Fashion in the NBA: A Study in Court-Side Charisma

"You need to raise your sock game playa!" - Dwyane Wade, to his less fashionably-inclined Heat team member Ray Allen during post-game dressup.

Allen should take this gem of style-advice as humble acceptance of fashion taking the NBA world by (OKC) Thunder and storm and run straight to his local tailor. There is perhaps no group more fascinating to witness using personal style as a means to display who they are than the highly-gifted community of professional athletes. After all, is there anyone else on the planet who represents influence, skill, aptitude, physical prowess, and ultimate life-force more than the people who have earned the awe of men, women, children, and even celebrities themselves (think Jack Nicholson courtside at just about every Laker home-game) alike?

Crowned the "best athletes on the planet" undisputedly by those in the know, basketball players are capable of playing any professional sport there is, and playing it well. The same can definitely not be said of those who play sports equal in popularity such as football, soccer, or baseball. Perhaps this is the very reason why we see individuals of this league donning ensembles that ordinary men would dare not wear. If style is an extension of one's true self, then who better than NBA players to sport traffic-stopping ensembles as a representation of their feral physical personas?

It's always been there. Who can forget Dennis Rodman of the nineties, the ostentasciously tatted, outrageously-styled wild-child of the NBA whose piercings and rainbow hair-dye of the week made him a sight to see both on and off the court. Rodman's eclectic, unpredictable getups are perhaps the most extreme case of power and domination being reflected in personal appearance, decades earlier than the rest. 

NBA veteran and chameleon Dennis Rodman in some of his more demure ensembles

Following Rodman's decline, NBA commissioner David Stern controversially laid down the law in 2005 banning baggy jeans, t-shirts, and the overall hip-hop flavor most young athletes were bringing into work. Suits became the status quo as a temporary solution, which led to a somewhat bland era of made-to-order looks and generic attempts by players to diligently follow the rules...and unfortunately in the process, lose their true panache. Only recently have we seen players like Russell Westbrook, who has been dubbed "the Kate Moss of the NBA" by Vogue, bring an individualistic, and in his particular case, part-punk, part-rebel style portrayal that is entirely true to who he is. His trousseau isn't just made up of excessive get-ups other NBA players wouldn't dare wear - it's an actual look he has been lucky enough to develop since he was a just a child, shopping with his mother in LA's downtown alley. Another chip in Westbrook's favor? At six-foot-three, he is positively average-sized in comparison to other NBA giants, allowing him to easily find apparel off-the-rack versus having pieces custom-made for the typical NBA frame as his peers do. Westbrook's flair is a true reflection of his lightning-fast, combative, unapologetic force on the court, where he makes no qualms about his utter disregard for anyone else.  Westbrook is known to make a point of the fact that he has no stylist, and chooses his own looks.  His talent and passion is aptly displayed in his wardrobe, and one doesn't have to go out and buy the M&M shirt or red leather pants in order to give props to the young force to be reckoned with, on and off the court. 

Westbrook's spread for VMan magazine

Those infamous lensless glasses with a photoshopped fan prediction of what he will wear next...

Westbrook's everyday cazh

The foil to Westbrook's young-punk "Kate Moss" chic? Thunder teammate Kevin Durant's prim-and-proper "Kate Middleton" look, driven by his silky-smooth iceman talent on the court. Westbrook brushes off criticism unaffected with the flourish of British royalty, and dresses with a class and dignity akin to the same.  Refusing to be bound by the limits of his size, Durant plays the tailor-made game of dress-up by conforming to the league standard of selling a player's own brand with ease. Like other best-dressed's in his arena, Durant thrives in the world of Twitter, Instagram, and up-to-the-minute selfies that the NBA has taken to recently, thanks to stylist Regi Puckett. Puckett approached and offered to transform the then backback-bearing Durant after a game last season, and has since morphed Durant's looks of choice into his big-and-tall size, an extra step Westbrook and other petite players can conveniently skip (hence Westbrook's proud proclamation of dressing himself "stylist-free").

Westbrook's (left) Moss to Durant's Middleton - each fitted in his own right

 

Unabashed and true-to-himself: Durant's hard-line style

Bring on the Heat...

The topic of fashion in the NBA cannot be braced without a look at rival team Miami Heat's fashion-donning duo, Dwyane Wade and Lebron James. For Wade, staying one step ahead is not enough -  not only has he has been overheard spewing accessory advice across the locker room to fellow players, but he is known for being more a risk-taker than fellow players James and Chris Bosh. When it comes to style, Wade will forego comfort to suffer for fashion gain more than teammates and fellow players in the league. Dressing true to his nickname of "Flash" on the court, Wade's innovation and skillful outmaneuvering of opponents is displayed brilliantly in his various ensembles consisting of Scotch and Soda pants, flawlessly tailored suits, and luxe accessories (who can forget "The Russian"?) His fashion moves break boundaries, yet he is accepted even in the cheeky world of Hollywood glamour as arm candy of longtime girlfriend, actress Gabrielle Union.  His most memorable fashion move to date? Arguably the red-yellow-chocolate patent-leather Louboutin sneakers he wore during the Heat's visit to the White House. The result? Unconventional, brash, and endearingly juvenile ease, very true to Wade's lighthearted court-side self. 

A pale suit and Louboutins to stand apart from the White House crowd? Lighten up, Bosh!

With his two loves: actress Union and a squeaky-clean Spalding

  Pretty Boy Sway                

                                                                    

 DWade sporting "The Russian" with a pea-coated LBJ

Leather pants and racy prints for Miami's style collective

Bordering on the world of greatness but struggling in his own skin, Lebron James' insecurities have at times been apparent in his fashion choices. Cited by fellow NBA fashionisters as occasionally making some style mistakes, he has finally been embraced by the sports world as one of the best ever. Surely, the six-foot-eight, two-hundred fifty pound star struggled early on finding pieces off the rack, staggering the development of his style evolution? His wardrobe over the years is reflective of his career journey and newly found court-side confidence as one of the best NBA players to have ever lived.

 Testing out the style waters

                                           

Growing into his own skin

The Lebron of today: cool, confident, and collected

Speaking of Lebron's criticism, it's safe to now mention the flak athletes sometimes get from the high-nosed fashionista world, who seem to forget that high-end couture isn't reserved purely for the cookie-cutter community of beautiful actors, models, and high-brow society.  Stunning people, gorgeous clothes...is the goal simply to look good within a textbook-guide made up by the fashion-elite? Yaaaawn. It gets quite straight-laced and boring that way, especially when contrasting typical mens' red carpet finery to the NBA's impressive resume of power-suits. Perhaps athletes are more highly criticized because they are now delving into territory considered out-of-their-league by the haughty fashion community.  But these incomparable men simply can't be judged by the standards of the mainstream fashion world. 

And even in this self-serving "mainstream" world, who doesn't have an occasional faux-paus? Yes, because of their inarguably louder presence, NBA wardrobes will only naturally be akin to all that is boisterous, flashy, and in-your-face. Do they get it absolutely perfect every time? Like all other fashion icons, no. Yet the collective result, the aftermath of experimentation, self-realization and the healthy step-up-yo-game-attitude that is now ever present pre-game, post-game, and everywhere in between, is a fascinating real life example of style being used as an extension to showcase pure physical prowess, the modern-day equivalent of the caveman concept of survival-of-the-fittest. The young, 20-something demographic of men who make up the  majority of the league is the perfect base to the reckless, daring, "I-dont-give-a-damn" attitude needed to survive the "style-wars" taking over the league in its most sought-after players. The red carpet of the NBA, also known as the playoffs in June, will only bring more awe-inspiring looks of authoritative, efficacious swagger the world awaits to see. And if the high-fashion community can't accept the ever-dominating presence of athletes in "their" world, the very least they can do is admit that the form of an athlete rivals the build of any of the world's most sought-after supermodels as a hanger for showcasing their creative genius. 

Dwyane Wade and supermodel Karlie Kloss for Vogue

NBA stylists have started appealing to fashion designers to create with the athletic archetype in mind, citing them accurately as much, much more relatable and appealing to the average man than the typical emaciated male model or even a Hollywood actor. Designers don't typically think "six-foot-seven, two hundred and seventy five pounds" when instigating their creative process, but with people like Amare Stoudemire and his lovely then-fiance (now wife) sitting front row at Paris fashion week last year, maybe it's high time they did?

Stoudemire and wife at Givenchy Paris Fashion Week 2012

                  

Model vs. Athlete: Who does the average man more closely relate to?             

Last But Not Least - My Hometown Team...

In contrast to the rookie vibe of the aforementioned ballers, we have a more tasteful flair for luxury reflected in the likes of arguably the most-loved (and occasionally hated-on) athlete on the planet right now, Kobe Bryant. The world has watched Kobe grow as an athlete and fashion-icon for the last 17 years - from the hip-hop phase of his teens into his current refined,  self proclaimed "sophisticated-look". The night he passes his childhood idol Wilt Chamberlin's record for 4th place on the NBA's career-scoring list is precisely when I catch up with a victorious Kobe post-Kings win in Sacramento. "I try to stay away from the young-boy thing," he tells me, and credits stylist Derek Leroux for dressing him.  "I'm a big Frida Giannini fan," he also admits about Gucci's creative director while slipping on a long-sleeved, team-branded t-shirt in preparation for his flight home. Amidst the press/locker room chaos of reporters and post-game hubbub, Kobe is receptive to fashion questions and takes his time answering.  He makes it clear that as much as he likes Gucci today, it is not his end-all be-all.  "I like to mix it up," he adds as an afterthought, and nods in acceptance when I praise his fur-stole get-up which was both touted and tattered in the media recently.  Fashion clearly has a place in Kobe's heart, as apparent in his infamous white spread for the LA times. Though highly criticized, the risk paid off as it is no-doubt remembered and seared in the minds of commoners and NBA bigwigs alike as a highly-gutsy career move. Three years later, Kobe is unaffected by any negative byproducts of the white shoot as he aspires to his veteran place in the league with an easy chic in slim Italian suits and the occasional lavish accessory (an effortlessness that younger players of the league - Russell Westbrook, Dwayne Wade, Lebron James - cannot afford to adopt just yet.)  If Kobe Bryant, THE Kobe Bryant of the LA Lakers is not the man to rock a herringbone overcoat with fur stole and those exquisite ombre wingtips well then....who exactly is??

All-over color and his take on sophistication - well-earned fashion statements by the veteran of the league

  

Even less ostentatious personalities in the NBA, such as the sweet and soft-spoken Steve Nash, for example, have a foot in the fashion world.  He tells us sports injuries had him sitting courtside during games, which in turn forced him to wear suits. "I have ownership/stake in Indochino.com, which is a custom-made-to-fit suit concept. So formally I wear that and for casual everyday...I wear whatever," he admits with a gracious smile.  Dressed comfortably yet still put together to catch his flight home when I chatted with him, Steve's casual, self-proclaimed "whatever" outfit consists of a lightweight black jacket and t-shirt, gray jeans, and black Chuck Taylor's. For someone who dresses himself and has been known for quipping "I just don't take it that seriously," when previously questioned about his personal style, Steve was ever the gentleman and the epitome of "sporty polish" when I saw him, bringing to mind Kobe's fitting nickname "The Great Gatsby" for his fellow Laker. 

Steve Nash for Indochino

Younger Laker Dwight Howard, who in his shorter career has already graced countless "Top 10 Best Dressed" lists admits a bit sheepishly that he doesn't have a stylist. "I just do my own thing," says the jovial, good-natured athlete post game as I approach him while he's watching his highlights on the monitor. Prone to a cleaner, more dapper-gentlemanly-look consisting of button-ups, vests, and bowties, Dwight says he is not akin to any one style either. It's clear that as much as they love to dress up, the men of the NBA don't take fashion TOO seriously, apparent in the playful banter from fellow Laker Antawn Jamison and Jodie Meeks when they overhear me questioning Dwight about this style..."What?! STYLE? HE AIN'T GOT NO STYLE!!"  Dwight laughs it off confidently without a second thought before he turns back to me to finish our interview. "Are you a stylist? Can I have your card?" he inquires as I explain my research and plans to write on this very topic.  It's impressive that one of the best-dressed men in the NBA styles himself, albeit a bit safely.  With an intense season of training and playoffs looming in the months ahead, as well as the ever-increasing presence of fashion manner in his league, perhaps he will outsource the time-consuming, career-defining task early in his NBA stint to us in an effort to bring out his well-known fun and vibrant vibe a bit more?

The ever-humorous and playful Dwight Howard on Ellen

With the increasing emphasis on appearance off-court, it's a small wonder that roughly only one player per fashionable team employs a stylist (Kobe is the only Laker to have one, as is Durant for OKC Thunder). The market for help in this arena is clearly growing, apparent in Dwight Howard's inquiry into our styling services. It's refreshing that athletes who can otherwise dress themselves well see hiring a stylist simply as a smart, time-efficient move in keeping up in a world where appearance matters. This crop of career-minded individuals is wise in recognizing that hiring a stylist is not a blow to their own taste, but simply a clever exercise in time-management for their hectic schedules made up of much, much more important things to do. 

On an endless hunt to enhance the age-old definition of personal style, my experiences last weekend in meeting and chatting with some of the most commanding and compelling athletes in the world only further cemented the notion of fashion being an extension of a person as an individual. The men of the NBA are no ordinary human beings - they are physical anomalies of creation and such wonders should only be fittingly "fitted" with equally wondrous threads, no matter what the world thinks. Never any less. 

Written by Saba Ali - stylist, writer, founder, and sole-proprietor of SBD - Image Consulting

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