With the 2018 NBA All-Star Game finally on the horizon, it only makes sense that we kick this month of What’s In Their Wardrobe off with team captain, LeBron James.
Since returning to Cleveland, James has accrued another NBA Championship and surpassed the 30,000 point mark, but it’s what he’s doing off the court that continues to keep our interest peaked.
Quickly making his way to a top talent position amongst the NBA’s roster, LeBron James has since carried the nickname “King James” for the majority of his career. But now it seems as though he’s living up to his nickname beyond the hardwood, consistently presenting showing off some of the most affluent pieces in menswear.
Captain Kith
It’s no secret that the All-Star Game’s team captain is an advocate of Kith and is known for sporting the brand’s classic Williams Hoodie pre-gametime. LBJ has also sported the Captain Kith New Era cap from Ronnie Fieg’s collaboration with legendary cereal company, Cap’n Crunch a number of times to complete his notorious streetwear looks. Coincidence that the capital “C” logo also stands for Cleveland Cavaliers? Probably not.
King James not only consistently represents the NYC menswear brand, but makes it look like a slam dunk with the rest of his wardrobe too. So well in fact, that Ronnie Fieg and himself recently teamed up for an exclusive collection within Kith’s Fall/Winter collection, which entailed three renditions of LBJ’s signature shoes. From the brand’s cozy essentials to winter ready statement makers, there’s no doubt that LeBron James is picking out all the right Kith classics to accent his wardrobe.
Typically making his most noteworthy appearances right before game time, Bronny has a knack for layering. And with elevated basics from Kith’s fleece program, it makes it pretty easy for these pieces to standout – even if they aren’t the most “hyped” item. Lastly, with the duo’s first collaboration already in the books, LeBron has already been seen wearing the various renditions of his signature shoes from the project on numerous occasions. They’re neutral, yet unique design elements make it easy to pair with an assortment of minimalist essentials, just as the king himself does.
LeBron Elliott
You can only imagine what streetwear designer John Elliott’s reaction was the first time he saw LeBron James wearing an assortment of his line’s product on national television right before tip-off. And now it’s almost a regular occurrence, as he is more often than not sporting JE’s Cast 2 denim, the Riders Jacket, and even the co-branded NikeLab Vandals.
Just like John Elliott’s minimalist approach to design, King James also keeps it simple when incorporating these articles into his own style, which is why he’s commonly spotted wearing the brand’s core black, white, and grey color palette.
Aside from the NikeLab Vandals, LBJ has also been pairing an assortment of Jordan 1’s, Air Force 1’s, and even a variety of some of his archived silhouettes, such as the LeBron 7’s with his John Elliott essentials.
Fit for a King
Wearing high-end brands like Saint Laurent, Tom Ford, Rick Owens, and OFF-WHITE further verifies his style is that of an actual king. Spotted wearing an assortment of wardrobe staples from these labels, including: cropped trousers, suede bomber jackets, and even acid wash denim from Gucci ensures that he always keeps the audience listening, while still keeping it simple. Even when he’s at his most casual, sporting a pair of Them Browne sweatpants (Sprite commercial) that run north of four figures would chew up the definition of laid-back, spit it out, and turn it into a luxury essential that’s fit for a king.
Signature Sneakers, Signature Style
Being signed with Nike since you were right out of high school and getting a signature shoe gives your some major credibility on the court, but having 15 signature shoe? Well, that’s something that transcends off the court and into the world of fashion. LeBron even breaks out some of his early classics now in then to pair with his everyday wardrobe, especially since we’ve already witnessed several reissues as of late and are expected to see more. Potentially questionable for how you might wear them with items in your wardrobe when just looking at a photo of the shoe by itself, but take a few pointers from Bronny’s styling and it’s a layup for upgrading your own style.
The fact the designers, such as the two above are taking action to collaborate on modern day performance basketball sneakers also enables the consumer with a visual of how they can pair them with their own wardrobe and potentially even find inspiration from the neutral offerings of inline releases – like a number of the LeBron 15s.
