Cat's Pajamas: ESPN Insider Cat's Pajamas By Ursula Liang ESPN The Magazine Sunday, August 3 Updated: August 4 2:23 PM ET Cuttino Mobley has style, and not that bling-bling purple-suit style. Mobley's style, legendary around the league, is a seamless synthesis of classic and casual cool. His chic sense has a pedigree: Mom used to own Jackie's Boutique in North Philly, so her son grew up combing clothes warehouses. Now the Rockets' combo-guard, whom his buddies call Cat or GQ, studies fashion mags like playbooks, and has been known to drop 20 G's at one of his many tailors. But he's not all shop, no substance. "I'm the best ironer of my friends," he boasts. Which is just fine with Raptor buddy Alvin Williams and 'mate Stevie Francis, who get him to do all of theirs -- when he's not consulting on their wardrobe. Here's Mobley's seven-day lesson in ready-to-wear. DAY 1: TIGHT IS RIGHT Wool sweater by Dolce & Gabbana, distressed leather jeans by Vaunt, buckle loafers by Prada Growing up in Mom's shop, Mobley learned a few tricks. "I can tell a woman's size just by looking at her," he says. "Now I know that's rude." Clearly, he knows what's fitting for an off-day in the fall. And, clearly, he's unafraid of clingy European cuts: "If something is supposed to be tight, it's gotta be tight." DAY 2: TEED UP White sleeveless undershirt by Jockey, jeans by Paper Denim Mobley once shelled out $65K for a watch he couldn't live without. But he insists you don't need crazy money to look sharp. Every few weeks, he restocks his supply of just-the-right-white sleeveless undershirts. His cousin Kamal ships him an old-school "neighborhood pack" (3 for $10) that he buys on the streets of Philly. DAY 3: HOMESPUN Moses Malone throwback and Sixers shootaround shirt by Mitchell & Ness, T-shirt by Jockey, jeans by Rocawear, Air Max sneakers by Nike Mobley's advice to rooks: dress well on gamedays. "We need to look professional for the fans who don't know we aren't thugs," he says. Still, you have to represent, so Cuttino dons some Philly pride whenever he wants to make a hometown statement. DAY 4: QUIET STORM Custom-made pinstripe suit and shirt by Everett Hall, leather belt by Gucci, shoes by Salvatore Ferragamo When hitting upscale nightspots like Belvedere, his Houston bar, or a star-studded event like the ESPYs, Cuttino rolls with a relaxed yet refined look. "Subtlety is key," he says. The man has learned from his mistakes: he still can't believe he wore two-toned jeans and shearlings in the late '80s. DAY 5: THE NEW BLACK Summer wool slacks and custom cotton shirt by Dion Scott of Beverly Hills, tie by Stefano Ricci, shoes by Prada Cuttino's two fashion don'ts: 1) glitter; 2) vests with no shirt. Notice the absence of any real-men-don't-wear-pink tenet. "I've got lots of pink clothes -- mostly dressy," he says. "I even have a pink watch to match." Confident guy. DAY 6: SWEET SPOT Linen suit and candy-stripe shirt by Ron & Ron, boots by Cesare Paciotti Cuttino is a giver. He commits to charity events like Zo's Summer Groove (where he'll rock funky casual looks like this), and his fashion passion gives continued support to black designers like Everett Hall, Ron & Ron and Dion Scott. The Salvation Army gets a little something too: Mom prunes Cat's closets whenever she can. DAY 7: AT EASE Zipper sweater by Gucci, jeans by Paper Denim, belt and boots by Gucci Mobley has two giant closets: one for his urban, everyday wear, the other for his dressier designer threads. And he's as at home in this polished nighttime look as he is in shorts and flip-flops. "It's all about attitude," he says. "If you feel comfortable, that's how you'll look." This article appears in the August 18 issue of ESPN The Magazine.
Put a little of that focus into learning not to dribble out the entire shot clock and he could be a fringe all-star.
It really is crazy how much thought some players put into things like their clothes and their hair, yet they make the same simple mistakes again and again on the court.
He is forgetting the khaki pants, turtleneck sweater, durty socks. Or maybe # 1 is a variation on that. Accessorize with c-real box and blank cds. One word, Cat - "fomfotable." Now, hit the club. R U Hot? But of course!
Just because you guys are not into fashion doesn't mean Cuttino can't be into it either. And I am sure you guys think about your own work 24/7 right?
Suprised it hasn't been said yet ....................... If Cat spent more time concentrating on team play instead of clothes, he might amount to something.
Yep, we all know where his priorities are... He should be gald to be playing in the over-hyped, over-priced, under-performing NBA of today.
Well, now we know that Cat is a metrosexual. I thought I saw more products than most men need in his bathroom during that Cribs episode. I remember something about shoes and closet space. Cat has a point though, about looking professional and not coming accross as thugs. He basically says that if you don't dress up, people will automatically assume you are a thug.
i think cat dresses nice so when GMs pick out players in the SPAA(sucky players adoption agency) they will be impressed with him and maybe adopt him for the leauge minimum, this ofcourse is after the rockets realize how terrible he really is, thats after they see through "layers of decit" no pun intended
Thank you! Cuttino goes about 6 months without any time to rest during the season, he's on the road half of the time, and then when he does something he enjoys during his time off, people always try to jump on him for it. Give the guy a break and let him live his own life!
You are on a role w2m. Keep up the good work. This ranks right up there with nicknaming Ewing "gorilla" and all the other racism filled posts of yours.
