A hypothetical top ten of best dressed footballers at the Met Gala
The annual Met Gala was held last night in New York, showcasing some of the best and worst looks in high fashion. On Twitter, someone posed the question of who from the world of football would be best dressed if players attended. This is my kind of football analysis
The worlds of football and fashion come together a lot more than we give credit for. When summer rolls around we’re inundated with new kit releases, player’s hairstyles are obsessed over, and Jack Grealish’s post-Euros 42-piece Boohoo Man collection is testament to the selling power of players. Thankfully, we’ll never see any of it on the Met Gala red carpet.
For men, the Met Gala is not just won by looking the smartest in a tux. There’s always a theme to follow, and it’s a celebration of high fashion — appreciation is paid to the creativity, craft, and culture that goes into couture clothing. Bolder is better, risks are rewarded, and those that go all out create the memorable moments the Met Gala is renowned for.
I think many of us would agree that the typical style flaunted by most current footballers is questionable. Excessively ripped denim jeans, ill-fitting slogan t-shirts and Jordans make up the majority of Premier League footballers’ wardrobes, and where some go, the others all follow — Chilwell, Grealish, and Dele, you’re to blame.
So, in celebration of those select few players who sway from the Trafford Centre Selfridges norm, here’s a list of the ten footballers I think would end up being the best dressed on the Met Gala red carpet. I’m only including players who are playing now because, let’s face it, the current crop wouldn’t stand a chance against the likes of Ginola, Beckham, Maldini and Pirlo. Without further ado:
10. Raheem Sterling
Raheem doesn’t stray too far from the crowd with his style, but it’s certainly not Boohoo-esque either. He’s collaborated with Clarks and BAPE, a landmark partnership that brought what was once a shoe brand mostly worn by OAPs and school kids into a new age. He’s currently on the verge of launching his own clothing brand, 1692, which takes classic workwear silhouettes and modernises them with an athletic, streetwear edge.
His Met Gala outfit wouldn’t be the most impressive or couture-conscious, but he’d bring something different — especially compared to the others on this list, and that’s why he makes it into the top ten.
9. Memphis Depay
Depay’s style is a lot. A fan of patterns, most of his outfits have a hit-or-miss vibe about them. But, when it hits it hits, and I reckon he’d take a good swing at whatever the chosen Met theme would be. He’d definitely be turning up in head-to-toe LV.
8. Leroy Sané
Can’t really decide whether I like Leroy’s style because it’s any good or just because it’s him wearing the clothes, but still. He’s one of the better dressed in the football sphere but errs on the side of basic and seems to have a wardrobe solely for awful plaid shackets. I’m not ashamed to admit that the hair and cheekbones alone get him this far in the list.
7. David Alaba
Alaba’s big into his fashion and it shows, so I’m confident that he’d at least enjoy going to the Met Gala. Fashion houses would be fighting to dress him. But, out of everyone on this list I feel like he’d be most likely to say fuck the theme and just wear whatever he thought looked best.
6. Serge Gnabry
As long as Serge resists the urge to don a black two-piece tux he’d have the potential to be a Met Gala standout. His style is sharp, clean, and well-tailored — I’d like to see him in a bright, monochromatic look by Jacquemus or Wales Bonner. You just know he’d be the Alexa Chung of the footballers, taking candids on his film camera in the toilets.
5. Erling Haaland
Okay, I know, but hear me out here — I truly think Haaland would be the shock wildcard of the lot. Some would like the fit, many would hate it, but Haaland is nothing if not outlandish, confident, and brash, which is exactly what his outfit would be. He’d be going all out.
Prints seem to be his thing. I can see him in some garish two-piece animal print trackies with his long platinum blonde locks slicked back by a healthy amount of gel. No Scandi vibes here, he’s going maximalist, and I’d respect him for it.
4. Marcus Rashford
I can picture exactly what Marcus would wear to the Met. It’d be a double-breasted Burbs three-piece in a clean and traditional print, probably brown plaid — not the Daniella Westbrook type. There’d be a little extra something on top, maybe a cape, maybe a scarf, maybe even a bucket hat.
Marcus’ style is smart, tailored British high fashion, and his penchant for wearing Riccardo Tisci’s Burberry is evident of that. He’d be one of the more simply dressed on this list but pulled off right there’s no denying he’d also be one of the best.
3. Dominic Calvert-Lewin
I’m thinking Chanel. A white Chanel couture twill suit with big buttons and no shirt beneath it. Loafers on his feet and a Chanel classic-flap bag in hand. Jackie O First Lady vibes. I’ve basically just described his holiday outfit, but whether he could take it to another level for the Met, I don’t know. I absolutely would not put it past him. The man could wear the Everton third kit and I’d rave about it.
2. Hector Bellerin
Perhaps the obvious one to take the best dressed crown, Hector is the fashion mogul of the men’s football world. It wasn’t long ago that he turned up to the 2019 men’s London Fashion Week and had football Twitter in a state over his Prada bucket hat and pink trackies on the Louis Vuitton catwalk.
After a long line of fashion collabs, his latest is with H&M Man, in which he’s curated a collection of sustainable wear available on the high street. I used to sit up every time he posted on Instagram, excited to see what he’d done to push the boat out with his latest outfit, but I’ve not had that thrill for some time. I feel like the longer his hair is, the more high fashion he is, which is why that lockdown buzzcut was bad news.
Still, even if he were to miss the mark at the Met Gala, he carries himself in a way that his peers don’t. He understands styling and tailoring. He knows the importance of jewellery or a good shoe. Everyone would be waiting for him to arrive — he’s essentially the Rihanna of the football world. It’s a surprise he hasn’t actually been to the Met yet.
1. Tom Davies
Give Tom Davies his fashion flowers. A streets won’t forget type of man because your usual football crowd don’t get it.
Tom gets it. His personal style is an effortless mix of high fashion and sportswear, combining classics like Adidas Forums with tasseled Loewe co-ords. He’s unafraid to dress in a way that might be deemed feminine — pearl necklaces, heeled boots, and clutch bags are all part of his wardrobe. His cropped shoulder-length curls are the cherry on top of what is probably already a very good outfit.
He’d make sure his Met Gala fit hit the theme and represented his personal style while showcasing the best in high fashion. I think he’d be ballsy enough to wear a skirt. Maybe he’d even go matching with DCL — if he did, he’d take the greater risks of the two, and that’s why he’s top of this list.
