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Fashion emergency call to NBA draft By Dan Shanoff Special to Page 2 |
| Forget who went where. Or when. To real fans, the NBA draft was the ultimate parade of style hits and misses. And Page 2 was inspired to do its Vogue thing. The headline? Beige was all the rage. Did all these guys employ the same tailor? We haven't seen so much tan since Cannes.
The Players
Other Winners: Prepster Eddy Curry gambled with a dark-red shirt under his beige suit, but pulled it off when it coordinated with his draft status as the top pick of the Bulls. That sigh of relief you saw on his face had less to do with his excitement over playing near home and more to do with the embarrassment he would have felt going to a team without red as a primary logo color ... Golden State draftee Jason Richardson, who bucked the four-button jacket trend for an eight-button combo. (Warning to wannabes: Don't try this at your next fashion-driven function unless you're 6-5 or taller.) ... Leave it to the Yugoslavian to make the gutsy call: Vladimir Radmanovic outclassed many of his green-room peers with a nifty high-cut vest. More That's In: Shirt-tie contrast; kerchiefs; solid ties Losers: Pinstripes are ungainly enough, but they look even worse when you're the last one in the green room. We hear Brendan Haywood's draft stock plummeted on the basis of his outfit; the NBA is not a business, Brendan, it's a lifestyle. Don't bring that weak stuff in here! ... We didn't see local product Samuel Dalembert on the night's agenda, but he made his way to the podium anyway. Was he a last-minute addition or was that just shoddy tailoring? Cuffs make the man, Sam ... Finally, to all those players, such as Troy Murphy, who went with the blue suits: It's a draft, not your bar-mitzvah. The top picks were wearing tan for a reason. More That's Out: Unbuttoned jackets to shake NBA commish David Stern's hand (Eddie Griffin, you know better!); pattern ties (Love ya, Shane Battier, but use your signing bonus on a trip to Zegna).
The TV crew
Losers: We don't know what was more outlandish: Peter Vecsey's misinformation or his choice of shirt. We all saw why the Madison Square Garden rabble was taunting him with a "Vecsey's shirt!" chant, didn't we? Yellow is for journalism, not men's shirts ... After marveling at a season's worth of outrageous outfits, we were disappointed that Craig Sager went conservative with a blue suit. For better or worse, we at least expected something to talk about. Instead, everyone's talking about how smooth Battier stole Sager's thunder by ribbing him about his past as the Northwestern mascot. Still Thinking About It: Kenny Smith deserves his own mention. Our first reaction to the periwinkle suit with matching shirt and tie was to cover our eyes and wail. But as the night wore on, we realized he might just have pulled it off. Breakout fashionista or a mistake? We'll reserve judgment until we see The Jet's look next year.
The green room Moms were all winners, especially: Barbara Haywood, whose dramatic pink-hat-and-scarf illuminated the green room and proved worth the wait as her son, Brendan, sat stewing ... Vernie Threadgill (Tyson Chandler's mom) and Marisa Saez (Pau Gasol's mom), who sported white (appropriately after Memorial Day), perhaps in solidarity with their sons going two-three ... Sandee Battier, who showed where Shane gets his intelligence from, sporting a smart scoop-neck blue pantsuit and silver necklace ... Accessory of the night: Joyce Brown (Kwame's mom), carrying a two-ton emerald around her neck.
Coach, get a T.O.! Losers: Boston coach Jim O'Brien and Golden State coach Dave Cowens. The war room may be warm, but fellas, let's remember that golf shirts are for the summer-camp scene. How will your fans know you're serious about contending if you're not serious about your evening wear? ... Apparently, Rudy T hasn't heard that "Draft-Casual" is out with the New Economy collapse. Lose the open-collared brown button-down, which makes you look like the coach of the Schlock-ets.
Front-office fabulous
Winner: Stern, whose jaunty tie matched a jaunty attitude as he engaged in witty repartee with the TV panel. Loser: Points to Golden State GM Garry St. Jean for his "Lottery-comfortable" pairing of a blue blazer and khaki pants, but he gambled and lost (the fashion equivalent of trading Vince Carter) with the garish maroon-and-blue diagonal-striped tie, which seemed to have Miller wincing.
Back to school
Ready to where?!
More hats off Out: Memo to Cavs GM Jim Paxson: Lose the baby-blue in the headwear, baby! The "soft" look sure didn't help the already Charmin-y Brendan Haywood. The color is so unintimidating, no wonder they had to draft interior help. In: We were thrilled to see the return of the low-slung cap. The "askew" look went out with black socks and shorts hanging below the knees. Out: Someone please get Jason Richardson's agency on the phone and let them know that top five picks who wear their caps down over their eyes in their TV debut as a professional won't attract the sponsors.
Thank God
NBA draft-night all-style team
Michael Jordan Barbara Haywood Rick Pitino Kenny Smith Dan Shanoff is a regular contributor to Page 2. He watched the draft in his apartment wearing a beige three-button Donna Karan summer suit. |
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