From dressing LeBron and Serena to hosting an annual football game, few designers are as tapped in to the world of athletics as the shrunken-suit OG.By Yang-Yi GohJanuary 29, 2026Kelsey Niziolek; Getty ImagesSave StorySave this storySave StorySave this storyWhen Thom Browne sends his fall 2026 collection down the runway at GQ Bowl—our second annual football-meets-fashion spectacular, which hits San Francisco on Friday, February 6—it’ll mark the latest chapter in the designer’s lifelong obsession with sports. Browne grew up an athlete himself, dominating the tennis courts as a kid in small-town Pennsylvania and swimming competitively at Notre Dame. That affinity for athletics has long seeped into his work: He has staged fashion shows inspired by ice skating and surfing and hosts a starry touch football game every autumn. And, of course, he has turned countless hallmarks of classic American sportswear—from bar stripes and varsity jackets to tennis sweaters and locker loops—into key totems of his oeuvre.It’s no surprise, then, that Browne counts several rosters’ worth of all-star athletes among his most loyal acolytes. Everyone from LeBron James to Lionel Messi to Travis Kelce has donned the designer’s signature shrunken suits in their respective pregame tunnels. His more fanciful creations have graced the Met Gala steps on the likes of pros like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Angel Reese, while no less of a GOAT than Serena Williams chose a Browne gown to accept the CFDA’s Fashion Icon Award in 2023.All of which is to say: There’s no one more qualified to quarterback a fashion show two days before the big game. To further burnish his athletic bonafides, here are 29 of Thom Browne’s most iconic sports-related moments.Lachlan Cunningham/Getty ImagesLeBron James, May 2018In the mid-2010s, noted fashion plate LBJ commissioned one of Browne’s iconic gray suits to fit his superhuman 6’9” frame. He eventually became such an avowed TB fan that he ordered suits for the entire Cavaliers roster, which they wore throughout their 2018 playoff run.Joe Murphy/Getty ImagesJordan Clarkson, May 2018The rest of the Cavs each put their own individual spin on the Browne aesthetic, ranging from Jordan Clarkson’s hoodie-and-high-tops approach…Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty ImagesGeorge Hill, April 2018…to George Hill’s more buttoned-up approach.Courtesy of Thom BrowneFC Barcelona, October 2018From 2018 through 2021, Thom Browne served as the official off-field formalwear provider for Barcelona, with the club sporting custom tailoring for Champions League and La Liga away matches.Courtesy of Thom BrowneLionel Messi, October 2018La Pulga looked especially dapper in his full Browne kit.Taylor HillOdell Beckham, Jr., May 2019OBJ did TB at its rawest and punkest for 2019’s camp-themed Met Gala.Courtesy of Thom BrowneAshlyn Harris, December 2019For her wedding to fellow USWNT player Ali Krieger, star goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris sported a custom Thom Browne tuxedo.Victor VIRGILE/Getty ImagesThom Browne Spring 2020 Fashion ShowJumbo-sized football shoes and a soccer ball clutch? Sure, why not!Getty ImagesJeff Okudah, April 2020Even when you’re getting drafted over Zoom, you still gotta come correct.Gilbert CarrasquilloRussell Westbrook, September 2021Of course the most adventurous dresser in the NBA is a Thom Browne guy.Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty ImagesRussell Westbrook, May 2022Edward Berthelot/Getty ImagesSerge Ibaka, June 2022Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, June 2022Visionhaus/Getty ImagesScott Parker, August 2022Kevin Sabitus/Getty ImagesJuJu Smith-Schuster, February 2023The Chiefs receiver came correct in a jaunty TB kilt ahead of his squad’s Super Bowl LVII victory.Steve GranitzNina Earl and Russell Westbrook, March 2023His and hers tuxes, done very right.Kevin Mazur/MG23/Getty ImagesShai Gilgeous-Alexander, May 2023Jeff KravitzDaniel Ricciardo, May 2023See? Lewis Hamilton’s not the only driver in F1 with serious style.Dave Benett/Getty ImagesNcuti Gatwa, July 2023Browne’s preppy tailoring has become a staple of Wimbledon’s dressy stands, and actor Ncuti Gatwa’s Centre Court skirt suit struck a particularly memorable note.Nina WesterveltSerena Williams, November 2023A show-stopping gown worthy of the GOAT.Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty ImagesBen Simmons, May 2024Matthew Stockman/Getty ImagesLindsey Vonn, July 2024Todd Rosenberg/Getty ImagesTravis Kelce, January 2025Kelce famously styles himself, which means this fetching camel-suit-and-Js combo came straight from his noggin.Barry Gossage/Getty ImagesAngel Reese, May 2025The Chicago Sky superstar pulled up to a preseason game in a full Thom Browne kit…Kevin Mazur/MG25/Getty ImagesAngel Reese, May 2025…just days before stunting at the Met Gala in a beguiling, suit-inspired gown.Taylor Hill/Getty ImagesNoah Lyles, May 2025Kevin Mazur/MG25/Getty ImagesSaquon Barkley, May 2025Courtesy of Thom BrowneSkylar Diggins, August 2025Can’t beat a killer cord jacket.Bowen FernieThom Browne Touch Football Game, September 2025Yang-Yi Goh is GQ’s Senior Style Editor. Since joining the magazine in 2019, he has interviewed pro athletes, profiled movie stars, received hate mail for his opinions on sneakers, and written approximately fifty gazillion lists of the best suits, shirts, socks, pants, jewelry, sunglasses, hoodies…you get the idea. Prior to ... Read More