T.O. chapeau inspires at least one follower

Cincinnati Bengals receiver Terrell Owens is known for over-the-top antics during his NFL career, but style icon? Who'd a thunk it?

Of course, seeing is believing, and I experienced this firsthand earlier on Thursday afternoon. Peep this: A woman walks into the high-end menswear store where I work, and asks me if the store carries fedoras. I replied that we carry only one model in the store, and it's brown.

She was looking for a black fedora, "like the one my boyfriend saw T.O. wearing on TV."

Oh, really? The same T.O. who has a reality show, and is usually good for a colorful quote during press conferences? I was stunned, but maintained my professional demeanor during the exchange.

I suggested that she try The Hat Store on Richmond and Chimney Rock in Houston. Plenty of fedoras are there, from Borsalino to Stetson. She thanked me for the tip.

Then, I got to thinking afterward ... will Owens' fedora-wearing ways gain a following? At least two of his pro football predecessors, coaches Tom Landry and Hank Stram, wore fedoras. Fedoras remain an elegant option for middle-age men. In Houston, however, I don't see too many hats in general (outside of baseball caps) being worn.

Whether athletes are trendsetters in classic style remains to be seen. Michael Jordan may have brought long shorts into vogue during his playing days in the '80s, but even his appearances in GQ haven't generated a sea change in men's style. Other GQ cover guys such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are among current NBA stars who have upped the ante on style, but no clear front-runner has emerged.

NFL linebacker Dhani Jones is known for sporting bow ties, the preferred accessory of former NBA player-turned-ESPN basketball analyst Bruce Bowen. Shaquille O'Neal has worn a bow tie in postgame interviews during the NBA playoffs. Still, the "bow tie effect" hasn't caught on in today's men's fashion scene, which is getting less and less formal.

The irony is that fedoras and bow ties are hardly new; these are "old school" pieces of clothing that offer a retro look. In fact, they never left.

I'm not sure whether it's T.O.'s intention to reinvigorate the fedora, but one thing's for sure: Look at any old movie starring Cary Grant, Gary Cooper, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. or David Niven. If you study these films the way Mr. Owens would on opposing defensive backs, you'd make the All-Sartorial team in record time.

Cavs' LeBron, Mo keep it simple

Cavaliers teammates LeBron James and Mo Williams opted for solid colors -- mainly silver and black -- during their postgame interviews Saturday night after defeating the Boston Celtics 101-93 in the opener of the second round of the NBA playoffs.

Mr. James wore a solid gray shirt with a black vest, while Mr. Williams sported a gray shirt and tie with a black sweater with blue trim around the shoulders. Both men looked very smart, casual and not least, professional in front of the camera.

There's not much else to add. Well done, gentlemen.

NBA postgame snapshot observations

My day starts with ESPN SportsCenter at 6am CT, and in the first half-hour are NBA highlights ... and the requisite postgame commentary from players and coaches.

Some of the players opt for plaid, others don sweaters and vests, with or without ties. The coaches are consistently polished ... and then there's Shaq.

To see the recent postgame interview attire, click here. Among the clips, you might see the following ...

-- Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash sports the secret-agent look with a wide-lapel jacket and tie after defeating the Portland Trail Blazers in six games on Thursday.

-- Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki keeps it simple with a French blue shirt after losing their first-round series to the San Antonio Spurs.

-- I like LeBron James' shawl-collar sweater and knit tie combination after the Cleveland Cavaliers' series-clinching victory over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday. The "LBJ" crest is an especially nice touch."

-- Shaquille O'Neal has a great French-cuff shirt and vest ... but a clip-on tie? Clearly, he jests. But he'd actually look cooler if he was wearing an untied bow tie. It would signify a sort of after-party look, now that the formal event is over.

-- Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard goes with the tan jacket with epaulets, red shirt, black V-neck sweater, black pocket square and plaid tie after Monday's sweep of the Charlott Bobcats. I prefer matching my pocket square with my tie, but Mr. Howard matched his pocket square with his sweater. The tie is too light and does not readily pick up any of the other pieces in his presentation.

Epaulets emerge during NBA postgame interviews

What is with the epaulets on jackets worn by NBA players during the postgame interviews in the playoffs?

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Mo Williams sported a black crushed velvet jacket Thursday night after his team's Game 3 loss at Chicago. His look is much simpler than that of Dwight Howard, who had too many sartorial elements going on after his Game 2 news conference.

Whether epaulets on sport jackets appear to be the next trend among NBA players remains to be seen. Quite frankly, it's over the top. I'm looking for Prince to show up to demonstrate why the look works for him.

Moving on to other style observations, click here to look at LeBron James during his postgame interview.

Now, Mr. James runs into the same issue as Mr. Howard: Multiple elements not working together. Plaid shirt, solid black vest, tie.

Let's start with the shirt. The pattern is a bold plaid. Lose the tie and the vest, and let the shirt speak for itself.

Or, keep the vest and tie, but a solid-colored shirt works best. White is the safest choice, but it appears too bright when photographed by television cameras. Light gray would be the optimal selection with Mr. James' vest and tie.

In my next blog post, I will focus on the players who look cool by keeping it simple.