We look up to athletes for a lot of reasons. They are the gladiators of our day. They enter an arena and put their bodies on the line specifically for our entertainment. But to do that, there has to be a commitment. A mindset to shoot for the best of the best and devote everything you are to the perfection of your battle. For us, we tend to revere those men who reach the peak of human performance and want to recreate it in the best way we can. Sure, we can follow their fitness routines, but deep down we know we’ll likely never come close. So, instead, we buy their gear. The things they wear to perform and to chase their own glory. Michael Jordan revolutionized this with his shoes, and now the top athletes recreate it with their own collections.
Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati’s #1 wide receiver, chose Fabletics to be his vessel of greatness, and his third drop with the brand goes beyond the gridiron, and we got a chance to go beyond it with him.
Becoming the best version of yourself on and off the field starts with confidence – Ja’Marr Chase
Weaving his style into his function
Of course, we love to recreate the performance on the field in our own lives with game jerseys and the functional outfits that helped them get to the top. But we have begun to look at these men off the field and start emulating those styles. I think back to Deion Sanders and the way he completely shook the fashion world with his style and his mindset. “You look good, you feel good. You feel good, you play good. You play good, they pay good.” Chase’s new collection takes that mindset and brings it to a new generation.
“I’m big on style, so what I wear matters to me. With Fabletics, I don’t have to choose between looking good and feeling good. The gear performs, it fits right, it looks right. The first collection was all about performance — pieces I’m wearing every day, on and off the field. This one’s about leveling up. It’s bringing together the DNA and One pieces, built for putting in work, with off-the-field fits that are clean and fresh.”
Showing up long before Sunday
When I played baseball as a wee man (as wee as a 6’3″ high schooler can be), I had dreams of the big leagues. I wanted nothing more than to play baseball for the rest of my life. And I had coaches tell me that, if I wanted that, then there was only one way. I had to live it, breathe it, dream it. Nothing could distract me. Chase reiterates that point with his own approach of showing up long before gameday.
“It’s football all day, pretty much. You don’t wanna wait till camp to get right — you gotta show up already able to compete. That’s the mindset, every single day. Recovery’s a big part of it too. I’m big on body work — massages, dry needling, stuff like that. That’s what keeps me right week after week.”
Don’t forget to relax
Here is the part that men like me always miss. For some reason, men have a hard time thinking about recovering. When we get it in our heads that we are going to make it to the top, we have a hard time resting. Recovery gets lost. I have had many conversations with people trying to change that outlook. And it seems to be working, as Chase is evidence of that shift in the world.
“Off time matters because the season’s a grind. You need those moments to reset. But I’m not really built just to sit around — I’m always doing something. Getting extra work in, hanging with family and friends, throwing the ball with a teammate. Traveling.”
Style is never out of fashion
You know me, I will never miss a chance to talk about style. Looking good is important to me. It is one of the easiest things to do that goes a long way. We all want to send a message, and this is the easiest first impression you can make. Chase shares that vision and let me get a peek into his outlook on style as well as how it needs to work for him.
“I’ve always been into fashion — I like clothes that are comfortable but still say something. Fabletics fits that because it performs, but it’s still fresh enough to wear outside the gym. It fits my lifestyle because I’m always moving. There’s a fit for every move I make.”
His picks of his new collection
Who could talk through a collection with a man like Chase and not find out what his favorite pieces are?
“On the field, or getting work in, I’m in the O2 Tee and the One Short. I play fast, so I need gear that moves with me. I don’t want to think about what I’m wearing; I just want it to perform. Off the field, it’s The Don Baggy Cargo Pant and The Effortless Tee. That’s really my vibe — laid back, but still got style. Throw it on for a flight, hanging out, or going out; it’s always looking right. I like clothes that do both — feel good and say something without trying too hard.”
Ja’Marr Chase’s third drop is now available on Fabletics.
