I Dressed Like Travis Kelce and Found the Formula for His Boyish Swag, hi

A headline published on the official Kansas City Chiefs website put it best: “Travis Kelce is a stylish man.” Weighing 250 pounds and standing at a colossal 6’5”, the 34-year-old three-time Super Bowl champ cuts a striking figure. Yes, Kelce is conventionally attractive, with a goofy sense of humor, great taste in music, and a muscular physique. But it’s the hyper-confident way he styles himself that caught my attention.

Before 2023, I never would have paid attention to Kelce’s fashion choices. For starters, I don’t watch football. And while I’ve long admired the masculine, tailored look athletes like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have adopted, my personal style is much more fluid, heavily influenced by queer culture, pop music, and designers Stefano Pilati and Tom Ford. If asked to describe my wardrobe, I’d say it’s giving ‘70s Sleaze, but Make It Corporate, not Bro Gets a Mr. Porter Account.

And then Kelce was bit by the Taylor Swift bug, propelling him to unprecedented levels of fame. Whether on a N.Y.C. date night with his über-famous girlfriend or at Allegiant Stadium for the Big Game, Kelce has rarely missed the fashion mark lately, rotating between a uniform of highly-coveted sneakers, tailored suiting, flouncy trousers, silky button-ups, gaudy prints, and relentless swag. His aesthetic is playful, campy, oversize, and comfortable. It doesn’t take itself too seriously.

While Kelce has worked with stylists including Sasha Elina, Anastasia Walker, and Danielle Salzedo in the past, he has said he’s the mastermind behind a majority of his outfits, mixing an impressive collection of kicks with ready-to-wear pieces from design houses like Jil Sander, Marni, Amiri, Vetements, and Christian Dior. “I don’t have a stylist,” Kelce told Complex in 2021, commenting on the difference between NFL and NBA off-duty style. “I think the football world is starting to kind of come around to being [sic] that fashion-forward mentality.”

After Kelce absolutely ate in a custom Amiri set at the Super Bowl, I realized Kelce’s style is legitimately cool, so why not recreate a few of his viral looks? Could the man who unironically loves “Pump Up the Jam” by Technotronic teach me, an editor at InStyle, anything about men’s fashion? Below, seven Travis Kelce-inspired looks worn by yours truly—brought to life by InStyle Fashion Director Kevin Huynh, who took the lead on the market, and the one (and only!) person I could drag out of bed to style me, my partner, John Monaco.

Date Night in Khaki

Corduroy? It’s a word I haven’t heard since elementary school. But for dinner with Taylor Swift at New York City’s Waverly Inn in October 2023, Kelce wore an as-yet-unidentified matching corduroy two-piece set with sneakers and a black tee. Although I care more for Swift’s Reputation-coded Jean Paul Gaultier mesh top and black leather mini-skirt, Kelce’s monochromatic moment is simply comfortable and appropriate for most occasions, save for a fancy dinner or important corporate meeting.

I chose a matching khaki UNIQLO set with rose-gold sunglasses from Amazon and Represent sneakers. I’m often afraid to go with a roomier, cozier fit, so the experience of trying on someone else’s style for size and enjoying it was enlightening. Kelce’s aesthetic is predominantly oversized and relaxed, and so wearing this outfit unearthed a new world of boxy-fitting possibility I hadn’t previously considered. Thanks, @KillaTrav.

This Dream Versace-Like Shirt

If Donatella Versace asked for my soul in exchange for her namesake brand’s archive, I’d happily oblige. I’m a sucker for ostentatious prints splashed across luxuriously silky fabrics (I’m from Miami!), so this September 2023 Kelce look is an absolute favorite. Arriving in Jacksonville for a Chiefs game against the Jaguars, he wore a J. Logan Home shirt made of designer scarves, plus Amiri trousers, Alessandro Vasini boots, and his signature Bottega Veneta bag.

I wore a similar J.Logan Home shirt with Airpods Max headphones, Amazon sunglasses, and trousers and boots from my closet. (Finding pastel pink pants isn’t so easy!) On my skin, the silk shirt felt like a welcome breeze on a sweltering summer day; I’m a J.Logan Home convert.

The $2,195 Plaid Jacket

In December 2023, Kelce rocked this now-sold-out $2,195 The Elder Statesman plaid jacket, fueling speculation the fashion choice was an intentional nod to Swift’s Evermore album cover art (in which she wears a similar plaid design with a braided hairstyle). Then, in March 2024, Ryan Reynolds wore the exact same jacket, spewing internet jokes about their blossoming bromance and Kelce’s rising interest in Swift’s music.

Although plaid is admittedly very much not my thing, I must say, draping this deliciously soft corduroy-cotton jacket over my shoulders felt like hugging a giant teddy bear. (Perhaps it’s time to invest in the matching pants, and wear corduroy more often.) The finishing touch was a Louis Vuitton carry-on, meant to mimic Kelce’s love for luxury duffles.
The Amiri!

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I Dressed Like Travis Kelce
FASHION
I Dressed Like Travis Kelce and Found the Formula for His Boyish Swag
When it comes to style, the man knows how to score.

By Jonathan Borge Published on April 5, 2024 @ 03:57PM
A headline published on the official Kansas City Chiefs website put it best: “Travis Kelce is a stylish man.” Weighing 250 pounds and standing at a colossal 6’5”, the 34-year-old three-time Super Bowl champ cuts a striking figure. Yes, Kelce is conventionally attractive, with a goofy sense of humor, great taste in music, and a muscular physique. But it’s the hyper-confident way he styles himself that caught my attention.

Before 2023, I never would have paid attention to Kelce’s fashion choices. For starters, I don’t watch football. And while I’ve long admired the masculine, tailored look athletes like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have adopted, my personal style is much more fluid, heavily influenced by queer culture, pop music, and designers Stefano Pilati and Tom Ford. If asked to describe my wardrobe, I’d say it’s giving ‘70s Sleaze, but Make It Corporate, not Bro Gets a Mr. Porter Account.

And then Kelce was bit by the Taylor Swift bug, propelling him to unprecedented levels of fame. Whether on a N.Y.C. date night with his über-famous girlfriend or at Allegiant Stadium for the Big Game, Kelce has rarely missed the fashion mark lately, rotating between a uniform of highly-coveted sneakers, tailored suiting, flouncy trousers, silky button-ups, gaudy prints, and relentless swag. His aesthetic is playful, campy, oversize, and comfortable. It doesn’t take itself too seriously.

While Kelce has worked with stylists including Sasha Elina, Anastasia Walker, and Danielle Salzedo in the past, he has said he’s the mastermind behind a majority of his outfits, mixing an impressive collection of kicks with ready-to-wear pieces from design houses like Jil Sander, Marni, Amiri, Vetements, and Christian Dior. “I don’t have a stylist,” Kelce told Complex in 2021, commenting on the difference between NFL and NBA off-duty style. “I think the football world is starting to kind of come around to being [sic] that fashion-forward mentality.”

After Kelce absolutely ate in a custom Amiri set at the Super Bowl, I realized Kelce’s style is legitimately cool, so why not recreate a few of his viral looks? Could the man who unironically loves “Pump Up the Jam” by Technotronic teach me, an editor at InStyle, anything about men’s fashion? Below, seven Travis Kelce-inspired looks worn by yours truly—brought to life by InStyle Fashion Director Kevin Huynh, who took the lead on the market, and the one (and only!) person I could drag out of bed to style me, my partner, John Monaco.

Date Night in Khaki
I Dressed Like Travis Kelce
SHIRT AND PANTS: UNIQLO. SHOES: REPRESENT. STYLIST: JOHN MONACO. SEAN ARENA/ GETTY IMAGES
Corduroy? It’s a word I haven’t heard since elementary school. But for dinner with Taylor Swift at New York City’s Waverly Inn in October 2023, Kelce wore an as-yet-unidentified matching corduroy two-piece set with sneakers and a black tee. Although I care more for Swift’s Reputation-coded Jean Paul Gaultier mesh top and black leather mini-skirt, Kelce’s monochromatic moment is simply comfortable and appropriate for most occasions, save for a fancy dinner or important corporate meeting.

I chose a matching khaki UNIQLO set with rose-gold sunglasses from Amazon and Represent sneakers. I’m often afraid to go with a roomier, cozier fit, so the experience of trying on someone else’s style for size and enjoying it was enlightening. Kelce’s aesthetic is predominantly oversized and relaxed, and so wearing this outfit unearthed a new world of boxy-fitting possibility I hadn’t previously considered. Thanks, @KillaTrav.

This Dream Versace-Like Shirt
I Dressed Like Travis Kelce
SHIRT: J. LOGAN HOME. PANTS: RANDOM IDENTITIES. SHOES: CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN. RING: JEM NEW YORK. STYLIST: JOHN MONACO. SEAN ARENA/ INSTAGRAM @KILLATRAV
If Donatella Versace asked for my soul in exchange for her namesake brand’s archive, I’d happily oblige. I’m a sucker for ostentatious prints splashed across luxuriously silky fabrics (I’m from Miami!), so this September 2023 Kelce look is an absolute favorite. Arriving in Jacksonville for a Chiefs game against the Jaguars, he wore a J. Logan Home shirt made of designer scarves, plus Amiri trousers, Alessandro Vasini boots, and his signature Bottega Veneta bag.

I wore a similar J.Logan Home shirt with Airpods Max headphones, Amazon sunglasses, and trousers and boots from my closet. (Finding pastel pink pants isn’t so easy!) On my skin, the silk shirt felt like a welcome breeze on a sweltering summer day; I’m a J.Logan Home convert.

The $2,195 Plaid Jacket
I Dressed Like Travis Kelce
SUNGLASSES: GUCCI. JACKET: THE ELDER STATESMAN. JEANS: ICE CREAM. BAG: LOUIS VUITTON. SHOES: REPRESENT. STYLIST: JOHN MONACO. SEAN ARENA/ GETTY IMAGES
In December 2023, Kelce rocked this now-sold-out $2,195 The Elder Statesman plaid jacket, fueling speculation the fashion choice was an intentional nod to Swift’s Evermore album cover art (in which she wears a similar plaid design with a braided hairstyle). Then, in March 2024, Ryan Reynolds wore the exact same jacket, spewing internet jokes about their blossoming bromance and Kelce’s rising interest in Swift’s music.

Although plaid is admittedly very much not my thing, I must say, draping this deliciously soft corduroy-cotton jacket over my shoulders felt like hugging a giant teddy bear. (Perhaps it’s time to invest in the matching pants, and wear corduroy more often.) The finishing touch was a Louis Vuitton carry-on, meant to mimic Kelce’s love for luxury duffles.
The Amiri!
I Dressed Like Travis Kelce
JACKET AND PANTS: REPRESENT: T-SHIRT: ZANONE. CABIN TROLLEY: SLOWEAR. SHOES: CAMPER. STYLIST: JOHN MONACO. SEAN ARENA/ GETTY IMAGES
This is by far Kelce’s best look to date, in my opinion. For the 2024 Super Bowl, he arrived in a custom, fully-sequined Amiri set figuratively splashed with the word “winner.” The suit was daring and obnoxious, a statement piece to say the least. I recreated the outfit as best as I could with a two-piece set from Represent, Camper boots, a Zanone T-shirt, and a dark green cabin trolley from Slowear. Similarly to the khaki look above, I also sized up for these trousers, choosing a boxier fit that didn’t require fidgeting at the waistline.

The Dior

It’s Dior, darling! Back in March 2023, Kelce hosted Saturday Night Live and delivered his opening monologue in an experimental Christian Dior suit. Those exact Dior pieces weren’t available for me, however, the legendary fashion house was kind enough to lend me the third look from their spring/summer ’24 menswear collection, designed by Kim Jones. Inspired by the work of Dior designers before him, Jones’s vibrant creation pushed me in a new sartorial direction (tweeds, florals, and animated pastels). My favorite part? Once again, loose, oversize trousers as comfortable as pajamas. J’adore!

Karma Is That Guy on the Chiefs

My goal was not only to recreate Kelce’s aesthetic, but also see if I could learn something from his wardrobe. Although I requested numerous ’47 Brand samples of official Kansas City apparel (sweatpants, plenty of caps, and a fleece hoodie), they weren’t speaking to me; most were graphic and too colorful, antithetical to my personal style.

Instead, I opted for my partner’s suggestion: An all-black suited look loosely inspired by the tailored suits Kelce often wears for public events and more elegant occasions. To me, this look—comprised of a vintage Versace suit, my own wardrobe staples, and a Chiefs hat—is Kelce personified: sporty, rock ‘n’ roll, and sharp. Obviously, I channeled Jay-Z and T.I.’s “Swagga Like Us” while these photos were taken.

Keeping Up with Kelce

Kelce has never worn a sheer Zankov sweater with a matching set of Big Bird-approved yellow cashmere pants before, but wouldn’t he? After studying the athlete’s style and the adventurous approach he takes towards fashion, I chose to wrap my Kelce-inspired shoot with a little dose of Jonathan: a friendly smirk here, an Alexis Bittar cuff there, and the most capacious pants I could find. Look, no one does Travis Kelce like Travis Kelce. So if there’s one lesson we can all learn from his sense of style, it’s quite simple: you do you.