Have you ever wondered where a six-foot-seven man finds pants long enough for his legs or do you happen to be said man? Well, maybe if you’re Carmelo Anthony.
“You figure out a way to make the sleeves longer so that it accompanies your client,” fashion stylist Khalilah Beavers said. “You figure out a way to make it work with what you have.”
Beavers is a creative director and wardrobe stylist with over 20 years of experience. Her most popular client is former professional basketball player Carmelo Anthony whom she started working with in 2008. That is the same year Beavers recalls fashion becoming a huge focus in professional sports.
In 2005, according to the New York Times, the NBA began requiring players to arrive to work in professional wear as they banned tank tops, sweats, and flashy jewelry. This marked the beginning of the suit era which Anthony famously took by storm, with Beavers’ help of course..
She explained that because of their build and body types, dressing NBA players typically calls for tailors and custom-made clothing. Finding clothes that fit accurately can still be an issue today, but nowhere near as much as before.
“Their arms are much longer than the average person who wears an extra large and their feet are bigger, but over the years, designers and partners started to keep these things stocked,” Beavers said.
The league has eased up on clothing protocols in recent years which Beavers believes is because the majority of players today have personal stylists. The outfits we see now in the tunnels or on the sidelines are both professional and fashionable, and they certainly catch the public’s attention.
““The way that players dress today garners more awareness from a different kind of fan and that gives the NBA more money in the end,” Beavers said. “They are larger-than-life public figures with loyal followings and the ability to merge worlds.”
These athletes already have avid fans who enjoy the game, but they can also gain more supporters from other markets who otherwise would not be interested in watching a game.
Athletes across all professional sports are increasingly appearing as ambassadors for major fashion brands; getting styled professionally; and, in general, paying more attention to what they wear.
The transition from showing up to games in traditional suits to professionally styled outfits has not been well received by all fans – athletes receive criticism from some stating they will “play better” if they stop focusing on their clothes.
NFL Fashion Content Strategist Kyle Smith emphasized the acceptance of self-expression through fashion in professional sports as a fairly recent feat.
“Just five years ago, luxury brands would not have entertained the thought of loaning pieces to athletes,"" Smith said. “Today, these same brands are begging athletes to wear their clothes.”
There is a sense of urgency for these brands nowadays when they invite athletes to their shows or send them clothes because they know it’s an opportunity to get in front of more eyes and potential consumers.
“This past season, Saquon Barkley walked in the 2023 New York Fashion Week Hermès show within an hour of finishing practice,” Smith said. “It was such a tight schedule that the brand had to fly him in on a helicopter.”
These luxury brands are willing to go the whole nine yards to ensure the athletes make appearances at their shows. It’s a guarantee that the media will show up and write about the guests of honor.
Fashion brands play a huge role in styling these athletes for obvious reasons, such as they’re the ones who design the clothes, and because they decide who becomes an ambassador of their brand or a guest at their events.
“When I first started, I would send messages directly to athletes and rappers, but they would never respond,” Milad Moridi said. “Now, I message stylists because they’re the best point of contact.”
Moridi is the CEO and Creative Director of Funeral Apparel which is primarily “high-end streetwear and grunge-inspired products at an affordable price.” He thought up the idea for his clothing brand after graduating high school, at which time he also decided he would learn to do basic sewing and screen printing.
The young entrepreneur developed an expertise in graphic design and launched Funeral in 2017.
It’s routine for brands in their early days to “gift” stylists and athletes in hopes that their product will be selected as part of an outfit. Given the nature of their work, it’s expected that an athlete will be photographed in said product and the brand will consequently receive free promotion.
In November 2023, the brand had a game-changing moment when Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum was pictured in the game tunnel wearing the Revenge Shirt.
“The photo was posted on the LeagueFits account and they were nice enough to tag us, which isn’t something they usually do,” Moridi said. “It also helped that he was wearing one of our best-selling shirts.”
A single social media post of an athlete wearing the product can change the brand’s trajectory overnight.
Donovan “Spida” Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers also sports the brand proudly as he wore the Barbed Wire Set to the 2024 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Spida is a five-time NBA All-Star in high demand, so it’s safe to say the brand is rapidly growing in popularity amongst elite athletes and stylists.
As mentioned before, a lot goes into styling outfits and each stylist has their own creative process.
“I like to think from a PR perspective and strategically use brands that align with my client,” Sydney Bordonaro said. “It helps build relationships between the brand and the athlete.”
The athlete-turned stylist knows the pressure of performing at a high level like the back of her hand. She played college basketball at Pepperdine University during her undergrad and at Long Beach State while she received her Master’s.
Roughly a year and a half after graduating, she fell into fashion and has since worked with Nike, Glossier, and Google Pixel.
“The Google campaign had a crazy budget for outfits and filming in Las Vegas and New York,” Bordonaro said. “It was a huge opportunity for my work to be on national television.”
Fashion, like sports, opens up doors to new possibilities and can lead to life-changing experiences. For Bordonaro, that means becoming WNBA Star Kelsey Plum’s stylist.
The Las Vegas Ace is partnered with Under Armour, a brand that “makes all athletes better through passion, design, and the relentless pursuit of innovation.”
Bordonaro emphasized the importance of sponsorships and their impact on an athlete’s branding.
“There tends to be a huge disconnect between athletes and their agents when deciding on what deals to take because the agent is more focused on the money than the brand’s values,” she said. “There should also be an intention behind a partnership to maintain authenticity values.”
Bordonaro realized there needs to be an emotional attachment between a client and a brand to bring new fans and respect from both markets.
“You have to think, do you just want to be rich or do you want to be real?” she said. “You should only work with brands that make sense and are true to you otherwise there will be a huge disconnect between the athlete and their fans.”
With the rise in popularity of women’s sports, especially the WNBA, it’s expected that more fashion brands will look to sponsor athletes.
The Italian fashion house Prada styled Caitlin Clark, the number one overall pick from Iowa, for the 2024 WNBA Draft making it the first time that Prada has ever dressed a player for a WNBA or NBA Draft.
Cameron Brink, the second overall pick, is already signed to New Balance, and now that she will be playing in LA, endorsements will soon flood in. There is a future in this game.
CAITLIN CLARK PHOTOGRAPHED BY GETTY IMAGES
ANGEL REESE PHOTOGRAPHED BY GETTY IMAGES
CAMERON BRINK PHOTOGRAPHED BY GETTY IMAGES
The discussion between fashion and sports is far from over. In a few years, we will see more high-end fashion brands working with athletes, especially the WNBA as its audience is growing exponentially which can be advantageous for said brands.
We will also see more athletes launching their own clothing brands like NFL wide receiver Stefon Diggs who released his brand LIEM in March 2024. The name stands for “Live In Every Moment” and the inspiration came from Diggs’ desire to create clothes “with the intention of individuality” so that people have the space to express themselves through fashion comfortably.
The intersectionality between sports and fashion has leveled up in recent years with more athletes having personal stylists, showing up to their games decked out in designer fits, and developing partnerships with major brands.
These partnerships benefit the athlete and the brand by creating conversation and drawing attention to both parties.