Category: Athlete Apparel

When one thinks about athlete fashion, the styles of the players themselves first come to mind. After all, these players are the reason fans are in the seats, and championship rings are won. Every once in a while, or maybe just once in a lifetime, a non athlete is able to make his or her mark on athletic style. I’m talking about the late, great, Craig Sager.

Craig Sager began sports reporting in 1981, and cemented his legacy as a player/fan favorite up until Leukemia took his life in 2016. Throughout his illustrious reporting career, Sager a plethora of NBA games, including the 2016 NBA finals which occurred in the midst of his battle with cancer. Although his talent as a reporter was evident, Craig Sager’s fashion choices were perhaps some of the most iconic statements across the sports world. Take a Look.

In past blogs I dove deep into the meaning behind players style, exposing personal reasons for why players wear what they wear. The beauty of Craig Sager’s suits are that there is really no reason as to why he wore them. They were just fun! When the camera panned to Sager before, during, or after a game, his clothing sparked no controversy. It sparked smiles, conversations, and laughter. My personal favorite suit that Craig Sager sported was definitely his “Pink Panther” suit (Pictured Above) that he wore during the 2012 Finals. The suit is awesome because like so many other of clothing choices, the color pink completely clashed with the colorway of the two competing teams.

Craig Sager was always beloved, but the extent of his cultural influence across the National Basketball Association was not truly felt until his passing. During the days following his death, players, coaches, and other reporters payed tribute in unique ways to the legendary dresser.

 

                                                                       Giannis Via: 660 News

Giannis Antetokounmpo sported the NBA issued “Sager Strong” practice jerseys along with the rest of his Milwaukee Bucks teammates, which featured one of his more iconic suits on a T shirt. These practice jerseys were distributed to all teams by commissioner Adam Silver

The cast of ESPN NBA countdown displays the profound effect that Sager had on all facets of the sports world, including reporters. Paul Peirce (Far Left) was a player who had been interviewed by Sager many times, and has since taken up reporting

A past guest on the “Athletic Apparel” Blog, Cam Newton shows that Sager’s legacy transcends just basketball, as the NFL star wore this vibrant hat in honor of the reporter.

 

The San Diego Padres are the most exciting team in baseball. This may come as a surprise, seeing that the franchise has not made the playoffs in over 14 years. Although the team is stacked with young stars like Manny Machado and Chris Paddack, second year player Fernando Tatis has stolen the show in more ways than one. “El Nino” or “The Kid” bursted onto the scene last year with an impressive rookie campaign and has continued this season with MVP like numbers. Tatis has become a national treasure not only because of his fast-paced style of play, but because of his youthful attitude and swagger on and off the field.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of Tatis’ style are his chains. Both Tatis and Ronald Acuna have played a large role in reintroducing the chain into everyday MLB attire, and attribute their decision to their Latin American roots. Classy is not the correct word to describe these pieces of jewelry, but flashy and fun definitely are. The chains fit Tatis’ play style perfectly as well. Last month, Tatis sparked outrage across the league when he hit a grand slam on a 3-0 count while winning by 8. Some players claimed Tatis has broken an “unwritten rule of baseball”, where others defended Tatis, arguing that his spark is just what the league needs.

 

 

Although Tatis’ chain definitely pops, the cool part about his look is that the rest of his attire is not as loud. When on the field, Tatis takes a comfortable approach to fashion, with subtle customizations that could easily be missed with a quick glance. The legendary brown jerseys that the padres wear allow Tatis to pull off just about any look. Although Brown is typically an unusual primary color for a sports team, I think the padres pull it off better than anyone.

The Padres enter the 2020 MLB playoff bubble with hopes of a world series ring, and to be honest, I think they have the nation behind them. Since the Phillies are eliminated from contention I can’t help but respect the flash that Tatis and the Padres bring to the league. Fans of eliminated teams will be rooting for Tatis to get his first ring, so he can pair it with his gold chains.

Cam Newton entered the scene at Auburn university as one of the most explosive and elusive quarterbacks in college football. Newton upheld his reputation in Carolina as a Panther, winning the 2015 NFL MVP and leading the Panthers to a Super Bowl appearance. Newton, or “Superman” is notorious for his extravagant touchdown celebrations and pre/postgame attire. After a couple of down years, the Panthers decided to move on from Newton and his pregame drip. The Patriots emerged as a perfect suitor for the former MVP, which means the NFL is once again blessed with Cam Newtons attire. Take a look at Cam’s week one fit.

 

Newton’s yellow suit was not drastically different than his typical gameday attire, yet it was particularly symbolic. Newton addressed the media, explaining “We came up with yellow because we felt as if it’s in some ways ‘Resurrection Sunday.’ … Another kind of notion to the outfit, we wanted it to kind of be like caution tape – yellow and black. Get people prepared and aware ‘Boogie’ is back.” (PatriotsWire) The motivation behind Cam’s now famous yellow suit fits his philosophy of “Look good, play good”, which he swears by. The stylistic choices of one of the most fashionable NFL athletes of all time extends far beyond his yellow suit, however. Let’s take a look at Newtons most prolific fits throughout his career

 

First off, hats. While some players prefer a more low profile approach to fashion, Newton opts to go big. Perhaps the most recognizable trademark of his style choices are the caps that Cam Newton chooses to wear. After the death of legendary sports commentator and fashion icon Craig Sager, Newton paid tribute to the legend by sporting a very large pink hat. This is just one example of the quarterbacks choices to implement statements and tributes into his fashion choices.

 

Sometimes, Newton favors pure style over statements. Perhaps the most glaring example of Cam’s simple love for fashion were his pregame cleats for his Thursday Night Football game versus the Saints in 2016. The inspiration behind these cleats? They matched his pregame pants.

No matter where Cam Newton’s Patriots career leads him, the Quarterback will always maintain his legacy as a high energy athlete who made statements both on and off of the field. Each week presents an opportunity for Cam to showcase his skills and his fashion

 

 

 

On July 28^th, 2020, Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly rocked the baseball world. The Dodgers had traveled to Houston the day prior to face the Astros in a 2017 World Series rematch, just months after news broke that the Astros had been illegally stealing signs during the series. When Joe Kelly stepped onto the mound in the 8^thinning, he wasted no time in seeking revenge, hurling a fastball behind the head of Astros third baseman Alex Bregman. Kelly then proceeded to strike out Carlos Correa, and celebrated by displaying perhaps the most iconic gesture of the 2020 MLB season. Take a look!

 

 

Kelly was subsiquently fined 8 games by the MLB, for a blatant attempt to injure Bregman. The suspension sparked a media uproar, and an outflow of praise for Joe Kelly occurred as a result of his attempt to bean the Astros player. Joe Kelly’s most notable and polarizing supporter is Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer, who has not minced words when advocating for the Dodgers pitcher. Bauer has a histroy of being vocal, and has publically condemned MLB commisioner Rob Manfred on numerous occasions. This season, Trevor Bauer has turned to “fashion” as a means of expression.

 

After tossing a spectacular one hit shutout versus the Kansas City Royals, adding to his 2020 CY Young caliber resume, Bauer decided to take off his jersey. Underneath was a T-Shirt with the words “Send it”, a reference to Bauer’s decsision to hurl a ball over the center field fence last year after being pulled from a start. Bauer’s previous outrage was publically shamed by MLB commisioner, but Bauer seems to have gotten the last laugh. This choice by Bauer is just one of his many rebellions against the MLB “higher ups”, and it surely wont be his last.

 

Bauer reignited the Joe Kelly media frenzy this past week by offering fans a glimpse of his new custom cleats. The pitcher unveiled his “Free Joe Kelly” cleats in one of his Coronavirus YouTube Vlogs. After the grand reveal of the cleats, the MLB threatened Bauer with discipline should he choose to wear the cleats during a start. The cleats consist of the words “Free Joe Kelly” in red lettering, and a sketch of the pitcher’s infamous pout. Bauer publicly criticized the MLB on Twitter, explaining that his cleats don’t violate the leagues rules. Bauer pointed out that if his cleats were deemed unfit, so should Dee Gordon’s “FAST FOOD” cleats, which blatantly violate MLBs terms of product marketing. Bauer has yet to wear the cleats during a start, but knowing his past, there is a good chance we see Joe Kelly back on the field sooner than his suspension is over.

 

August 24^th (8/24) was a sobering night across major sports leagues, as players remembered the legacy of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, who tragically passed this past January. Orange County declared 8/24 “Mamba Night” because of the NBA superstar’s success sporting both the number’s 8 and 24 throughout his career. Here’s a closer look at some of the most memorable fits from 2020’s “Mamba Night”……

Although multiple teams across numerous sports disciplines payed homage to the NBA great, the spotlight inevitably fell on the Los Angeles Lakers, the team that Bryant played his entire twenty-year career with. Superstar Lebron James arrived at the NBA Bubble arena repping a Kobe Bryant jersey, paired with Nike shoes that followed a Lakers colorway. The Lakers sported Black Jerseys embedded with a snakeskin design in recognition of Kobe’s famous nickname, “The Black Mamba”. The Lakers also payed tribute to Kobe’s daughter Gianna Bryant, stitching a heart with the number 2 above the jersey’s Nike logo. An inspiring and moving moment occurred in Monday’s game versus the Portland Trailblazers, as the score read 24-8 midway through the first quarter. Lebron James spoke on the moment when he realized the score was 24-8, and remembered thinking “Ok, he’s in the building”.

Kobe Bryant cemented his legacy in Los Angeles, yet he was raised in Philadelphia. On Kobe night, the cities own Bryce Harper payed respects to the Philly Phenom. Harper wore a black Kobe Jersey under his grey Phillies jersey. Although this gesture garnered much hype from the national media, Bryce’s custom Kobe cleats stole the show. These custom mamba cleats flex a green snakeskin pattern, which compliments perfectly with the colors of the Phillie Phanatic, a character that Harper loves to represent on his accessories. The cleats were paired with a matching wrist protector, which displayed Bryant’s “Mamba” logo on the center. Harper himself grew up in LA, and was a massive Kobe Bryant fan himself.

 

 

This Passion Blog option is second in line to my “Athlete Apparel” Blog. Music is a big part of my life and the lives of many people across the world. Music can be listened to while working out, studying, happy, or upset. My personal music taste is very eclectic, and I can be seen switching between the Fugees to J. Cole over the course of one study session. During this passion blog I would focus both on recent news such as music releases, and the meaning behind lyrics in songs.

My Dad is a very big fan of dissecting music, and loves to find hidden/double meanings in songs. I have began to do the same myself, and I enjoy diving deep into the lyrics of talented Rap artists like J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar. Although some rap songs may come off as purely hype music, there are many verses that provide deep commentary on human struggle and social issues. My vlog would dive deeper into the roots behind many of the verses created by both hip hop artists and artists from outside of hip hop. One artist that I have become particularly interested in is Ziggy Marley, the son of Bob Marley. His music, similar to that of many hip hop artists, attempts to spark change in society while providing music that one can enjoy.

Because I am somebody who is interested in art, album covers play a large role in how I interpret music. I believe that a good album cover is a very important part of an album, and it sets a tone even before a listener dives into the music. If I were to do a music blog, I would love to compare/rank different album covers. Some of my personal favorite album covers are “Taking a Walk” by Trippie Redd and “KOD” by J.Cole. There is a great deal of personality, effort, and artistry that goes into album covers and I would love to dive deeper into that. Just as small artists design custom sneakers for professional athletes, many artists make a living by designing album covers for famous music artists. My personal favorite album artist is Sam Spratt, a digital media artist who has designed album covers for rappers like Logic, and was responsible for much of the art in the video game “Red Dead Redemption”. I would love to profile artists like these who work so hard to make music come to life.

As somebody who is extremely interested in both art and sports, I have always loved following the latest game-day apparel of professional athletes. In recent years, leagues like the NBA, NFL, and MLB have both allowed and encouraged free expression by players. It is not uncommon to see athletes wearing painted cleats supporting their favorite TV characters, or accessories paying homage to a deceased family member or icon. Twins Outfielder Byron Buxton chose to wear a pair of cleats last week depicting the face of George Floyd in an effort to voice his passion. Blantant individual expressions across sports are a fairly new occurrence, but one that is much needed and loved by fans. These forms of expression have become particularly captivating in light of historical movements like Black Lives Matter.

Players such as Lebron James and Bryce Harper have so large a platform that their attire is able to convey a message to millions of people both on social media or on TV. I began customizing shoes last year, and I have fallen in love with creating art that people wear. Not only does athlete apparel provide a platform for athletes, but it gives publicity to artists, such a “Sierato”, a shoe artist who has amassed over 400k followers on Instagram alone. With my Passion blog, I hope to be able to follow both the amazing game-day attire of various athletes, and highlight both small and large custom creators how allow for this amazing form of art. The recent growth of player fashion is not only used for political expression, but also just for fun. One of my personal favorite pieces are CC Sabathias “Thomas Shelby” cleats, worn during the MLB’s 2019 players weekend. CC payed homage to the beloved British TV series, while artist “@mache275” received sons of support for his amazing work. Another fascinating aspect of player expression are hockey goalie masks.

With this blog I hope to be able to dive deeper into the meaning of different player styles and highlight the growing business of custom designs. I hope to in turn be able to garner inspiration for my own custom shoe business and learn what it takes to create shoes that carry value both visually and with what they represent. This topic would also be very well fit for a blog because professional sports are happening throughout the year, and the flow of new style choices and custom cleats are never ending.