When the helmets and pads come off, NFL players don’t let slip an opportunity to flaunt their sense of style.
NFL players haven’t always been synonymous with fashion. But now they are increasingly becoming just that: fashionistas. Striking an attractive pose as go-to sources of style cues for the world to turn to.
It used to be that the walk-in (and, even, walk-out) of the stadium on any given Sunday would serve as a bespoke fashion runway of sorts. The catwalk on the way to (and from) the locker room on which NFL players strutted their stuff in full view of TV camera crews and sports media journalists, giving fans a glimpse of their civvies – for those prised few minutes, once a week – before knuckling down to the business of the gridiron on the field.
It used to be NFL players like Tom Brady who set trends with their polished looks in designer suits and supermodel WAGs on the side-lines; who graced the covers of glossies and smouldered on advertisements and while living “their best life” hobnobbed with Hollywood celebrities and world renowned fashion designers.
Well, times are changing…
As fashion becomes more all-encompassing and flexible and larger swaths of society embrace it around the world, NFL players are revealing themselves to be a burgeoning group of fashionistas and trendsetters.
From the NFL draft to game day and annual events celebrating performance excellence, the varied style and fashion sense of NFL athletes is resplendent in displays of variety, daring and vision.
NFL players are hiring stylists, sitting front-row at fashion events or, even, dabbling in their own fashion labels. The collective conscious awoke. Thanks to the relevance of social media in mainstream culture and the rise of Instagram, providing a visual platform for anyone to trot out their representation to all and sundry, whenever and wherever, NFL players are discovering they too can enjoy immeasurable exposure.
It’s the new age. Businessman, brand, marketable commodity, investment, and advertising gold mine – NFL athletes aren’t regarded just as football players anymore. Getting into the NFL is to have it made. Looking the part, is part and parcel. And bearing in mind just how competitive athletes can be, the odds are that others will step up their game in the spirit of competition. Literally, you can bet on it.
The following list of NFL’s glitterati carving a reputation for being style icons looks at the top five style icons in the game, and includes players that both “play it safe” and those that are quintessential trailblazers in spirit.
Tom Brady
Tom Brady and wife Giselle are the epitome of a marriage between football and fashion. However, Brady, in his own right, transcends football. Easily one of the most recognizable professional athletes in the world, he’s a class act on and off the field.. Brady compliments his good looks in a classical style that never goes out of fashion. Clean, effortless, chic, Brady is simply a dapper lad that oozes natural style.
Travis Kelce
Travis Kelce, tight end for the highly-favored Kansas City Chiefs a side that is looking to win a second straight Super Bowl this year – is one of the most competitive offensive players in the game. All business on the field, he’s a regular top-performer and a favorite contender for NFL’s top accolades. Off the field, Kelce is an entirely different character. A colorful fashion diva and sneakerhead urbanite, he gives deference mainly to fun, edgy, streetwear that reflects his laidback style.
Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinal’s speedy receiver, is a frontrunner on the fashion scene and a regular on the NFL’s most stylish list, year after year. Fitzgerald’s knack for dressing up clean, sophisticated, polished looks without being ostentatious or over the top is a winner amongst fashion insiders and fans.
Deandre Hopkins
Deandre Hopkins modern, edgy look is at times underrated, at other times fashion-forward and sometimes, even, it’s a combination of both. A true fashion admirer, supporter and disciple, Hopkins dreams of owning a fashion line one day.
Cam Newton
The post-game press-conferences in New England became the most anticipated of the upcoming 2020 NFL season the very moment Cam Newton signed a one-year deal with the Patriots. For the simple reason that the quarterback’s outfits are legendary, “cannot-cope-out-there” creations that leave everyone gobsmacked.
Newton’s fashion style might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Singular, eclectic non-conformist, unique…, no hyperbole seems to ever do justice to his creations. Unafraid to push the boundaries of fashion, experiment with ideas and concepts that few would be so daring to wear.
Of course, the Patriots signed Newton for his on-field and not off-field prowess. To improve New England’s odds for the upcoming season after the shocking departure of Tom Brady left the Patriots without a reliable quarterback and less the favourable odds. Nevertheless, Newton is an established fashion trailblazer and odds are he’s likely to draw attention to both his on-field and off-field antics.
Image: mayaluk
