Meet Jordan Clarkson, the L.A. Laker Who Brings Kendall Jenner and Karlie Kloss Courtside

 

“Growing up, a lot of people wore baggy stuff,” says Jordan Clarkson, the stylish L.A. Lakers point guard, of being raised in Florida and Texas. “I went in the opposite direction. Just trying to be different.” “Different” seems to have worked for Clarkson, who, when not sporting his number six jersey, favors jeans from Saint Laurent, bombers from Off-White, and tees from Palace. “I’m a normal size,” said Clarkson, demystifying the notion that all athletes need custom attire. (He does, however, stand at 6 feet 5 inches). “I can fit into a lot of clothes. A lot of them fit my body.” Clarkson’s Instagram reveals his style ethos: One moment sees the all-star athlete sporting a Supreme T-shirt featuring Gucci Mane’s likeness, while other occasions see him rocking old school Vans low-tops with plaid trousers. This season, however, he’s favoring more tailored styles with a twist.
“I’m getting a little older,” says the 24-year-old of introducing suiting into his sartorial repertoire. “I have to start mixing that in a little bit.” However, don’t expect him to swap out his Jordans for polished monk straps anytime soon. Instead, he’ll be sticking with sneakers to offset his new pieces from Gucci, which include knits and snake-embroidered jeans. As for accessories, Clarkson says, he’s all about the jewelry. “I hate watches because of the concept of time.” Instead, he punctuates his sleek looks with yellow gold. Also upping the wow factor to his looks are his bags sported en route to the locker room or just after a game. Previously, Clarkson sported different versions of Louis Vuitton’s popular Damier check canvas in backpacks, duffles, and totes, but for the new season, he wanted to edge out the competition with fresh pieces from Givenchy, Goyard, and Gucci. “I’m trying to keep them as secrets for a while,” joked Clarkson, who recently Instagrammed one of his latest acquisitions, a Goyard laptop case in NBA-friendly orange.
But at the end of the day, for Clarkson, style is about its power to invigorate with a sense of ease. “If I’m comfortable in how I look and feel, I’ll feel real good and confident,” said Clarkson. “That makes me feel good [and] that brings energy to me.” And no doubt it helps usher in a winning season.