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Travis Kelce made a name for himself first and foremost as the tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, and secondarily—well, depending on who you ask—as the boyfriend of one Taylor Swift. What makes him a star in my books, however, is his personal style.
Kelce is not unlike many of his cohorts—among them Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton and the basketball player Kyle Kuzma—in the sense that he has a keen eye for trending fashion and has taken full advantage of “tunnel walks” as the perfect photo-op to showcase his sartorial chops. What I particularly enjoy about Kelce’s style, however, is his affinity for young and emerging designers, and how he does not shy away from a womenswear or genderless piece to complete a ’fit—see him at Coachella in an R13 women’s plaid button down.
Remember that one painted set Kelce wore on the night that marked his first public outing with Swift? It was made by KidSuper’s Colm Dillane, a New York designer whose clothes Kelce has worn repeatedly in the past. He also loves a Collina Strada crushed velvet cargo pant, which he has three pairs of, as far as I’m aware, which he wears with button-downs or knit tops by designers like Isa Boulder (who also makes your favorite pop star’s favorite bikinis).
The best thing about Kelce’s style is that he doesn’t have a stylist. He buys the clothes he wears, and works with his management team to put looks together, according to Danielle Salzedo, head of strategy at A&A Management group, who spoke to Vogue on a recent episode of The Run-Through podcast.
If you’re like Swift and have decided to leave behind the “tattooed golden retrievers” of your twenties in favor of something stable with a jock who makes you feel like you’re “back in high-school,” read through to see how you help him adopt Kelce’s style.
Ready for Date Night
This image of Kelce and Swift arriving at an SNL after-party was seen around the world, as was the Jil Sander jacket he wore, which is now completely sold out (you can still barter for it on Grailed, though). The key to Kelce’s date night look is that it’s dressy but not boring. A light shirt with a printed jacket (or vice versa) keeps things interesting but relaxed and a creased dress pant or chino makes things evening.
Bode
Buttercup floral-embroidered jacket
$554
FARFETCH
Kestin
Tain shirt
$140
END.
Everlane
linen trousers
$118
EVERLANE
Adidas
Gazelle sneakers
$100
SSENSE
Banana Republic
Seacliff linen shirt jacket
$250
BANANA REPUBLIC
Jil Sander
Forest Vacation shirt
$1,619
END.
Zegna
cotton-blend slim chinos
$690
MYTHERESA
Common Projects
Achilles low-top sneakers
$482
BERGDORF GOODMAN
Just Another Day
Off-duty Travis, or at least pre-duty Travis, is a pretty casual guy. Still, he makes sure to make a statement. See him here in the aforementioned Collina Strada cargo pants paired with a crisp white button-down shirt. There’s nothing like a good cargo, but rather than wearing it with a raggedy tee, consider a casual shirt.
Oliver Peoples
Clifton aviator sunglasses
$453
NORDSTROM
Our Legacy
silk initial shirt
$300
OUR LEGACY
Collina Strada
crushed velvet cargo trousers
$434
FARFETCH
Louis Vuitton
Keepall Bandoulière 45
$3,500
LOUIS VUITTON
The Row
Miller silk shirt
$2,290
MR PORTER
DRKSHDW by Rick Owens
cotton-twill cargo trousers
$840
MR PORTER
Telfar
large jacquard duffle
$458
TELFAR
Festival-ready
Contrary to popular belief, figuring out what to wear to a music festival or concert is hard. You’ll be on your feet for a while, and might get hot or chilly—versatility is key. Kelce kept it simple but fun for Coachella. His R13 plaid shirt is a must-have (trust me, I have the same style in a different color) and pairing it with funky trousers and a funny hat was pitch perfect. Don’t forget—a good plaid button-down doubles as a light jacket, and it’s still in most guys’ sartorial comfort zone.
R13
shredded shirt
$525
SSENSE
Dsquared2
Rocco baseball cap
$275
SSENSE
CDLP
heavyweight T-shirt
$108
CDLP
Derek Rose
Kelburn 38 striped pyjama trousers
$185
MR PORTER
Outerknown
blanket shirt
$168
OUTERKNOWN
Ashley Williams
Suffer trucker hat
$155
H.LORENZO
Peter Do
creased regular fit T-shirt
$285
NORDSTROM
A Kind of Guise
Samurai drawstring trousers
$310
MR PORTER
For that One Special Occasion
Kelce worked with designer Mike Amiri to create a custom look for the 2024 Super Bowl. A riff on a look from Amiri’s spring 2024 collection, the wool bouclé suit had paillettes woven into the fabric for a hint of sparkle. “We became friends many years ago,” Amiri told Vogue at the time. “He was an early supporter of my work, and last year we got to actually hang out, ironically, in Vegas. I’d imagine the biggest brands in the world wait for moments like this to dress someone. For us, it was really organic, which made it extra special.” Travis Kelce is clearly not a regular degular suit kind of guy, so I recommend taking his lead and leaning into a less conventional silhouette with a bit of shine—keep it dressy, but draw outside the box.
Amiri
sequinned bouclé blazer
$2,090
MR PORTER
Amiri
sequined kick flare pants
$1,290
BERGDORF GOODMAN
Amiri
jumbo Ma sunglasses
$490
SSENSE
Saint Laurent
Wyatt leather chelsea boots
$1,190
MR PORTER
Ernest W. Baker
studded bomber jacket
$918
SAKS FIFTH AVENUE
Dries Van Noten
sequinned drawstring trousers
$1,490
MR PORTER
Akila
EOS sunglasses
$140
SSENSE
Loewe
Terra leather chelsea boots
$1,350
BERGDORF GOODMAN