NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The countdown is on for Super Bowl 55 this Sunday. And with the whole world watching players want to make sure everything is just right for the big stage.
That includes what they will wear to and from the big game. While the NFL’s strict uniform code limits players’ ability to express themselves on the field (the helmets don’t help much, either), they do get a chance to show off their style before and after the game.
Most people know Patrick Mahomes for his eye-popping quarterback play on the field. But his flash extends off the field as well. Stephen Richards is the owner of Richards Bespoke in Nashville, and the man responsible for outfitting the best football player on the planet.
“His wardrobe’s evolved,” Richards told Newschannel 5. “The patterns and the styles and the colors, he has a lot of fun with it. And now he’s kind of stepped outside of the box and shown more interest in three-piece suits and big, bold patterns.”
Richards was introduced to Mahomes a few years ago and made his suit for the NFL Awards when he won league MVP. Last summer he got together with Mahomes to plan out his wardrobe for the entire season.
Richards delivered 18 different suits for 18 different games that the Chiefs played through the AFC Championship game, and the resulting publicity has been good for business.
“People are reaching out from Kansas City,” Richards said of his shop’s growth. “In fact, I have trips scheduled there just to meet with people who have reached out and said, ‘hey, I love what you designed for him, can you do something similar for me?’”
As the season progressed and it looked like the Chiefs would be in a position to make another deep run, Richards began thinking about making a special suit for Super Bowl week. He contacted Mahomes’ agent to gingerly broach the subject.
“I said, ‘hey, I don’t want to jinx it, but we also want to be prepared,” Ricahrds said.
Once given the green light, Richards got to work on the pattern design and then a team of 12 went to work on creating Mahomes’ look for the biggest game of the year.
It took a few weeks, but the new design is done and ready to be shipped off for Mahomes to wear on the team’s trip from Kansas City to Tampa Bay on Saturday.
“It’s kind of a play on all the suits he wore this season,” Richards said. “He kind of figured out what styles he liked the most, what colors, and we just kind of put all of that into one.”
The old adage says, “look your best, feel your best, play your best.” And Richards hopes his suit will help Mahomes feel at his best as he looks to bring home his second Super Bowl title.
“[The best part] is seeing it on him,” Richards said. “The amount of work that goes into selecting the shirt, the tie, the pocket square, the patterns – everything matching up together. The Super Bowl is the biggest stage in all of sports, so it’s nice to be able to see it [there].”
