ESPN’s newest 10-part series has been a slam-dunk at keeping our wandering minds, firmly entertained these past few weeks. The series follows the helter-skelter journey of Michael Jordan & co in their ruthless, riotous journey to the 1998 NBA Finals, or as coach Phil Jackson coined it, “The Last Dance”.
The story is captivating, the editing sharp, and the interviews insightful and charming; but while the producer’s objective was to document the story of the world’s greatest of-all-time athlete, it’s the impossibly oversized shoulder-pads of those muddy-brown suits that are the real All-Stars of the series. Meet fashion’s new first-team and the fits you need to be drafting into your wardrobe, stat.
Takeaway number 1:
When it comes to the Chicago Bulls players, bigger is better – and that’s not just in terms of height. From the gargantuan-proportions of Scottie Pippen’s immaculate tie collection, to the sheer width of that pre-game denim, the audacious dimensions trotted out along the series is a serious style-swerve of the past, that you should be taking diligent notes on today.
Start by dialing your tailoring to maximum volume. The architectural proportions offered by Demna Gvasalia’s Balenciaga will have your wardrobe reaching new heights (and widths), while still maintaning a fresh, modern aesthetic. Jacquemus have some good options, too. The former a little out of your price range? A little imagination and some tailoring-tomfoolery will take you a long way. Find yourself a boxy, wide-lapelled suit (preferably with a pair of tapered, co-ordinating trousers), and buy the set one size up from your usual measurement. Make sure to get the sleeves tailored to the usual cuff-skimming length and the waistband adjusted, though. You want to emulate an NBA player here, not a child playing dress up in dad’s work-wardrobe.
Takeaway number 2:
Get on the good foot. The Last Dance sees the darkly-humorous documentation of self-described ‘Adidas nut’, Michael Jordan, resist signing his soul over to the Nike family. Luckily for us and sneaker fanatics world-wide, he didn’t, and the Air Jordan was born. The enduring GOAT of footwear is inarguably the most coveted in the world, with an autographed Air Jordan silver shoe selling for just over $60,000 at auction last year. If you haven’t previosly copped the iconic design, watching Jordan nostalgically donning a pair of OG Air Jordan 1s, to play what felt likely to be his last game at Madison Square Garden, will have you tripping over your (Adidas) shoes to change that pretty damn quickly.
Takeaway number 3:
Confidence is key. Case in point? Dennis Rodman. He may be ‘The Worm’ by nickname, but there’s nothing underground about his wavier-than-thou threads. Nothing, and we do mean nothing, sounds stylish about accessorising an oversized NYPD utility-shirt with a red velvet rastacap (worn lopsided, no less), but Rodman’s DGAF attitude and exuding self-assurance, mean this manages to become somewhat of a flex. While we don’t recommend trying this exact look at home, we do encourage you to grace your grittier-fit with the deep-dose of fearless confidence it deserves.
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