Is Lewis Hamilton the worst dressed man in Britain?
EVERY woman knows one: the chap who decides he’s got rather a knack for this fashion lark — and, thanks very much, but he’ll be buying his own threads from now on. It always ends in tears. Not necessarily his, but yours if you have to be seen in public with him.
Take reigning Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton. He likes to dress up, does Lewis, and has been making increasingly daring choices. A tropical bomber jacket here, a red fedora there — a long way from the grubby jeans and T-shirts of his Stevenage adolescence.
Nothing wrong with that, but his appearance at the Wimbledon men’s final confirmed what some of us have long suspected: when it comes to his wardrobe, he’s totally lost the plot.
Invited to watch the Djokovic-Federer match alongside other celebrities in the Royal Box, Lewis ignored the useful little dress code handbook dispensed by the All England Club and picked out a natty floral shirt. No jacket and tie for him.
Inevitably, Wimbledon officials said he couldn’t come in dressed as he was, and they didn’t have anything appropriate for him to wear. But instead of swallowing his pride or nipping home to get changed, Lewis chose to leave. He put his outfit over the chance to witness the sporting event of the summer.
To be fair, he was right not to try matching that shirt with a jacket or tie — it could only work alone or possibly reworked into a pair of curtains.
But there are times when preening celebrities have to stop behaving like peacocks. And with this latest fashion faux pas, Lewis has revealed himself to be a right royal narcissist.
THE SIGNS have been there for some time. As these pictures show, Lewis’s idea of a snappy outfit range from the adventurous to the downright bewildering.
Like many a boy band darling, he’s got a thing for figure-hugging jackets and extravagant quiffs. He likes to take a traditional tux and jazz it up, maybe swapping traditional black for iPhone white or powder blue.
Then there’s bling jewellery, usually a chunky gold necklace and two diamond ear studs. Glamorous, but airport security must be a palaver.
And what’s with all those floral numbers? Sunday wasn’t the first time Lewis has worn a fabric that even cake queen Mary Berry would consider a touch too bright.
The irony is that Lewis has a whole closet of snappy suits at home, as he is sponsored by Hugo Boss.
Two years ago, he would have turned up in a simple two-piece suit over a crisp white shirt. But somewhere along the line, his head was turned by fashion and he has become ridiculous.
Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone says Lewis is the greatest world champion the sport has ever had, because he has ‘box office presence’.
Maybe. But you only have to remember photos of preening footballer Cristiano Ronaldo splayed across buses in his Armani pants to know that the path from inspirational sporting hero to international laughing stock is very short indeed.