Celtics
Plus, in a Sunday night tunnel moment before a winning night against the Pelicans, Tatum fused sports and style in a varsity look that screamed captain of the team.
“You wear that when you want to make a statement,” Celtics analyst Brian Scalabrine said of the Jordan Tatum 3s we saw on the parquet Sunday night. Between Scalabrine and Celtics announcer Drew Carter, they debated the color: Was it neon yellow or Action Green?
Either way, Jayson Tatum’s style choices spoke loudly, on the parquet and in the tunnel, ahead of the win against the Pelicans, 120-119.
A clear statement: team spirit. The Celtics rallied together in pursuit of their first 2025 win at home.
Tatum led the way, arriving in a crimson varsity style cardigan from designer Ryoko Rain. It was a look that screamed “captain of the team,” reinforcing the theme of unity that carried into the game with the classic kelly green uniforms.
Tatum also led the way in personal points, racking up 38 for the team, including those two game-clinching dunks in the final few minutes.
As seen on the “JetBlue Runway,” Tatum paired the varsity sweater with mustard yellow pants — a staple color in his pregame fits, which he recently paired with another sporty top, the rugby jersey.
As seen on the “JetBlue Runway,” Tatum paired the varsity sweater with mustard yellow pants — a staple color in his pregame fits, which he recently paired with another sporty top, the rugby jersey.
The pants balanced polished and chill, having a similar energy to the Gen Z obsession: sweatpant-jegging hybrids. Tatum’s take was undoubtedly more elevated and less trendy, but still aligned with the original version of the Millennial mainstay.
As he recently shared in the Winter 2025 issue of Vogue, “How Sports and Fashion Fell in Love,” his pregame outfits are all about how the clothes make him feel.
“I’m six feet nine, I’ve got a 32-inch waist, and I want to be comfortable — I spent enough time, especially when I was younger, wearing clothes that didn’t fit,” Tatum said.
Tatum has to be comfortable, but he also has to look good, his style a “sort of luxury ‘business casual,’” Tatum said. “Love a cardigan, love a suit, a matching set, a collared shirt, a button-up,” he shared.
Tatum’s choice of the Ryoko Rain cardigan very directly integrated sports and fashion with the varsity aesthetic, paying homage to traditional athletic wear, while the luxury craftsmanship and design elevated it to high fashion status.
The fusion mirrors the cultural significance of athletes influencing fashion trends, as noted in the Vogue analysis of the evolving relationship between these two worlds.
His Ryoko Rain collaboration can be seen on the brand’s homepage as well. A few scrolls down reveals Tatum in a marquee position on the page, representing the role of “The Superstar.” This aligns with how athletes increasingly serve as muses and collaborators for major brands, fashion director Vanessa Friedman explained in a 2024 New York Times piece, “For Fashion, Sports Stars Are the New Superstars.”
These tunnel moments extend far beyond one player or one look. When Vogue decided to feature Tatum and WNBA forward Angel Reese in the same issue, it wasn’t just a nod to his impeccable personal style. Together they showcased a groundbreaking representation for Black athletes in a publication where their fashion choices don’t typically align with that aesthetic tradition.
Including Reese and Tatum in the Winter Issue — a critical edition of the magazine that often previews key fashion trends for the upcoming cycles — underscored (with a neon yellow highlighter) the growing presence of athletes who blend cultural expression and high fashion in ways that demand attention.
In the piece, Tatum pointed to the influence of basketball players like Allen Iverson, saying, “A lot of those guys, they came from the inner city, and that was how they expressed themselves — that hip-hop influence.” Tatum, like Iverson before him, continues to push basketball’s long-standing influence on fashion, but with his own tailored spin.
By embracing designers like Ryoko Rain and by making statements for interviews with Vogue, Tatum contributes to a larger cultural dialogue, blurring the lines between athleticism and artistry, reinforcing the idea that sports and fashion are more connected than ever.
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