Dwyane Wade is all about freedom, fashion, and self-care … even if it’s in ways most people wouldn’t dare to dream.
In a recent interview with fashion and lifestyle brand Highsnobiety, the retired NBA champion says his pride in self-care and interest in fashion go back to his upbringing and the influences around him.
“My father has always been a man who would take care of himself,” Wade began. “My uncles took care of themselves. I always knew that’s what I wanted to do: I wanted to be one of them sharp-dressed men who smelled good, who stayed clean-shaved, and all that.”
The 42-year-old Miami Heat legend admits that when he meets people, he always takes note of what they’re wearing because, for him, fashion is that serious of a matter.
“I’m all about scanning details of people, because it shows you a lot about how people care about themselves,” lamented Wade. “Me and my body, we love putting on clothes. It’s not something I play around with. It’s a part of my personality; it’s a part of my lifestyle. So I’m not just wearing clothes. I put that s— on.”
Though his fashion sensibilities came during childhood, Wade also confesses that the controversial “business casual” game day dress code started by then NBA Commissioner David Stern in 2005 made him take his courtside fashion more seriously. Once he got serious, his comfort grew to where he could pull off bold choices like the infamous Gucci capri pants look.
“As I got more comfortable, as I got older, as fashion started becoming more acceptable, as we started going to more fashion shows, my fashion sense was able to elevate,” Wade proclaimed before referencing the headline-making capri pants he wore to a press conference. “Now people wear pink pants to golf. It’s nothing. But at the time, it was a big deal, right?”
