Whether it is to express their individual taste and style in their choice of clothing or getting involved in the design and manufacturing of fashion and launching their own labels, the last decade has seen more and more athletes put their personal stamp on the world of fashion.
Athletes have long been revered as some of life’s best role models, and their feats of excellence, discipline, training – everything and anything that goes into honing their craft – have been emulated by countless fans and budding young athletes looking to follow in their footsteps. So, it’s really no surprise that these very same individuals make up today’s emerging fashionistas, commanding huge capital amongst fans that are only too eager to emulate them off the field as well as on the field
Determining which athletes make up the world’s most stylish sports superstars though is an exercise in subjectivity. There can never be true consensus in the answer when the question ultimately involves something that is entirely from a consumer’s perspective all about personal choice, feeling, and preference.
So, in this column, we highlight a few well-known, household-name athletes that are widely considered amongst the most fashionable. However, this is by no means a complete list. Nor is it the be-all and end-all of the sports glitterati that are styling it up.
Arguably, football legend David Beckham is one of the most stylish British exports as well as a household name in neighborhoods on both sides of the Atlantic pond, if not the world. Beckham’s fashion sense and style have evolved over the years as he’s experimented with various trends and looks, but his commitment to maintaining a high standard in his appearance has never waned. And thanks to these ties that bind, he was recently named to the British Fashion Council as an Ambassador President.
Beckham’s relationship with fashion is extensive, most fruitful, and strongly familial. While Beckham hung up his cleats a long time ago, the 46-year-old nevertheless continues to inspire fans beyond football, be it with his dress sense or hairstyles. Most recently, Beckham going blond in a bid to revive his 90s look has inspired many men to turn to peroxide too.
Cristiano Ronaldo fashion CR7. Photo courtesy of Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is another future football Hall of Famer that is a bonafide style icon and a favorite amongst top designers such as Armani and Tag Heuer and big sports brands such as Nike. Indeed, he’s also made a foray into the world of fashion with CR7 – a Nike brand Cristiano Ronaldo line
Ronaldo’s fashion is sharp, smart, and serious, a fitting reflection of the Portuguese’s football skills that have inspired and awed football lovers everywhere. There is no player in today’s game that takes his craft more seriously than Ronaldo, his discipline, commitment, and fitness second to none.
Speaking of football, albeit of the American variant, NFL superstar De’Andre Hopkins is in a league of his own both on and off the field. The star wideout has plowed through countless football records ever since he burst onto the scene and held fans from Houston to Arizona and in between spellbound with his transcendent skills, making him one of the players to spot according to Bovada sports betting in the upcoming season. Equally, his youthful exuberance, edgy choices, and boundary-pushing approach to fashion make him a style icon to spot off the field.
NHL superstar Henrich Lundqvist might not be easily recognizable outside of an ice rink given that he’s covered head-to-toe in hockey gear when playing, but the Washington Capitals netminder is a bonafide fashionista with a classic European flair and elegance that never goes out of style. No matter the outfit, Lundqvist wears clothes with a natural ease that is both understated yet exceptionally tailored at the same time. Even in casual wear, there is undisguised intent to his style choices.
Photo courtesy of Roger Federer
Finally, one of the best and most well-known athletes around the world must be Roger Federer. The Swiss maestro is a wizard on the court, channeling breath-taking magic as he wields his racquet like a powerful wand. As a tennis player, he’s spell-binding. He’s admired for the effortless ease and balletic grace with which he plays the game— and there’s no other player whose game can compare nor even comes close to the purity and beauty of Federer’s game.
Off the court, Federer is admired for his personal style which is the embodiment of refined elegance and class. He’s always well-dressed, be it in sports gear or casual wear, or formal wear. And that special alchemy that is his, and his alone, make him a style icon that draws luxury label endorsements and big brand sponsorships and that inspires fans to turn to him for fashion cues.
