Football is back. No, not that one. American football, where players don’t actually touch the ball with their feet, has returned for its 100th season. American athletes are known for flashy style off the field or court – see Mr LeBron James in his Thom Browne suit or Mr Joe Namath and his fur coats – and we couldn’t help but notice NFL players such as Mr Julian Edelman and Mr Michael Bennett. But none of them, we daresay, have the flair of a certain Mr Cameron Newton. Not satisfied with breaking records on the field – including throwing for 400 yards in his first game and running for 14 touchdowns, more in a single season than any quarterback in NFL history – he has also earned a reputation off the gridiron for his inventive sartorial game.

Famously told by then Carolina Panthers owner Mr Jerry Richardson to keep a clean image – no tattoos, no piercings – when he was drafted as the number one pick in 2011, Mr Newton has since gotten his first tattoo and has increasingly let his true colours show via his clothes. It’s safe to say he doesn’t wear the same outfit twice. “Everything that I represent, I want it to be unique… Gucci this, Gucci that, it’s not creative,” he said in an episode of Amazon’s All Or Nothing, which chronicled his team’s 2018 NFL season. Below are five lessons we can all learn from the former most valuable player (MVP) and his unique aesthetic.

Mr Newton arrived to play in his first Super Bowl in this get-up, putting more than casual in business casual. He’s clearly feeling wild and we’re not just talking about the Versace zebra trousers he’s sporting – note the fox tail hanging from his holdall. While he’s clearly matched the bold trousers to his gold and black Oxford shoes, the quarterback has kept the rest of his outfit subdued, opting for a very serious leather biker jacket over a smart sweater and white collared shirt. Take a leaf out of Mr Newton’s book and add the fashion mullet to your repertoire: business on top, party down below.

Perhaps inspired by Joseph and his coat, or a six-year-old allowed to dress himself for the day, here is Mr Newton dressed like a bag of Skittles come to life. From his rainbow-striped cardigan to the Mickey Mouse T-shirt and Versace Chain Reaction sneakers, it seems Mr Newton is determined to brighten up the dark streets of New York. As autumn well and truly arrives with cloudy skies and lashings of rain (outside MR PORTER’s windows, anyway), you could also be your own one-man cheerleader by donning colourful pieces from labels such as Ev Bravado, Gucci and Sies Marjan.

Going from Sesame Street to Switzerland, Mr Newton shows that he can also tone it down (we won’t discuss the hat and scarf… yet). The statement camel coat takes his outfit out of Stanley Kowalski territory and straight into Mr Clint Eastwood-in-Pale Rider terrain. As we’ve only just pointed out, overcoat season is here and one in a neutral shade will easily complement various items in your wardrobe. On this front, brands such as Salle Privée, Hugo Boss and Kingsman have got you covered.

Years of playing in a helmet seem to have had a profound effect on Mr Newton – he is almost never seen without a hat, which he has custom-made by Meshika Hats in Los Angeles. Recently, Mr Newton has taken to wearing one with a headscarf – it could be that he’s very into the current “grannywave” trend or he enjoys looking like a Batman villain. Here, he doesn’t go full babushka but instead wears his scarf around his neck, deftly tipping the balance of his smart-casual look, which consists of a grey tailored blazer, a button-down shirt and a pair of slim-cut cropped trousers.

Mr Newton doesn’t have to ask what the secret to wearing all one colour is. 
He has somehow managed to find a silky shirt, trousers with an elasticated waistband and a Heron Preston trench coat, all in the same shade of ecru. And while many adhere to Ms Coco Chanel’s maxim of taking one thing off before leaving the house, Mr Newton chooses to go the other way – the more accessories the better. He has made the red florals in his shirt pop with his neckerchief and wide-brimmed hat and goes for gold via his D-frame glasses and pendant necklace.

The man featured in this story is not associated with and does not endorse MR PORTER or the products shown