Big thanks to Nike again for sending over a preview of world no. 1 Rafael Nadal's newest, limited-edition duds for the US Open - so exciting!
The sexy Spaniard has moved towards a more buttoned up look for the Slam, favoring sleeves over sleeveless and shorter shorts while still channeling his trademark flair. Rafa was heavily involved in the evolution of his latest look + style and even invited the Nike design team to Majorca for the collaboration.
Rafa will be working the surfing rashguard-inspired Rafa Polo Reinvent ($60) in orange blaze/chlorine blue/concord/white which features seams strategically placed to reduce friction or pull, mesh side panels for breathability and range of motion, and a tonal grid pattern for texture.
The Polo Reinvent is paired with Rafa's Short Reinvent ($55) in white which "incorporates the best of boardshort design to produce a silhouette that moves with him--from baseline to net--without chaffing or bunching up" (hint, hint Rafa.) Elements include a no-sew, surf inspired waistband, bonded velcro fastenings, and a shorter length signed off and approved by the Spaniard himself.
Here's the kicker folks: only 500 of the pieces were made and will only be sold at Niketown - NYC, Nike.com, or the on-site Nike booth at the US Open. Get 'em while they're hot!
I'm loving this new direction - it's fresh, innovative, and most importantly wearable. Clearly the Majorcan Matador wants to be more involved in how the "Rafa brand" is presented and that can only be good news for him.
(image via Nike)
Thursday, August 21, 2008
FASHION FIX: Preview of Rafa's Nike limited-edition US Open style
Labels: fashion, Nike, polo shirt, preview, Rafael Nadal, shorts, style, tennis, US Open
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this is rafa's us open outfit?!?!? it looks good, and i know it would look great on rafa...it's just....too many changes, too little time!!!
ReplyDeleteWell this is a huge huge surprise! And it's a great shade of orange! Not like the painful tangerine on nole's summer outfit! People have been speculating that rafa will just wear a red version of the sleeveless shirt with the claw design paired with black shorts...but this is a major change! sleeves! shorter shorts! what's next? A US OPEN trophy!???!!!!
ReplyDeleteapart from the long shorts, it looks so rogerish..
ReplyDeletei don't know guys..i'm a lil nervous about this change.I kinda prefer the sleeveless Rafa.This is a bit Roger-sque.
ReplyDeleteLike Rich said, 'too many changes.'I can only cope with one at the moment.
gawd, Rafa, slow down just a bit..im having a hard time keeping up with him nowadays..between keepin up with the many titles he's winning now i have to try and keep note of what he's wearing.. usually i'll jst browse thru the sleeveless guys and try to spot the one with devine biceps.
i don't know guys..i'm a lil nervous about this change.I kinda prefer the sleeveless Rafa.This is a bit Roger-sque.
ReplyDeleteLike Rich said, 'too many changes.'I can only cope with one at the moment.
gawd, Rafa, slow down just a bit..im having a hard time keeping up with him nowadays..between keepin up with the many titles he's winning now i have to try and keep note of what he's wearing.. usually i'll jst browse thru the sleeveless guys and try to spot the one with devine biceps.
i agree with rafa-tart
ReplyDeleteah this "branding" business
oh c'mon guys - change is good.
ReplyDeletefirst of all, the sleeveless look is SO overdone. sure it shows off his great arms but other than that it's boring at this point. secondly, i can't see fed wearing that color or design - it has a streetwear vibe. fed's style leans more towards clean and classic, no surprises, tried and true.
i think it's a great start for his evolution. personally, i'm glad i won't see a 26, 27 year old rafa still working the biceps and pirate look. *yawn*
I'm seeing spots... This... is... unexpected.
ReplyDeleteWhat's totally great about this: The outfit looks slammin'. Rafa was more involved in the design process (which again proves my point that he is SO stylish). It's a change, which shows maturity. And he will look so undescribably good in this.
What makes me cry just a little bit: almost every player is wearing polos (including Rog) - hopefully he doesn't get too mainstream. I always loved about him that he was different. But let's see the polo when he wears it. Probably it's still extravagant enough. And I hope he doesn't go all marketing. Another thing I love about him is that he didn't seem to care about stuff like that. And most importantly: what'll happen with the BULGING BICEPS???
Ahhhh so many thoughts... so little time....
I was just thinking that, Rich! Rafa said before when he was asked about the sleeveless getup, and he said he was still young and the look was I guess still age-appropriate. It was just a question of when he'll retire the pirate look and look like a grown up. And this year's US OPEN is just the perfect timing, most especially because this is the first major he'll be seeded AND ranked #1. I agree that the look is a bit preppy, but the design just has enough pizzazz to it that it's very much Rafa.
ReplyDeleteAnd to those girls (and boys) who love Rafa's biceps, check out the photos of Nike's promotional gig in NY with Don King, Rafa's biceps are still pretty much exploding...Check out the Spaniard's left arm....Roger looks almost ashamed to be raising his arms alongside rafa hahahaha.
Rafa hasn't a own style.
ReplyDeleteI have to say I like the outfit itself, and I LUVZ orange, so squee.
ReplyDeleteAbout Rafa wearing it though, I think I'll have to see him in the getup 1st to decide. I agree I can't see a 26 year old wearing the pirate look, so I guess this is coming sooner or later.
I think the shirt would look better without that pocket thing. Imho.
HORRENDOUS! What ARE they trying to do to him!
ReplyDeleteHow can they hold Nadal up as the only tennis player with real style in New York magazine and then scupper everything by dressing him like a dork. This is the kind of preppy shirt Rafa favours off court but NOT what I expect to see him wear on court. Getting rid of the pirate pants in 2007 was bad enough but putting him into a bland polo shirt is just TOO much!
Get rid of those boring new unstylish togs that are only fit for college frats and bring back the stylish swashbuckling Nadal we know and expect, please please Nike.
Bad promotion, bad idea..
ReplyDeleteNo one likes it on Rafa on-court.With off-court is fine.
interesting commments all around peeps!
ReplyDeletequestion: how do you feel about the fact that Rafa himself influenced this new style + direction? obviously he wants to change his image, evolve as everyone does. how does it make you guys think about him??
anon 5:06 - many thanks for the tip! The photos are yum!
ReplyDeleteIt's true though, the sleeves are short enough so there's room for bulging biceps fist pumping fun, hehe.
LOL, Fed did look a bit embarrassed there. On one shot he's like: "Naahhhh let's get MY arms down again, will ya, Don King?" ;-))
Ok, don't get me wrong, I totally like the idea about a special outfit and something different than the usual stuff.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think it's a nice shirt etc. But not for Nadal! This is more an outfit for Federer. What's next, Federer in a sleeveless shirt? :P (Actually, I would laugh my hat off if that happens)
I like Nadal his 'usual' sleeveless shirts soooo much more. I've seen pictures of Rafa wearing polo's off-court and nothing is wrong with it, but on court I don't like it (for him).
This is just not Rafa..He should stay with his sleeveless shirt and his longer pants.
I'm also surprised that he was involved by the designing himself..
(By the way, I'm going to be a Nike-designer, if I will be invited to Mallorca in that way ;) )
Ok, getting confused here hahahaha! I honestly like the outfit or rafa, but I'm tending to agree more and more with the others about Rafa's established "pirate" image. That's what he's known for and that's what we've grown to love (or hate) about it. I'm honestly not a fan of the pirate look, but mainly because I think no one else will really look good in that sort of getup unless you're rafa. Hey, this might just be a stunt that Nike's pulling on us. I do like the look, but yeah may be that's something he should be wearing for off-court promotions or at least non-professional tennis matches. In the end though, with sleeves or not, here's hoping that Rafa will do well in big apple!
ReplyDeleteFederer sleeveless - lol!
ReplyDeleteYeah, actually that's the plan. Fed's going sleeveless and Rafa's going polo. just for the Open. lol. haha, Roger should do it.
"Federer sleeveless - lol!
ReplyDeleteYeah, actually that's the plan. Fed's going sleeveless and Rafa's going polo. just for the Open. lol. haha, Roger should do it."
not with those spindly arms t!
i like that someone out there has a sense of humor about the whole thing.
Blech. Don't mind the sleeves, but I hate orange. And I'll have to look at this outfit the longest, as there's no way Rafa's not winning the Open.
ReplyDeleteAnd no short shorts. *sighs*
makes me wonder if rafa has been admiring what rogi wears and is actually trying to dress more like him.
ReplyDeleteI dont know Rich...maybe it was a misunderstanding and he wont wear that in the court, but off the court??
ReplyDeleteHere i found pics with him wearing them in "grapple in the apple" presentation.
Pics present it by Lana on her blog.
http://greattennisphotos.blogspot.com/
As a Rafa fan's we all love his existing style I guess. Preppy shirt isn't for Rafa.
ReplyDeleteBut we'll see if Rafa has a second outfit for the US Open. He has wore this at the Nike campaign. So perhaps there will be another gear, no?
yes uvijek they both debuted what they'll be wearing ON COURT at the Grapple in the Apple.
ReplyDeleteDtL was invited to the event - contributor Christina was there to take pics and do a run down of the event for us.
I'll be posting about that later.
Seriously all you die-hard Rafa fans can blame your man for this new direction - he helped design it. It's funny how you guys know him better than he knows himself!!!
Oohhh I see ...thanks for the info Rich ; )
ReplyDeletePersonally I never like the sleevless fashion in tennis. In a USTA open that I played I saw this guy wearing Nadal cloth, and let me tell you that in person that outfit look more like bad casting from Pirate of the caribbean.
ReplyDeleteDon't like this outfit at all. Hopefully it's not an on-court outfit, but I doubt it. He will look like Roger. Not that that's a bad thing, but he's not like Roger. Just like the established style a lot more
ReplyDeleteCarlos Moya wears the same sleeveless styles of Rafa, and he looks ridiculous!
ReplyDeleteBut Rafa wearing this... I don't know. I wish they'd just change one thing, like the shorts. And then maybe next year, the sleeves.
I just want to know if it really will prevent "chaffing or bunching up". I doubt it, but I do approve of him taking on a new look. If he wants to reinvent himself - then go for it. I think it's a good move, maybe he's trying to gain that Roger-esque sophisticated look and ditch the beefcake? Plus ever since seeing that picture of him as a footballer in the Journey to Beijing book, I've always wondered if he would look less muscly if he wore sleeves on court. I guess now I get to find out! *Claps* And thank you to Kiko for the shirtless Federer comment, which sent me into an amusing reverie of what that would look like!
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how people seem to complain that Rafa's wearing a polo and how he's turned 'mainstream' etc etc
ReplyDeleteBut this is men's fashion we're talking about here...how much variety can you get?
Unless they start wearing kilts or something, it'll probably always be a monotone-coloured polo or sleeveless paired with some length of shorts...
The harsh reality of men's tennis is that, unlike the women, people watch the men for their play, not thier costumes...
I saw this shirt today out at the Nike booth and the color is so much better visually in person. Also the Rafa shirts with his name on the front that they are selling are REALLY orange!!
ReplyDeleteI like that he's involved in the process, and if he likes it, then I like it. I do like the sleeveless though. My only gripe is that it comes right as he's number one and it looks so Fed-ish to have a polo on, but I don't really care. I like the shorter shorts. And I don't care if he wears a garbage sack, as long as he wins.
Now bring on the pink! We want on court pink!
anon 7:15, as you are obviously quoting me, I gotta say: I never said he HAS turned mainstream, I said I hope that he WILL NOT. Also, there's a lot you can do with men's fashion - creativity is the key here.
ReplyDeleteOf course we watch tennis because of the game, but everything that makes the sport more interesting and additionally appealing is good I think. And fashion does that, at least for me.
Rich, on your earlier question as for Rafa being involved in the design process: I really like it! Actually I think he has been involved before, but maybe not that much. Probably now that he's no. 1 they finally let him get his own gear (as opposed to the Global Power stuff).
And I think he handles it all (the sudden added attention, esp. in the States) really well so far. He doesn't strike me as a guy who gets lost in the marketing machine, he does seem to care about very grounded things as his game and what really counts in life, such as family and home. So hopefully that won't change anytime soon because it's what made his fans love him so much. The pureness. No image, just him.
ok well this is really strange and new and i don't like it much,cause it really reminds me of smth federer would wear,and i don't like him...but i love rafa and i can tell-this won't suit him,but i guess he knows the best and at the end the most important is that he does well at US opEN! Vamos rafa!!! you're the best! no.1!
ReplyDeleteThe polo/shorts outfit makes Rafa look like a little kid. His traditional sleeveless shirt/piratas make him look like himself, a 22 yr. old #1 tennis star. Nike flubbed bigtime here if they plan for Rafa to wear this during matches!
ReplyDeleteso is this his night outfit? i'm watching his first round match and he's wearing that silly sleeveless shirt again. i'm over looking at those muscles. :)
ReplyDeleteyeah i'm watching it too and he's wearing his old summer stuff. maybe it's for night - nike didn't specify whether it was day or night, only that it was what he'd be wearing. i wonder why he'd wear old stuff for his first time as top seed? at least if was going to wear sleeveless he could've worn a new color or something.
ReplyDeletehe wore his new stuff yesteday during arthur ashe kids' day. it looked pretty good.
the mystery continues...stay tuned - we'll all see!!!
I'm currently watching His Rafaness, too. I was confused about the old clothing.
ReplyDeleteBut I like the fact that he seems to be mixing it up. So I get it all: biceps and new style. Yay.
PS: OK Rich you're way better in thinking of nicknames... His Rafaness just came out of nowhere LOL.
looks like he won't wear it until after the us open (breathing sigh of relief).
ReplyDeletesee this:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121970831150171155.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Honestly, I have mixed reactions. Rafa wore the new look at the Arthur Ashe Kid's Day and looked simply smashing!!! The orange gelled well with his spontaniety and agility on the court. And the white was pristine and exuded ease for this funky Spaniard.
ReplyDeleteHowever, his current on-court attire is in someway synonymous with his individuality. He stands apart in the crowd... so RAFAish! :)
I have my own reservations regarding this change in attire. Of course, I trust Rafa to carry on any attire with style and grace... he's such a natural! But completely shifting to that is something that I cant digest... not just as yet!
So unexpectes, i think. but thanks for share
ReplyDelete