Too late to say sorry? Why Justin Bieber's bland clothing line falls flat

Fans prove their loyalty by snapping up the collection, despite it being rather terrible

Justin Bieber has performed in Dubai twice - and both times he was late. Chris Whiteoak / The National 

Justin Bieber can be called many things, but well-dressed is probably not one of them.

Heartthrob, chart-topper and now husband are all monikers that can applied to the Baby singer, but recently he seems to have forgone anything resembling style, and seemingly throws on whatever is closest to hand.

Now, there is a lot to be said for being comfortable, and not taking fashion too seriously, but given the man has more than $265 million in the bank, it is a little disheartening that this multimillionaire looks like he wears bargain-bin leftovers, and sleeps most nights in a skip.

And yet Bieber is now a fashion designer, having quietly released his new Drew House collection online on January 30.

With its title taken from the singer’s middle name, this new collection is an extension of Bieber's own style, namely over-sized, shapeless and bland. If you are a big fan of beige, corduroy and smiley faces, you will love it. If you aren’t, then take it from me - this is not the clothing line for you.

One pair of shorts (beige/corduroy) has the word Drew stitched inexplicably across the front and costs $138 (Dh506), while a $58 (Dh213) long-sleeve T shirt is adorned with - you guessed it - a smiley face.

Having spent the last few months posting images of himself wearing pieces from the collection on his Instagram account, it seems Bieber’s groundwork has had the desired effect.

Not 24 hours after its debut (and despite some fans taking to social media to complain about the high prices, or that the clothes look like the uniforms of UPS delivery drivers), everything has sold out.

Having legions of fans snap up dull clothes named by Bieber is an interesting commentary on human behaviour, the power of fame and the state of present-day politics (and no doubt will be studied by sociologists for years to come).

As a moment in fashion, however, it is depressing as we tend to favour the undemanding when things are getting tough socially. Did he release this line of uniform clothes as a counterpoint to the rise of isolationism? Is the use of beige an attempt to offer comfort in times of uncertainty?

Sadly, the answer to both is probably no. As much as I would like to think Bieber is using his position to raise important socio-political issues, I suspect he is probably just singing all the way to the bank.