Fashion MVPs: Ranking Sports Stars’ Fashion and Team Merch

Some of America’s current sports legends are known for more than their athleticism. Our latest study tackles athletes’ wardrobe choices, from the NFL to the NBA, rating the cool, edgy, and sometimes wild looks that make headlines. We surveyed NFL and NBA fans about the outfit choices of players and coaches to find the best dressed. Fans also shared which teams have the best merch and how much they spent on it in the past year.

Key Takeaways

• According to fans, the Dallas Cowboys have the best merchandise in the NFL, while the Los Angeles Lakers hold the top spot in the NBA.
• San Francisco 49ers fans and Milwaukee Bucks fans have spent the most on merchandise in the past year, $208 and $153, respectively.
• The Kansas City Chiefs are the best-dressed team in the NFL, according to fans.
• Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs is the best-dressed NFL athlete.
• The Brooklyn Nets are the best-dressed team in the NBA, according to fans.
• D’Angelo Russell of the Los Angeles Lakers is the best-dressed NBA athlete.

Teams With the Best Merch

Let’s see where fan loyalty meets style in the sports world. This section reveals which teams have the best merchandise according to NFL and NBA fans, as well as how much fans will spend on it to show their support.

The fans have spoken, and the results are in: the Dallas Cowboys and the Los Angeles Lakers led the pack in their respective leagues for having the best team merch. The Cowboys, known for their NFC East Division titles, were seen by fans as having the best NFL merchandise, reflecting their rich history and field success​​​​. Meanwhile, the NBA’s Lakers’ merch success symbolizes the team’s legendary status and the influence of its star players through the years.

Merch-buying patterns were the most spendy among San Francisco 49ers and Milwaukee Bucks fans, who have spent $208 and $153, respectively, on these teams’ swag over the past year. It doesn’t take many official team-branded product purchases to reach those amounts, though: an official hoodie bearing one of these teams’ emblems can cost upward of $70!

On the flip side, these teams received the fewest votes when we asked fans to select the teams with the best merch:

Let’s now take a look at which NFL teams are winning off the field with their fashion game.

Best-Dressed NFL Teams and Players

This next segment ranks the best-dressed teams and players according to fans. First, let’s examine the top best-dressed NFL teams, along with the bottom 5, and see how fans have graded their fashion sense.

NFL fans named the Kansas City Chiefs the best-dressed team in the league. Beyond the team’s fashion choices, this honor reflects the spirit of its enthusiastic, loyal fan base — which has grown even more so, thanks to Taylor Swift joining their ranks and their Super Bowl win.

Next, we had fans gauge which NFL figures’ looks stood out based on how many fans associated their outfits with the following words: trendy, fire, edgy, unstylish, miss (meaning unsuccessful), and basic. Based on the fans’ ratings, we issued letter grades from A+ to F for each player’s style. Let’s see how these athletes’ looks stacked up.

Top 12 Best-Dressed NFL Players

These NFL athletes scored the most fashion points in the league. See how fans graded their style:

1. Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs): A+
2. Kendrick Bourne (New England Patriots): A+
3. T.J. Hockenson (Minnesota Vikings): A+
4. Deebo Samuel (San Francisco 49ers): A+
5. Najee Harris (Pittsburgh Steelers): A
6. Sam Howell (Washington Commanders): A
7. Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco 49ers): A-
8. DeVonta Smith (Philadelphia Eagles): B+
9. Travis Etienne Jr. (Jacksonville Jaguars): B+
10. Travis Kelce (Kansas City Chiefs): B+
11. Donald Parham Jr. (Los Angeles Chargers): B
12. Tyler Lockett (Seattle Seahawks): B

Top 12 Worst-Dressed NFL Players

Where do fans draw the line between bold style choices and fashion fouls? These are the NFL players who might need a playbook for style, according to our fan survey:

1. Stefon Diggs (Buffalo Bills)
2. Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins)
3. Zack Moss (Indianapolis Colts)
4. Puka Nacua (Los Angeles Rams)
5. Chris Godwin (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
6. Chuba Hubbard (Carolina Panthers)
7. David Njoku (Cleveland Browns)
8. George Kittle (San Francisco 49ers)
9. Cooper Kupp (Los Angeles Rams)
10. Tyreek Hill (Miami Dolphins)
11. Zay Flowers (Baltimore Ravens)
12. Ezekiel Elliott (New England Patriots)

Top 5 Best-Dressed NFL Coaches

Coaches can be strategic minds and style icons, too. Next up, we have the NFL coaches who have brought their A-game to the sidelines and beyond:

1. Jonathan Gannon (Arizona Cardinals)
2. Robert Saleh (New York Jets)
3. Sean Payton (Denver Broncos)
4. Jim Harbaugh (Los Angeles Chargers)
5. Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins)

Best-Dressed NBA Teams and Players

We didn’t forget you, NBA fans! Read on to find out how these top basketball stars’ fans rated their off-the-court looks. Let’s kick off by reviewing the top fashion-forward NBA teams and the bottom five, seeing how fans have graded their style choices.

Fans named the Brooklyn Nets the best-dressed NBA team. Although the team lacks All Stars on the court for the 2023-24 season, they certainly show a strong fashion sense off the court. Now, onto NBA stars’ style rankings…

Top 12 Best-Dressed NBA Players

These NBA players’ fashion consistently turns heads. Here’s who scored the most style points from fans:

1. D’Angelo Russell (Los Angeles Lakers): A+
2. Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors): A+
3. Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors): A
4. Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers): A
5. Cameron Johnson (Brooklyn Nets): A
6. Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls): A
7. Spencer Dinwiddie (Los Angeles Lakers): A
8. Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers) – A-
9. Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves): A-
10. Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City Thunder): A-
11. LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers): A-
12. Nic Claxton (Brooklyn Nets): A-

Top 12 Worst-Dressed NBA Players

Other NBA players’ fashion choices missed the mark. According to fans, these stars could use a makeover:

1. Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies)
2. Terry Rozier (Miami Heat)
3. Jordan Poole (Washington Wizards)
4. Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic)
5. Deni Avdija (Washington Wizards)
6. Kyle Kuzma (Washington Wizards)
7. Darius Garland (Cleveland Cavaliers)
8. Jerami Grant (Portland Trail Blazers)
9. Deandre Ayton (Portland Trail Blazers)
10. Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies)
11. James Harden (Los Angeles Clippers)
12. Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz)

Top 5 Best-Dressed NBA Coaches

Athletes weren’t the only stars turning heads. These coaches consistently impressed fans with their stylish outfits:

1. Jamahl Mosley (Orlando Magic)
2. Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors)
3. Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks)
4. Darko Rajaković (Toronto Raptors)
5. Ime Udoka (Houston Rockets)

Style Scoreboard

From the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Lakers leading the pack with their unbeatable team merch to the impeccable style of Patrick Mahomes and D’Angelo Russell, it’s clear that fashion has become a part of today’s sports culture. As we wrap up our ranking of sports stars’ fashion and team merch, remember that fashion in sports is not just about making a statement — it’s about celebrating individuality, team spirit, and the love of the game.

Methodology

For this campaign, we collected 1,113 NFL and NBA outfit images for three top players for each team and their respective coaches. Each player had at least five outfit images. We collected 24 individual responses for each image (26,712 responses in total) using Amazon MTurk Image Classification;  each response asked for a rating of the outfit on a scale of 1 to 5 and a word association based on a list of six words provided. The scale used was the following:

• 1 = Poorly dressed
• 2 = Below average
• 3 = Average
• 4 = Well dressed
• 5 = Exceptionally well dressed

We also surveyed 1,000 NFL and NBA fans to explore their perceptions about team merchandise and how much they spend on it.

About Custom Ink

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Fair Use Statement

Ready to talk sports fashion with your friends or followers? Feel free to share our insights — we’re all for spreading the word on noncommercial grounds. Just make sure to link back here to our full findings and methodology, letting everyone in on the full style scoop.