Fashion Roundup - Noticing Those Who Dress to be Seen

Is it appropriate to mix sports and fashion? If I was a man, would I dare scribe such a thing? Probably not, but fortunately I am of the superior sex. Men are just as vain as women. In fact, in this sports analyst/commentator/sideline reporter/weather girl game, thousands of dollars are being spent, specialists are being employed and the level of competition is high. It’s time these men and women got their due.

Let’s start off with the most underrated player in this game - Merril Hoge. Who is this dude? Where did he come from? I need to know more about this man. All I know is that he is some White dude from Idaho who dresses "Black." But his middle name is "DuAine." Ahh, the pieces start to fall into place... Because I’m Black, I know that the name is probably just plain old "Dwayne". But "DuAine"? His mama raised him with swagger. Merril is a revolutionary. Most White guys would just back down from the challenge, intimidated by the crazy collars that Michael Irvin wears and the floor length suit jackets that Deion Sanders seems to own by the dozen. But did Merril retreat to Men’s Wearhouse? No!!! He stepped up his game, repeatedly proving that he is just as stylish, flashy and fashion forward as anyone - no qualifications. Merril Hoge, I salute you. I see you stuntin’, baby!






This week Merril Hoge goes for the "flashy conservative" look. See, the guys who can step "flashy" up a notch prove that they really know what their doing. At first glance, it’s a dark brown ensemble. Maybe, Merril is going safe? No. The shirt is a very nice shadow stripe brown-gold sateen type material. He’s got the curved collar and the well fitted jacket. He’s not even trying too hard by loading up with shoulder pads. This is a winning look. Only a few men have the confidence and the eye to pull this off. Merril is one of them.


The ESPN set, generally.... Let’s discuss Michael Irvin, although Salisbury is surprisingly put together as well. Giving Salisbury props makes me want to throw up in my mouth, so let’s move on. I did not see a full length shot of Michael, but it appears he’s going pretty conservative (for him) this season. He still manages to stand out with the extra wide knot in his tie, bold colors and a well fitted suit. Michael, Merril and the like are masters in "dressing from the waist up." The key is aim to impress within the frame that the viewer sees. I don’t care if you’re wearing shorts, the key is to get the visual above the desk right.





Now to the Fox set. These guys clearly have a stylist employed. No one is a standout on this set, but none of these guys are making selections from the Sears catalog. Nice bright colors and mix of patterns. High definition TV really highlights the level of effort on this set. Last week, Terry wore a suit with orange pinstripes. This week, Howie is mixing polka dots, checks and pinstripes in the same ensemble. These guys all look like themselves, but look like they’re making an effort, and at the same time not trying too hard. Nice.






The CBS set... Shannon Sharpe is a beast in this fashion game. He is probably the absolute best at dressing from the waist up. He doesn’t employ a lot of gimmicks. It’s usually just pinstripes and a little bit of color, but he shows you he is a master by wearing a suit with an extra button and not being afraid to wear a suit that clings to his athletic frame. This week is a good example. He and James Brown, at first glance, are wearing the same outfit. Brown is no slouch. But even though they are wearing the same colors, Sharpe is the clear winner. In menswear, it’s all about the details. It might just be that Shannon is in better shape than James, but if Shannon is putting in the work, he deserves the prize.





The NBC set... First, let’s congratulate NBC for covering a Cowboys game without slurping T.O. That being said, this is by far the worst fashion group in the bunch. Bob Costas should not be your fashion leader. Jerome looks okay but his suit jacket doesn’t fit. There is no excuse for "roll" behind the collar. Also, the brown shoes are problematic. I realize he’s been wearing them consistently and it may be a personal signature. I encourage personal style, but I don’t how long I can give him a pass. And why? Because of Sterling Sharpe. See how quickly brown shoes go bad? I’m not even sure why Sterling selected a brown shoe with that color suit, but I certainly can’t explain why he picked such a casual shoe. The shoe ruined an otherwise good outfit. Chris is terrible. Chris has a slim, tall frame and can "wear" a suit if he ever chose to do so. And if he was going to go with the blazer/slacks look, he has to put a little bit more effort to it. A more fitted jacket would have gone a long way to shore up the outfit. The draping/quality of the fabric was also terrible. And his pants should be a little bit longer. To be fair, the sit-down/full-length shot is a disadvantage to these guys compared to the other sets and the soft chairs they sit in do nothing to help their posture.







Finally, the NFL set... Rich and Steve look fine. They always do. And that’s a compliment. I’ll never complain about a conservative, well fitted suit. Deion, however, is doing the damn thing! Only a master could pull this look off. There is a high level of difficulty to what Deion is wearing. He is wearing a duster jacket AND pleated pants AND a vest. Pleated pants! A vest with fabric covered buttons! Deion wisely chose a conservative gray so that all these different elements would have a chance to work together. And, of course, the suit fits well and has great proportion. Deion would be the clear winner of the week, but the outfit of the week goes to....







Bill Parcells. This is what fashion is about - look good, feel good. Bill deserves the mention just for concealing the man boobs. Not an easy task. But also, buy dumping the sweatshirt for this sleek microfiber ensemble, he did his part to look confident and buoyant and, consequently, set the stage for the Cowboys’ change of fortune. A victory for Dallas and hugs and kisses for everyone on the sidelines. Kudos, Bill. Sorry, Deion.