NFL players are "taking a genuine interest in fashion" and are "finally competing with their NBA counterparts," according to Jacob Gallagher of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. Panthers QB Cam Newton has donned hats that are "enough to make the pressers appointment viewing," while Bills QB Tyrod Taylor has a "penchant for sartorially astute three-piece suits." But Broncos LB Von Miller "takes a more outre approach with his big ol' Burt Reynolds glasses and cowboy hats." Meanwhile, Cowboys WR Brice Butler recently hired N.Y.-based stylist Kesha McLeod, who works with NBAers like Rockets G James Harden, to "give him style advice." For the past few years, the NBA’s "so-called 'tunnel walk' -- once a non-event, a necessary march from point A to point B -- has become a platform for players to raise their star profile, regardless of their skill set." Now in the NFL, players are "slowly learning how to use style to their advantage." Butler was a "flash-bulb baiting presence during Paris Fashion Week last June as he tripped around in skinny jeans and Chelsea boots to shows for brands such as Berluti, Balmain and Rick Owens." NFLers like Dolphins DE Andre Branch and Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. have also "begun to muscle their way onto fashion blogs." N.Y.-based stylist Dex Robinson, who works with Taylor, is "optimistic that the NFL will become a style arena in its own right." Robinson has been in an "ongoing conversation with ESPN about how to make the Sunday arrivals more of an event, as in the NBA." The official NFL on Fox Twitter account "took a step in that direction this past weekend, posting a roundup of players’ pre-game outfits" (WSJ.com, 10/24).
