It's fit selection day -- the one afternoon every summer that feels like Christmas for safety Justin Simmons. His mission: to finalize 17 pregame arrival outfits for 17 games.
Simmons and Tom Marchitelli, the designer and stylist he has trusted to handle the job for the last seven years, typically sit at a table at Simmons' home in Denver, sifting through multiple binders of suit fabrics for two to three hours. With a copy of his team schedule nearby, they map out the season plan, picking out the wardrobe. Turtlenecks or overcoats for cold-weather games. Extra smoke for division rivalry games, prime-time matchups -- and, for the first time in his career this year, a game against the Broncos, who released him in March, leading him to sign with the Falcons.
On game days, Simmons told me later, he feels most powerful and prestigious walking in with a custom-tailored suit. It has to be unique -- he rarely wears the same thing twice -- and fit perfectly to his body.
"1000% the way someone dresses speaks volumes on who they are," Simmons told me on the phone in January, before echoing one of the most well-known truisms on the subject, delivered decades ago by Hall of Famer Deion Sanders: "Look good, feel good, play good. I truly believe that."
This is the game before the game. All across the league, players are increasingly showing their passion for fashion in the form of pregame tunnel and postgame podium fits. As with their counterparts in the NBA, they are enticed by social media posts and cameras eyeballing game arrivals.
NFL players have also taken their style interests far beyond stadium corridors. After all, stars like the Texans' Stefon Diggs, the Vikings' Justin Jefferson, Odell Beckham Jr., the Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb, the Bengals' Ja’Marr Chase and Joe Burrow and the Jets' Tyrod Taylor have appeared at Fashion Week in Paris. Designers will often partner with high-profile athletes to test the market with a unique style. Think of the buzz caused by the backless suit Burrow showed off last summer.
"The biggest name in the fashion game on the NFL side right now is Stefon Diggs. He has respect in Milan and Paris. He's him out there," Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Charles Omenihu told me. "My goal is to get that sort of respect. I'm serious about fashion. I've gone to Paris. I’ve done work with Feng Chen Wang. It’s more than just a passion."
As for the fashion scene within the NFL, there are two more chances to impress coming up this week: first, when players walk the red carpet before NFL Honors, and then again when members of the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles arrive at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX. And for at least one player, dressing for one of the biggest games of his career will be about more than looking good.
DeAndre Hopkins' Super Bowl fit has been ready for over 30 years -- and now, ahead of his first Super Bowl appearance, the Chiefs receiver is ready to pull it out. Hopkins' dad died in 1992 and left him a few prized possessions, including a mink coat.
"I always said I would wear the mink jacket to my wedding or the Super Bowl, whatever one happened first," Hopkins said Monday at Super Bowl LIX Opening Night. "Obviously I'm not married. So I'm going to wear my daddy's mink jacket."
On Sunday, Hopkins and other stars like the Eagles' DeVonta Smith and Saquon Barkley and the Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce will get to showcase their personalities through their fits. Before then, let's dive into the ins and outs of how NFL players put their styles together.
Who's the best dressed?
Omenihu describes his style as rock star -- he can be all business or all party, depending on the vibe. He typically chooses New York-style baggy streetwear as his pregame game-day fits.
Inspiration, Omenihu admits, often comes from seeing other players on Instagram like Diggs, Beckham and Texans tackle Laremy Tunsil. But it also comes from beyond the NFL, with Omenihu sending pictures of figures like boxer Gervonta Davis and Atlanta rappers Gunna and Offset to his personal shoppers while assembling his next fit.
For example, Omenihu told me the pants he wore for the Chiefs’ win over the Bills in the AFC Championship Game were inspired by a look from Gunna that itself appeared to be a nod to Michael Jackson. But, like he does for so many of his fits, Omenihu said he added a small tweak to make it a truly custom item:
"When I put on a fire fit, I tell myself it’s time to turn up, we are going to have a day," Omenihu told me. "For me -- I like to be recognized as one of the best dressed. Your fits gotta match your play. I take pride in being fly. It's cool to hear other players say every week that he's putting it on."
Every year, Omenihu has a tradition to wear at least one game-day fit that shows his Nigerian culture. It’s custom made, and it shows that he’s proud of where he’s from. This is a growing NFL trend with other fashionable players looking to honor their African heritage, like Ogbo Okoronkwo and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah of the Cleveland Browns.
"All fashion is just an expression of yourself. The first impression of you," Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller told me last month. "I just dress up as Von. It's like I put on a costume. It gives me a different energy, a different spark."
Simmons says a nice, clean custom suit generates "another level of swag and ambience" for him. He still remembers one of the first times he wore a tailored outfit to a home Denver Broncos game, when security staff shouted out cheers, hyping him up. He loved that feeling. And he gets to enjoy a version of it every week, when he brings his black suit bag into the team hotel and teammates say they can't wait to see what he's rocking the next day.
"Each NFL year social media has grown, guys do more of their own branding. Podcasts, etc. There has been more notoriety and guys have been taking advantage of it. Tunnel fits have been the next thing," Simmons said. "You want to get that respect. You want to make the NFL Style Instagram page."
Both Simmons and Marchitelli agree that their all-time favorite suit was the one Simmons wore before the Falcons' Week 16 home win over the Giants, just ahead of Christmas: a holiday festive jacket with green and marble brown spots, matching pants and marble brown boots.
"Guys that want to fit in don't come to see me. Guys want to have suits or fits nobody else has," Marchitelli said. "They love exclusivity of fabrics and prints. They want the fit to be perfect, comfortable and turn heads."
And many players bring a real competitive spirit to the fashion game. Marchitelli said when he made suits for Dak Prescott and fellow Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott at the same time, they needed to be assured the other hadn't seen the specific suit binder Marchitelli was showing them. Simmons also told Marchitelli specifically before the 2023 season that he wanted to top the work that Marchitelli had done with Prescott.
There are many contenders for the title of NFL's best dressed, including Diggs, Jefferson and Beckham, but one thing became clear in reporting this story: As Miller told me, "defensive and big guys don't get as much love." Multiple players I talked with noted receivers and quarterbacks have an advantage -- it's easier to find their sizes, and cameras naturally seek them out on game days.
"We got some guys that dress really well -- some get popularity from it, some don't," Miller said. "But for me, personally, I don't care about compliments or likes. If I end up on Blitz Fits Instagram, that's dope. But otherwise I do it for me."
The 6-foot-5, 313-pound Tunsil is one of those bigger players who is also fashion-oriented. He says his game-day style is dictated by his mood when he wakes up -- although he says his play is not impacted by his pregame fit.
"If I'm feeling good, I'll put on more colors," Tunsil said. "If I want to be more suave, I might put on a Giorgio Armani or Bottega button-up, pants and Margiela shoes. If I feel lazy, I might wear sweatpants. I do take pride in how I dress. I'm showing you who I am. I'm speaking through my clothes."
And he supported the notion that it can be tougher for some players to draw notice than others.
"I give more respect when I see a big guy who can dress," Tunsil told me. "It's harder for us to find pieces that we really like or the pieces don't really translate as well. We have to be more creative."
Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones agreed.
"It's so much harder for big guys," Jones said Monday at Super Bowl LIX Opening Night. "There's nothing in our size. We have to fight to get these fits off."
Premium product, premium prices, preferred style
Now 10 years into his career as a custom stylist, Marchitelli -- who can be found on Instagram @gentsplaybook -- has made suits for more than 250 NFL clients, including Travis Kelce, Chris Jones, Saquon Barkley, Justin Jefferson, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Donald. But maybe his most elusive client was Bills QB Josh Allen.
Marchitelli said he had been on Allen's trail for three years, following him on Instagram and DMing him, to no avail. Then, finally, they met at NFL Honors. Allen, who admitted he was wearing an old suit that day, remembered the DM and noted he would reach out next time he needed a suit.
One year later, Allen sent Marchitelli the message he was waiting for.
"I'm finally ready. Super excited haha. When can you be in Buffalo," Allen's text to Marchitelli read. "I'm going to the Kentucky Derby and need a pink suit."
Marchitelli fitted and designed Allen's pink suit for the 2023 running of the derby, plus another seafoam green one. He's also made several other pregame fits in Allen's preferred style -- typically bomber jackets, cargo pants, hoodies and the occasional overcoat.
The NFL style industry is booming. DeVonta Smith and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts are often fitted by bespoke suit designer Brian Alexander. Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, Saints defensive end Cam Jordan, Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy, Denver Broncos safety Brandon Jones and Omenihu are among those often fitted by custom clothier Chad Johnson of designer Duane & Johnson. And the craze has spread to the college and front-office ranks, too; Heisman Trophy finalist Ashton Jeanty and Raiders assistant general manager Champ Kelly are fitted by designer Pharoah Kirk.
Then there is the realm of custom cleat design. Joe Castro, also known as Undefined Arts, has designed cleats for stars like the Commanders' Jayden Daniels, the Packers' Jordan Love, the 49ers' George Kittle, Burrow, Prescott and Simmons. Veteran cleat customizer Marcus Rivero says he has made custom cleats for nearly half the players in the league. Some featured personal elements, like Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett's request for pacifiers after a pregnancy announcement or former NFL star DeSean Jackson's ask for George Floyd "I Can't Breathe" art, to bring attention to the Minnesota man who was murdered by a police officer. Many more were designed as part of the NFL's My Cause My Cleats initiative, where players wear customized cleats to support their favorite charities, causes and non-profit organizations.
Of course, premium products can mean premium prices.
Marchitelli says his custom suits range from $3,000 to $5,000 each, and he never gives a freebie -- he jokes that players sometimes call him "a second-contract suit guy." He flies out to players' homes to fit them, and while suit turnaround is three weeks on average, he can do 24-48 hours with a rush fee if he has measurements already, since all clothes are made in the U.S. Marchitelli tells me he has done rush orders the same week for several of his clients fitted for NFL Honors or the Super Bowl, including this year.
Rivero says he charges $500 and up for customized cleats, with each pair taking him roughly 5-15 hours to complete. He usually does a lot of quick-notice orders, with inspiration requests often sent in on Wednesday or Thursday of game week to be turned around by Saturday.
Prep time can vary wildly for players. Though he makes his fit plan in the summer, Simmons gets reminder group texts with Marchitelli and his wife every Wednesday of game week. Omenihu usually starts planning his outfits on Monday of game week. Tunsil says he picks his fit out Sunday morning before the game. Miller fluctuates between a couple of weeks in advance to occasionally the Saturday night before a game.
"In my 14th year, I just like what I like whether it's a $4,000 shirt or a $20 shirt. I'm no longer obsessed with trends," Miller said. "I just put on my Von costume and I feel different. Like a superhero going to solve the mission. It's Sunday, it's time to get the job done."
Looking Super
Four days before the Cincinnati Bengals left for Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles, Marchitelli sat down with Burrow to present him 8-12 fabric swatches he'd never seen before. Burrow chose a black-and-silver-striped "white Bengal tiger" pattern for the suit he wore to the Big Game and postgame media session.
"Burrow told me, 'You understood the assignment,' " Marchitelli said. "His style is polarizing. Can't tell me nothing. Kanye West style. That suit screamed it. If he won the game, that suit would have been up there with Joe Namath's Super Bowl suit."
Dressing well is no less of a concern for one of the players who will be on the field in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX. DeVonta Smith takes pride in his immaculate route running, his reliable hands -- and his pristine fashion. He's also unwavering about owning the No. 1 spot as the best-dressed player in the Philadelphia Eagles locker room.
"When it comes to suits, ain't nobody close to me," Smith told me Monday at Super Bowl LIX Opening night. "They don't argue with me about suits. It's already decided."
His close friend, A.J. Brown, excels in the fashion department, too, and never shies away from competition. But when told minutes later about Smith's statement, he concedes.
"I try to stay in my lane when it comes to fashion But Smitty is my toughest competition," Brown said. "And when it comes to suits, he is right. We don't even try to top him."
On Sunday, someone will inevitably deliver the game-changing play to define Super Bowl LIX -- and perhaps that player will have been boosted by the jolt that comes with putting on a fire fit. As Deion Sanders would say: Look good, feel good, play good.