Travis Kelce has scored some major points both on the field and in the fashion world.
The Kansas City Chiefs tight end has his own clothing line, Tru Kolors, and isthe first NFL member to have a club merch collab.
“I have fun in fashion,” Kelce told Forbes. “I love to pick a different outfit every single day.”
Brandon Williams, a wardrobe stylist and creative director who specializesin dressing athletes and is a personal friend of Kelce, noted that the Super Bowl champion’s appeal comes from more than just the clothes on his athletic build.
“I think it’s very important to know the difference between fashion and style. It’s his essence that he kind of shows up really being himself,” Williams explained to The Post.
“It doesn’t matter that he’s known for being one of the best, if not the best, tight end in the game. He’s not afraid to express himself, and I think that’s the total package.”
And Kelce’s unabashed passion for fashion has inspired men to also step up their Style (“Taylor’s Version,” of course).
“When [men] see someone like Kelce, someone who ‘shouldn’t’ traditionally be interested in style, they think, ‘If he’s interested in these things, then I can explore,’ ” Peter Nguyen, an NYC men’s stylist, told The Post.
“I think he’s really inspiring a lot of guys who normally didn’t see themselves paying attention to what they were wearing.”
Ngyuen, who “helps regular guys discover their personal style,” said that most of his clients initially struggle to visualize putting a new outfit together and rely on having an idol like Kelce to show them how it’s done.
To put it into practice, we pulled these Post staffers out of their usual uniforms and copied a few plays from Kelce’s lookbook.
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Art director of news features Michael Guillen, 45, was styled in a green tracksuit ($39) with black shades and a backward hat to emulate the sporty look the tight end wore to cheer on his brother, Jason Kelce, at the Philadelphia Eagles game against the New York Jets.
“Seeing the outfit in action out in the wild is definitely more appealing than on a drab mannequin in a clothing store,” Guillen told The Post.
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Video editor Michael Sorace, 34, was outfitted in an off-white, two-piece shacket and pants corduroy set ($42) inspired by the trendy look Kelce wore to have dinner at the Waverly Inn with Taylor Swift, 33.
“I would absolutely breeze past this if it were on the rack, but seeing him in it does absolutely make me think twice,” Sorace told The Post.
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Associate digital editor Chris Scarglato, 22, was dressed in a long-sleeved, cream fisherman sweater ($31) — a tried and true staple — paired with sweatpants and a green cap to emulate the comfy but classic outfit the footballer wore when he touched down in Buenos Aires, not long before Swift’s Eras Tour show.
Scarglato said he approved of the sweater but thought pairing it with sweatpants was a fumble.
“You will likely see me out with just the sweater, and maybe some jeans, in the near future,” he told The Post. “I’ll leave the wool sweater and sweatpants combo to Travis.”
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But some of Kelce’s wackier looks were a false start for some.
Commerce writer P.J. McCormick, 25, tried out brown velour joggers ($26) similar to the ones Kelce wore ahead of his game against the Minnesota Vikings last month that spawned one of many Swift conspiracy theories.
“It’s a look certainly, but not mine,” McCormick told The Post. “I would not wear it.”
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Not all of Kelce’s looks are a win for everyone, but he’s OK with that.
The NFL star recently told the Wall Street Journal he chooses clothes that will “put a smile on somebody’s face” but recognizes that “obviously, not every look is for everybody.”
“I’m not going to be offended if somebody says I look like a clown if I got a fun hat on and some wacky jeans,” Kelce continued. “It is what it is, I’m gonna have fun with it.”
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Williams gives credit to Kelce for taking risks, especially because men are “programmed to think it’s not a masculine thing to care about our appearance.”
“I think it makes you a better kind of man, to care about what you look like, and how you show up in the world,” he added.
Kelce’s image consultant Danielle Salzedo recently shared how much time and effort Kelce puts into his style — it’s not just a game-time decision.
He “has a clear vision for his personal aesthetic and definitely styles himself,” Salzedo told US Weekly, sharing that Kelce “spends a significant amount of time” scouring the internet for new looks.
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Kelce recently shared that he converted a whole bedroom in his home into a closet that now holds about 300 sneakers and lavish impulse purchases from luxury retailers Farfetch and Ssense and sometimes spends up to three hours choosing a game-day look.
But Williams believes Kelce’s honesty about caring about his clothes allows everyday men to do the same.
“I think it’s a liberating moment for men,” he said. “It’s a message to other guys in the world, ‘Don’t be afraid to have an opinion. Don’t be afraid to be laughed at. Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself. And don’t be afraid to be fly.’ ”
