pappy van winkle: Bespoke NBA Draft 2011

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Long lost are the days of NBA draftees looking like clowns on draft day. The NBA Draft 2011 changed all of that...hopefully. This new breed of NBA rookies are more fashion saavy than ever. If you happened to watch this year's draft, you may have noticed that the suits were slim, cut to fit, fashion forward, and some even bespoke.
"The rookies, some still teenagers, have come to recognize how their off-court wardrobe can influence their public image, and as such, their future endorsement deals." - NYTimes
These new basketball entrepreneurs seem to be ever more conscious of building a brand rather than just becoming great basketball players. I honestly don't know if it's a good thing for the league. The focus of young male adult is limited, and you'd like to think all of it were focused on basketball. Undoubtedly, these rookies are taking their cues from the likes of Dwayne Wade and Carmelo Anthony, who by the way ditched his distinctive cornrows in the 98-99 basketball season in order to attain a more professional look.

Last week, Miami Heat Dwyane Wade and New York Knicks Carmelo Anthony were spotted front row at Milan Fashion Week for some of the most prestigous events for mens fashion like DSquared, Versace and Armani.

Of course, Kanye West is a fixture at any fashion week around the globe. This is an image of West hiding his Dallas Mavericks hat while he poses for a photo with Miami Heat Dwyane Wade at Milan Fashion Week.

The Good

In contrast to bygone years, the handful of players who pushed the style envelope did so in understated ways. The Charlotte Bobcats’ new guard, Kemba Walker, called to mind a Gatsby-era dandy: he wore a bespoke steel-blue suit, a tasteful matching argyle tie and pale pink saddle oxfords. “Dress to impress,” he said. He was the winner of multiple votes for best dressed for the night.

Perhaps the most GQ-ready look was found on Tristan Thompson, the fourth overall player selected by the Cavaliers. The forward from the University of Texas wore a custom charcoal suit by Paper Brown Bag, a Harlem label, that called to mind a very fashionable Pee-wee Herman with tapered pants and a shrunken jacket. Thompson, 20, comes to the league with a taste for Ferragamo, YSL and Comme des Garçons. “I definitely like a European look, pride myself on the European style,” he said.

Draft night #1 overall pick, Kyrie Irving, wore a sleek navy pinstripe suit with a lavender striped necktie — courtesy of Giorgio Armani, and fitted at the designer’s megastore on Fifth Avenue a few days before. Irving expounded on his wardrobe choice in the de facto green room, a curtained-off area where he was joined by his father and sister, dressed in their Sunday best. “I thought about it a lot, honestly,” said Irving, who was born in Australia and attended high school in New Jersey. Using the public relations skills you’d expect from a top pick who took an acting class at Duke, he added: “I wanted to be dressed with the best, and what better way to do that than be outfitted by Giorgio Armani?”
The Ugly Past