The Walk-In: Malcolm Jenkins on getting the right pre-game look
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How much does Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins like his bow ties? Enough to start Rock Avenue, a tie manufacturer-and soon a full men's clothing line. Jenkins spoke to us about his pre-game ensemble for the Nov. 13 game between the Eagles and the Falcons at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
How would you describe your style?I've always been a little "preppy street." That's how I would describe it. I'm not all the way into street wear but I am not all the way into a suit and tie either, so I try to combine that look.I like to mix in the two worlds and keep it kind of casual, but I own a bow tie company so I use the small pieces to add a little bit of preppy or formal look to a casual style.
How do you put this outfit together? Usually I try to pick one piece and start building around it. So I said, okay, these are the jeans I want to wear. Then I said, I want to wear a sweater as I haven't worn one in a while and I was unpacking all my winter clothes and I found that sweater. So those two pieces were the staples and then I built around it.
You have a fashion show calledLooking Fly. What is that about?Yeah that was a one time thing that the Eagles had that me and my counterpart, safety Rodney McLeod do. If you asked anyone in the Eagleslocker room who the two mostfashionable guys are they'd probablypoint out us two. So we did a fun piece where we got to critique the outfits of our teammates as we travel to one of the games.
We get guys all the time asking us for fashion advice, especially the big guys in the locker room. They'retrying to figure out what they should wear, if they can pull something off. And the biggest thing, one of D-Line man was trying to figure out if I could give him a contact for a good tailor, because he's trying to getsome suits and things are just not quite fitting right.
Do you consult your stylist every Saturday night before the game?I have a really good friend of mine, he's a frat brother I went to school with, actually he went to a school up the street from Ohio State and he does shopping for me and he gives me some options. He'll pick the pieces for me and I kind of put them together as I see fit. If I do a photo shoot, he will style me. But before a game I style myself and put some things together that I have in my closet. If I am stuck or I got a couple of options that I like I will text him pictures of the clothes and he will tell me what's best to go with.
Who do you admire fashion wise? I am not really that big into fashion where I am looking at trends or what everyone else is doing. If I see something I like I will keep it in mind, but a lot of the time I am just online browsing. I will shop at Asos or Urban Outfitters. Urban Outfitters is probably where I buy most of my stuff from. I mix and match from different places.
I do suits, but the last two years have been a bit more casual. This year we had a change in our dress code for when we're traveling so I've been doing a little more suits this year. But when I can, I prefer to be a bit more casual.
How did this outfit come about? I picked this outfit out the night before the game. I do it before I go to sleep, it takes me 15 minutes.
John Varvatos sweater: I opened up my vacuumed sealed box of sweaters that I stored last year and pulled this one out. I bought this a while ago and never got around to wearing it so I decided on this one. I got this off of Gilt group, I used to use Gilt a lot, I haven't shopped in a long time, but that was a site where I dropped a ton of money.
Ashbury hat: I got this hat from a gifting suite at the Super Bowl. The NFLPA had an event and they had a bunch of companies there. It was kind of random, I went to this event and I got a free hat.
Rock Avenue bow tie: I started wearing clip-ons in 2010, as a way to standout in the locker room. The next year I finally learned I wanted a tie to reflect my own style and personality and my wife suggested that I make my own. So I bought some fabric and a sewing machine and Googled how to make a bow tie. I made four or five by hand, and they were wearable but I realized pretty quickly sewing is not my strong suit.
It snowballed into me finding a manufacturer in New Orleans and I developed the line and got the fabric. My friend Eric who is the stylist and who I consult with, he's a partner in it. We are transitioning into a full men's clothing line.
This one is a reversible tie so it's made of two different patterns, one is a solid brown chambray, the other is a floral pattern, brown & black. I didn't want it to be too loud, I wanted it to blend in with the brown in the hat and the burgundy in the sweater and the shoes.
ASOS Always Rare jeans: These jeans are definitely out of my comfort zone. I wouldn't necessarily pick them for myself but my stylist suggested I wear them.
The British Belt Company Holkham Satchel: I met them in NYC at a trade show. We were there selling bow ties, we walked around and ran into this company so I bought a duffel bag and messenger bag that goes with it. Inside the bag: my iPad, a notebook, some headphones and chargers.
To Boot New York Hobson boots: These just go well with my outfit. I got them a few years ago from Boyds in Philadelphia. I think I got these for free because we did a charity fashion event there and one of the perks for doing the event was a free suit and some shoes.
Meaux Moisture beard oil: My wife has an all-natural skin and hair product company. I use all of her products for my beard. She has a beard oil and a beard wash. So that is what I use. I've been bearded the last four years, the beard is permanent now because I decided to go bald this season.
