Fashion forward: Eyes on tunnel 'fits' when Saints and Steelers dress to impress for Paris game

PARIS (AP) — Justin Reid called his tailor when he found out the Saints would be playing in Paris this season.

"I had a custom fit made a couple months ago,” the New Orleans safety explained of his pregame outfit. “I made it especially for this trip. I’ve been waiting to put it on.”

Before they dress for the game, players dress for the tunnel. The fashion-conscious arrive at stadiums dressed to impress. It’s another way to express their personality, plus brands and the NFL benefit by gaining visibility and a wider fan base.

And where better than Paris to put your best fashion foot forward? The Saints face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at Stade de France, despite recent civil unrest in the city.

“Especially with the NFL, there’s a lot more focus on these tunnel walks and guys stepping into fashion and really getting into it,” Saints running back Alvin Kamara said. “It’s a good crossover for both worlds — the fashion world and the sports world.”

Kamara, a regular at Paris Fashion Week , said he didn’t have anything over the top planned for Sunday.

“During the season, I’m kind of mellow with it,” he said. “I don’t know if I’m going to up my game, really, I think I’m just going to do what I do.”

The NFL has certainly ramped up its interest in fashion. It hired its first-ever fashion editor, Kyle Smith, a couple of years ago. Smith had worked with Joe Burrow when the Bengals quarterback modeled at Vogue World 2024 , along with Burrow's former college teammate Justin Jefferson.

Paris Saint-Germain teamed up with the Saints on a customized jersey, and the club’s chief brand officer, Fabien Allegre, was scheduled to speak at “NFL House” in the French capital Friday on “how collaborations between sport and fashion shape trends and influence contemporary culture.”

Just as the NFL can commercialize the crossover, brands hope the collabs lead to increased sales. Last year, global sales of personal luxury goods were forecast to contract with shoppers rejecting high-priced offerings .

Fashion headlines aren’t unique to the NFL, of course. Tunnel fits in the WNBA have helped boost the league’s popularity. Tennis star Naomi Osaka has even found a way to bring fashion directly onto the court , creating a buzz with her walk-on outfits.

Teams and leagues thirst for cultural crossovers that attract attention — think Taylor Swift's impact on the Kansas City Chiefs and NFL.

Steelers safety DeShon Elliott used to care more about his fashion choices.

“I haven’t bought an outfit of clothing in almost a full year. I don’t need anything else," said Elliott, a Liverpool fan who plans to wear his Virgil van Dijk jersey in Paris.

Still, he offered some advice.

“For me, I usually go pants first, the dimensions on the pants and how it sits on you matters depending on your shirt or your shoes,” Elliott said. "But I used to be a very big street wear guy back in the day.”

Elliott sees some athletes spending thousands of dollars when “you can still go to the Goodwill and pick out those same pants that don’t have the name brand on them for less.”

In fact, that's what DeAndre Hopkins did with the NFL’s Smith when they went to a Goodwill and found a tunnel-walk outfit for $35.

It can be personal, as well. Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward had a letterman jacket made that feature pieces of jerseys from the teams that his father — the late Craig “Ironhead” Heyward — played for as a fullback, including the Saints.

Heyward also works with a designer who customizes his cleats each week. A recent theme was “The Godfather,” one of the player’s favorite films. It included both his dad’s nickname and his own: Killa Cam.

“It’s fun to just show some personality on the field,” Heyward told The Associated Press in Pittsburgh before the team left for Paris. “He’s like, ‘give me some things you really like and you want to show off’ and he was able to get creative and add some flair to it.”

Saints wide receiver Devaughn Vele did some light shopping in Paris this week, but he said it was mostly for his wife.

He was asked what he'll be wearing to Sunday's game.

“I’m wearing Saints gear. I’m not a big fashion guy,” a smiling Vele said. “I definitely have got to step up my fashion, I kind of dress like a bum.”

AP Sports Writer Will Graves contributed from Pittsburgh

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