In Honor of Oscar de la Renta: Most Stylish Sports Figures Ever

Fashion legend Oscar de la Renta passed away at the age of 82 on Monday. The Dominican Republic native was responsible for dressing every first lady since Jacqueline Kennedy. He also designed clothes for the likes of George Clooney and Brad Pitt on the Hollywood stage.

With the passing of a true legend, we figured it made sense to check in on some of the most stylish male sports figures ever. From Satchel Paige and Tom Landry to Tom Brady and LeBron James, here are some of the best-dressed athletes that we have come across.

Muhammad Ali

Those of us who were born after Muhammad Ali was making his presence known in the boxing world and all around the United States will never fully grasp what type of individual that he was at that time. Instead, our live version of The Great One is clouded by the Parkinson’s disease that has plagued him for years now.

Outside of his electric personality, Ali also showed us that it was possible for an individual involved in a violent sport to hold himself like a stylish figure outside of the boxing ring. You would always see him dressed in a suit in public, out among other stars at the best spots and holding himself in an distinguished manner. Stylish was one term that best defined Ali outside of the ring.

Tom Brady

Say what you want about Brady himself, but this dude seriously knows fashion and always has. Coupled with wife Gisele Bundchen off the field, the two often become the toast of the town. And really, who would question it with the way these two dress?

The interesting thing here is that Brady plays football in a city known for its blue-collar mentality. But those who support him and his team are more than happy to overlook what has to be considered an off-field lifestyle that doesn’t fit most of them. Let’s just hope Brady isn’t seen wearing a New York Yankees cap once again. 

Tom Landry

Tom Landry’s hat. It’s something that is now and will forever be a part of football history. At a time when the NFL didn’t have dumb licensing rules, coaches could actually look sharp on the sideline without worrying about being fined. And Landry himself was among the most-sleek looking of them all. He showed class on and off the field, which has to be considered one of the reasons his Cowboys team had so much success. Part of me wishes we could go back to the days when coaches were dressed this way and showed the persona that Landry, among many others, displayed on the sideline.

Walt Frazier

A combination of the pimp and magician look. Seriously, not many could pull off what Frazier did off the court during his playing days of the 1960’s and 1970’s with the New York Knicks. At of the the disco club scene and Studio 54, Frazier knew how to acclimate himself to the nightlife.

Henrik Lundqvist

Hey look ma, I gots all my teeth. This isn’t necessarily the normal look you see from hockey players. Sure some dress well and look all GQ off the ice, but Henrik takes it to a completely new level. The awesome thing about this Rangers netminder is that he isn’t afraid to show this off on his website. He may be the target of some back talk in the locker room, but the look works well for him.

LeBron James

 

LeBron was one of the first NBA players to trend to this look. And since the Association has decided to implement a dress code, it has changed the image of basketball to some. While James has made some fashion mistakes in the past, he surely knows how to look GQ off the court.

In fact, his Miami Heat teams of the past three years took on that look with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh also making sure they looked sharp in the lead up to game and out on the streets after the game. It’s also pretty awesome seeing young stars take to this look around the Association.

Kevin Durant

There might be a hipster look going on here, but Durant can pull it off. He’s always shown the ability to try out and display different styles off the court. However, one thing is clear: he needs to drop that backpack like a bad habit. 

Cristiano Ronaldo

This European Gucci style has made it to the sports world in the United States. And while I couldn’t be caught dead wearing some of what Ronaldo finds himself wearing public, the look works on him. If you think NBA players have their own odd style, check out some of the top soccer players in Europe, this dude included.

Vince Lombardi

Lombardi’s hat and coat combo is one defining image from a time in the NFL where the players on the field were seen more as barbarians than anything else. He looked like a traveling businessman, which gave somewhat of a professional feel to the Packers of that era. While Landry probably wouldn’t have admitted it, his style had to at least come from what he saw from Lombardi.

Artis Gilmore

Gilmore was one of the few men who could pull off that fur coat look. What made it even more exceptional was the fact that he did it multiple times with an afro. Wilt Chamberlain and others would also show this look, but it was Gilmore who stood above the rest.

Satchel Paige

There aren’t many photos of Paige off the baseball diamond. And he didn’t join Major League Baseball until late in his career, but Paige sure the heck knew how to go away from the construct of the time that said black men couldn’t be stylish or wear what upper-class white men wore. The photo above is among the most famous of Paige off the baseball field and shows us that he was as stylish as anyone.

Joe Namath

Speaking of fur coast, Namath might not have had to be able to pull off the fur coat look…the ladies really didn’t care. Heck, he can still pull it off today. Just ask Suzy Kolber.

Photo: Huffington Post