Travis Kelce’s suit stylist Tom Marchitelli revealed the reason behind the tight end’s signature pose in an interview with PEOPLE.
Kelce, known for his bold outfit choices on top of his football prowess, has been a staple at red-carpet events as his popularity goes beyond the walls of the NFL.
From prestigious athletic ceremonies such as the ESPY’s and NFL Honors to Vanity Fair’s Oscar afterparty to the movie premiers, Kelce has been known to grace the red carpet with the same pose.
‘When Travis stands on the red carpet, he always has his hands centered and rubs them,’ Marchitelli pointed out. ‘I asked him one day. I’m like, ‘Why do you do that?”
‘And [Kelce is] like, ‘Well, guys don’t know what to do with their hands. And if you put your hands in the middle like that, it accentuates the cut of the suit’,’ he recalled the athlete explaining the ‘genius’ strategy.
‘And now I always do it in my fit check videos,’ Marchitell continued.
Travis Kelce’s stylist Tom Marchitelli revealed the reason for the tight end’s signature pose
Kelce routinely rubs his hands together when posing for photos on a red-carpet
Marchitelli also noted his favorite photo of Kelce wearing one of his pieces.
‘It’s a royal blue [suit]. It’s actually my favorite picture I’ve ever seen of him on a red carpet,’ he told PEOPLE.
The two first linked up in 2016 and Marchitelli has since styled Kelce for numerous red carpet events. In the same interview, the designer revealed how their partnership came to be.
‘I’m so proud to say that Travis slid into my DMs,’ Marchitelli declared.
He also recalled how Travis reached out to him after seeing a piece worn by an MLB friend.
‘Travis was really close with one of my baseball clients, Eric Hosmer, who that year won the World Series with the Kansas City Royals. So they were tight,’ he recalled.
‘[Hosmer] gave [Kelce] my Instagram and Kelce DMed me,’ continues Marchitelli. ‘I said, ‘Oh, you in KC?’ And he said, ‘No, I’m going to be in New York tomorrow. Does that work for you?’ ‘
Coincidentally, Marchitelli happened to be heading to New Jersey – despite having over 500 clients across different leagues – when Kelce called.
‘So I just went to his hotel the next day. The rest is history,’ he says.
