'More than just an athlete:' UB student-athletes show off their style

Junior wide receiver Marcus McGill’s outfits surprise some people.

It’s not that the football player’s jean jacket and green pants are questionable fashion choices; people are just surprised to see a student-athlete wearing something other than a gray or blue ‘State University of New York Buffalo’ T-shirt and sweat pants.

“I’m one of the few people that actually wear clothes to school, a lot of people just stick to the UB issued stuff,” McGill said. “Me, I take pride in what I wear. Nothing wrong with UB gear, I just prefer to dress up.”

Although some athletes mostly wear UB apparel given to them by the school, others would rather express themselves and standout. And athletes always get chances to express their style, either.

They must wear the same jersey as their other teammates. Some Buffalo athletes can’t even alter their game day gear in anyway to standout because of their respective teams’ rules. An athlete’s fashion choice is one of their opportunities to express themselves.

“It’s great to be affiliated with athletics … but when I dress outside of my grays and my ‘State University of New York’ shirts, it’s my opportunity to show my individuality and my uniqueness so I’m more than just an athlete,” said women’s basketball junior guard Mackenzie Loesing. “I’m also a unique person.”

Loesing said she is “more of a tomboy” on the court because she has to wear basketball shorts and a cutoff. She can dress “girly” outside of basketball.

“It’s my chance to be a little bit more feminine than when I am on the court because you can’t really be feminine in the game of basketball,” Loesing said.

Loesing describes her outfits as “pretty basic,” and said she’s “all about the cozy.” She wears oversized sweaters and scarfs and said a vest is a “go-to” in the cold Buffalo weather. She also wears high socks and boots.

“[They’re] very functional and comfortable and easy,” Loesing said. “I’m all about easy but I also like to look good like most people.”

Matching is McGill’s “thing” when it comes to fashion.

He wears a watch with a brown strap and green background in order to match his brown shoes and green pants. He even wears blue and green socks so they could match with the pants and his blue jean jacket.

McGill even matches on the rare occasions when he throws on a pair of sweat pants and a sweatshirt.

“Even if I’m wearing sweats, I’ll wear my shoes or my hats or something and it automatically looks better [because] you’re matching,” he said.

Women’s basketball sophomore forward Rachel Gregory doesn’t put as much emphasis on her outfits as McGill does. Her biggest priory is to be comfortable.

“Outside of practice I prefer to wear sweats but if I don’t, I still like to keep it comfortable,” she said. “So I’ll stick with jeans and a sweater.”

Gregory said her typical outfit is relaxed jeans and a sweatshirt, along with a pair of loafers.

She doesn’t worry about her style much during games, either.

“[My style] on the court, I don’t think it’s flashy, it’s not anything noticeable,” Gregory said. “On the court I just like to keep it simple. Focus on the game rather than what I’m wearing.”

Some players don’t have the option to express themselves through fashion during games. McGill said the football team is not allowed to alter their gear or equipment, saying, “The whole point is to look like a team.”

Loesing has found a way around the women’s basketball team’s ‘style’ rules: She braids her hair on game days. She calls in the “Mohawk” braid, and that the hairstyle has “kind of become [her] thing.”

“Other than that, we have to match,” Loesing said. “Everything has to match. Our undershirt has to match. Even your headbands have to match. So I guess my hair is my way to standout on game days especially.”

Gregory also has found a way differentiate on game days. Her nails must be painted when she takes the court. She has only one preference for the color.

“Just not the color of other team,” she said.

Men’s basketball players are allowed express themselves on the court through their fashion. Sophomore guard Shannon Evans said himself and his teammates often wear colorful shoes and different colored sleeves show off their style.

“That’s one thing I like about playing for coach [Bobby] Hurley: He wants you to express your personality,” Evans said. “In anyway you can, you can express the way you feel in a way.”

Evans often wears a white sleeve on his right arm for games. Off the court, he wears a black jacket, joggers and a red fitted hat. He said the outfit allows him to be comfortable and presentable at the same time.

Evans’ favorite NBA player is Los Angles Lakers forward Nick Young, whose nickname is “Swaggy P” and is known for his fashion sense.

“He’s like real different, he wears different kind of designer stuff, different brands,” Evans said. “I’m more evolving in fashion as of now, so I’m trying to switch up my style in a way.”

Evans sometimes wears “jeans, a nice pair of shoes and a nice button down shirt just to switch it up at times.”

Style says more about a person than their choice in clothes, according to some athletes.

McGill said style could tell a person about another person before the two speak to another. He said he once wore a nice, casual outfit at the mall, and the saleswoman interacted with him better than if he had “walked in there with some baggy jeans.”

“I definitely like to dress more casual, you seem way more educated, way more approachable and people treat you different based on how you dress,” McGill said.

Losing said first impressions are important, and part of that first impression is how you dress.

“If you look put together and presentable, I think people are more likely to take you seriously right off the bat,” she said. “So I think it’s important to be presentable, to show people you care about yourself and looking good and feeling good.”

Style has no definition to McGill. He said style is whatever a person makes it.

“Style can be anything,” McGill said. “You can put on anything and as long as your own it in a sense. If I put on a white T-shirt and sweatpants, that’s just my style, I’m going to make it me. Style is different form person to person. Style doesn’t have a true definition, it’s just whatever you feel like.”

email: sports@ubspectrum.com