Football stars are adored by millions of fans, old and young, around the world. They are seen as sports icons – which is good – and, unfortunately, they are also often seen as style guides to be followed. Considering that some famous football players have been seen sporting some of the worst haircut disasters in the world of football, seeing them as guides to our everyday attire may not be the best idea of them all. Of course, kids wearing “Drogba” jerseys don’t count.
When it comes to footballers, the only thing that should matter is what (as in which team’s colours) they wear in the playfield. This is often far from being the only outfit the world is keeping an eye on. Drogba’s jersey colour was blue while he was with Chelsea but not even it turning into a red and black changed the way he looked when off the field – while his style was a bit different from what you would expect from a 40-year-old today, it was nowhere near outrageous or overly flashy. This can’t be said about others, though, walking in his shoes.
We could go on about how various footballers signed endorsement deals with various manufacturers to promote their clothes, perfumes, and other products – but we won’t. David Beckham made the smart-casual attire his own as he aged, without the need to be endorsed by major fashion brands, Christiano Ronaldo’s casual jackets and plain t-shirts are also his own style – perhaps praising the work of a stylist, too, but never outrageous and sloppy but rather simple, elegant, and stylish. Pirlo’s look is also a well-put-together style, built around his long hair and beard that’s a pretty unusual sight in the field – denim, rolled-up shirt sleeves, knitwear, and shades that, although being the products of well-known Italian designers, they don’t scream “Look at me, I’m famous!” at all.
Don’t get me wrong: there are plenty of footballers that committed serious fashion crimes during their career. Think of Alex Song, the Cameroonian footballer who played for Arsenal, West Ham, and many other teams (currently playing for Sion) whose fashion line, “Systeme Tchakap”, has the potential to make your eyes hurt even more than the outfit of the player himself. Then, there are players like Stephen Ireland, whose forced combinations would make any mother’s eyes bleed, former Chelsea player Ashley Cole who at times looks like he’s jumped right out of an endless Mexican telenovela, and the list could go on and on. Footballers, don’t forget that there are entire generations of youngsters looking up at you for your performance in the playfield. Today’s fashion world is “everything goes” but it should never be in the detriment of good tastes!
