How to Wear Jerseys, According to Drake, Jay-Z, Rihanna, and More

Image via Complex Original

When: 2018

Drake is a big jersey guy. He has numerous memorable fits that incorporate them. There’s the time he rocked a Dell Curry Raptors jersey to the NBA Finals matchup between the Toronto Raptors and Steph Curry’s (Dell’s son) Golden State Warriors. He’s posed at his mansion rocking a high school jersey of close friend LeBron James back in 2018. Before Zion Williamson was a star in the NBA, he was showing love to the high school phenom by rocking one of his Spartanburg jerseys. He even had Chrome Hearts make a custom jersey to go one-on-one with Kevin Durant in his “Laugh Now Cry Later” music video. But one of the best came in 2018. While sitting courtside at the Air Canada Centre back in 2018, Drake showed up in a Humboldt Broncos jersey to honor the junior Canadian hockey team that was the victim of a tragic bus accident that killed 16 a week prior. For the fit, he opted for the layered look with a hoodie underneath, a typical styling strategy for the winter months, and kept it cozy with black track pants and a pair of all-white Adidas Ultra Boosts. The footwear choice looks a bit funny in retrospect given what transpired in the following months and Drake’s current relationship with the Swoosh, but the rest of the fit is a memorable one for all the right reasons, and a good indicator of the right way to rock a hockey jersey.—MD

When: 2012

There are many great photos of Jay-Z wearing sports jerseys. But none are as special as this one. As most Brooklyn Nets fans know, Jay-Z played an instrumental role when relocating the team from New Jersey to their new home at the Barclays Center. He became one of the team’s biggest investors, helped design the team’s new jerseys and logos, and even curated the stadium’s soundtrack. When Barclays Center opened to the public in 2012, he christened the new arena with a run of concerts. It’s where Jay-Z unveiled the first look at the official uniforms for the Brooklyn Nets. Hov wore the team’s away uniform on most nights of the concert run to go with his classic all-black everything aesthetic. It just goes to show that you can never go wrong when aligning your fits with the color of your jersey. But when wearing a monochromatic jersey fit, it’s best to add some pieces to accent it. Hov gives his look some more flare by accenting his fits with hits of gold from iced out chains and a beautiful watch. Jay-Z’s Nets jerseys were custom-made for him and featured “Carter” and his lucky No. 4 printed on the back. After his historic series of concerts, Jay-Z auctioned off the jerseys for charity.—Lei Takanashi

When: 2019

Rihanna’s fandom of LeBron James is well-documented. When he was winning his first championships with the Miami Heat, she was courtside rocking one of his jerseys Kriss Kross style. On vacation back in 2016, she playfully applied sunscreen to resemble his “23” jersey to cheer him on during his NBA Finals run from afar. And the pop star has been courtside for countless other big matchups throughout King James’ career. In this particular photo, Rihanna, who was likely celebrating her birthday (the game occurred a day after it on Feb. 21), is in a private box at the Staples Center. Never shy about supporting the best player in the world, she paired her yellow Lakers LeBron jersey with a pair of jeans and her Puma Fenty high heels. Ri Ri has always kept jerseys in her rotation though. She’s hit the airport in baggy vintage football jerseys, strolled around New York city in a Dennis Rodman Spurs jersey from the ‘90s paired with straight-legged black pants, and even rocked a Supreme football jersey beside ASAP Rocky in the video for “Fashion Killa.” One of her most memorable jersey fits came back in 2013 when she wore a baggy Ottawa Senators hockey jersey like a dress and styled it with a pair of gold heels. It’s certainly not a look that everyone can pull off, but not everyone is Rihanna.—MD

When: 2019

Baseball jerseys are a go-to summer option. The mesh makes them breathable. And some people even rock them unbuttoned for maximum air flow in the blistering heat. Travis Scott can be seen here rocking his Houston Astros jersey to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the franchise’s Minute Maid Park stadium in H-Town back in April 2019. While rocking the home team’s jersey is a tradition when it comes to tossing out the first pitch at the ballpark, Travis Scott still had to make sure he made his fit stand out. He paired the white jersey with a pair of Vetements camouflage cargo pants from the brand’s Fall/Winter 2018 collection. His own New Era hat collab and his Air Jordan 1s on foot provided the brown accents that have become his signature. Pretty much none of us are going to be able to say we tossed out a first pitch at an MLB game, but take some advice from Travis Scott here: pairing the baseball jersey with some baggy cargos is a solid move.—MD

When: 2003 

Summer Jam X in 2003 was truly a movie. For those that don’t remember, this Summer Jam was packed with rappers just violating everyone and anyone on sight. Jay-Z threw up a real childhood photo of Prodigy dressed as a ballet dancer on the Summer Jam screen and debuted his infamous “Takeover” verse sending shots to Propane P. At that same Summer Jam, 50 Cent opened his set with a PSA that labeled Ja Rule as a “Bitch Ass N---a” and put even more salt on the wound by performing “Hail Mary.” Hell, even Eminem chose violence by destroying his own Lyricist of the Year’ award from The Source onstage due to his ongoing beef with the hip-hop publication at the time. Thankfully, Fabolous didn’t wild out on anyone and just arrived wearing this oversized Brian Urlacher Chicago Bears jersey from the 2003 NFL Pro Bowl. Fabolous really went all in with the jersey’s American flag motif by rocking a fitted hat in matching colors with a pair of custom Air Force 1s in a stars and stripes pattern. The rest of his fit is well-accented with some Jesus pieces and a pair of denim shorts. All hail the throwback king.—LT

When: 2017 

ASAP Rocky has worn a number of iconic jerseys throughout his storied career. Never forget the video for “Bath Salts,” when he spit a crazy verse while rocking a classic Patrick Ewing New York Knicks jersey. And let’s not forget all the crazy custom jerseys the ASAP Mob designed in the early days, like the baseball jerseys worn on the cover of their first mixtape Lords Never Worry. And hardcore ASAP Mob fans will be hard pressed to find any of those ASAP Mob x Starter jerseys they released back in 2014. In recent years, Rocky’s tastes in style have evolved and you typically won’t see him rocking any vintage sports jerseys or ones from streetwear brands he used to rep heavily, like Supreme. But back in 2017, Rocky threw it back by wearing this vintage Air Jordan baseball jersey. These Air Jordan baseball jerseys are extremely rare and can fetch as much as $250 on the secondhand market. Rocky wisely chose to wear it as a standalone piece with a pair of black denim jeans, which is exactly how a rare vintage jersey like this should be spotlighted.—LT

When: 2020

LeBron James wears a jersey to do his job. So, you may think when he is off the court it would be the last thing he would rock––but he still likes to rep his favorite athletes from time to time. He honored Jackie Robinson by wearing his Dodgers jersey in the tunnel in February 2020. Following the tragic death of his close friend Kobe Bryant, he showed love to the Black Mamba on numerous occasions by wearing the legend’s Lakers jersey. James has also used his wardrobe to show his support of NFL quarterback-turned-social activist Colin Kapernick. Nike has released a few post-NFL Kapernick jerseys. This one in particular debuted in September 2020 and sold out within seconds upon launching on the SNKRS app. In the NBA Bubble in Orlando back in September 2020, James arrived to the arena in the all-black Kap jersey. He kept things casual with a pair of black shorts and a colorful pair of Air Force 1s for a pop of color. But this fit was about much more than just looking fly. It was James using his platform to stand by Kapernick and promote his message against police brutality and racial injustice. Football jerseys certainly aren’t as popular to rock casually as basketball, baseball, or even hockey jerseys these days, but there are always exceptions to the rule. This is one of them.—MD

When: 2002 

Considering that Cam’ron almost made it to the big leagues when playing basketball in high school, it’s come as no surprise that he’s shown a lot of love for basketball jerseys over the years. Unlike other New York rappers like Fabolous, Killa Cam keeps his jersey fits simple. In this old photo with Dame Dash, we see how Cam chose to pair his Clyde Drexler Portland Blazers jersey with just a humble pair of jeans and a matching black Blazers fitted cap. Funny enough, it seems like the one and only Monica Lewinsky was a fan of Cam’s jersey ensemble that night.—LT

When: 2003

In the early 2000s, Mariah Carey showed the world that a jersey could be something more. When Michael Jordan played his last NBA All-Star game with the Washington Wizards, Mariah Carey performed her famous 1993 single “Hero” at halftime while videos showing highlights from Jordan’s career played in the background. Carey also wore a dress that was designed by Mitchell & Ness, which resembled Jordan’s iconic Chicago Bulls jersey, to perform more songs during that same game. Although it seemed like a one-off look at the time, when Carey wore those dresses it had a huge impact on the sports jersey market. Following her iconic performance, the NBA released a line dubbed “NBA4Her” and jersey dress sales skyrocketed. High school girls reportedly contacted the NBA looking for jersey dresses to wear to proms and the NBA store on Fifth Avenue even hired a seamstress to make custom outfits. “This is the first year we’ve had a full line of women’s products and it’s because of the demand we saw for it,” Dan Masonson, a league spokesman in New York, told the Baltimore Sun in 2003. The jersey dresses became so popular that a Mitchell & Ness representative even told the Baltimore Sun that they were worried it would diminish the appeal of sports jerseys for men. Although that poor take didn’t age well, what’s clear is that jersey dresses like Carey’s are best left for special occasions.—LT