There was a time when no one cared how athletes dressed or looked, all they cared about was what those players could deliver on the field. But, as sports gained popularity globally and more attention was ladled onto our sports stars, Larry Bird-esque jeans and college letterman jackets no longer seemed to cut it.
Now, sports are so big that the biggest athletes bank more from their personal brands than they do from their employers. There's a whole industry based upon what athletes do away from their games. What do they eat? Where do they live? What do they like to watch? What cars do they drive? Most importantly, what do they wear?
Over the years, thousands of athletes have passed through the public eye, but some have looked better while doing so than others. Some dress well out of necessity, like golfers and tennis players who are required to present themselves well by their codes, but others just do it because they like to express themselves—and maybe like they like the attention a little as well.
With athletes coming to be appreciated for their style in waves—everyone wants to dress as cool as James Hunt did, today—we’ve narrowed it down to just the stars who have graced our screens in the 21st century, the era when athletes could really start flexing their style.
Here, the most stylish athletes of the 21st century.
