clothes has ventured more on the mature side. There's always room for the football jerseys and jeans in Kevin's closet, but that's not all you'll seehim wearing. "If it's a more formal affair, then i'll wear linen or a blazer and a shirt to look a little nice," he says.

A BORROWED LOOK

"A lot of the time, the other guys trade clothes and lend them to each other," Howie says,"but I'm kind of more particular." So that explains why you might see Nick wearing a particular shirt in one photo and then see that same shirt worn by A.J. in the next. But this group wardrobe tactic only applies if the shirt wasn't stolen! "I dont't give them back. I have his clothes,his clothes, his clothes....," A.J.devilishly says as he points to each of his fellow group members around the room. "See!That's exactly why I don't always give out stuff," Howie retorts.

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