Sports Illustrated Is Launching ‘The Fashionable 50’ to Celebrate Athletes’ Clothing Choices

Lindsey EllefsonApr 7th, 2016, 2:09 pm
 

In today’s world, where presidential candidates use Snapchat filters to promote themselves and Playboy has stopped publishing naked photos to appeal to new demographics, versatility is key for the media. At the same time, technology has advanced and news outlets have become so ubiquitous that specificity is massively important and there is a space for every niche topic. (You’re reading a site about the way the news represents the news, are you not?)

These ideas might appear to conflict, but finding a balance between hyper-specificity and multi-platform and -demographic appeal is the daily reality for everyone in the industry, including the folks at Sports Illustrated.

SI, known up until now for sports news and an annual swimsuit issue, has long been seen as a bastion of straight, cisgender masculinity by its detractors, but like their counterparts in the industry, it has also been quietly maneuvering toward a more inclusive brand. A few weeks ago, they featured larger-than-average model Ashley Graham in the swimsuit edition, for instance.

Now, this is happening:

Yeah, Sports Illustrated is going to be featuring star players’ off-court style in “The Fashionable 50.” The fashion choices of certain athletes have already been garnering attention lately, so SI broadening their scope to include this part of the industry makes sense.

There will be 38 men and 12 women featured in the profiling, which further adds to the idea that the publication is trying to move away from traditional tropes and norms. Women in sports are often critiqued on their style, even when playing the sports that earn them their money and fame, so to see a leading magazine focusing more on the fashion of the men is interesting.

According to ADWEEK:

The Fashionable 50 will be announced April 11 and honored at an event April 12. The list will also be published in the April 13 edition of SI.

WWD says that the top ten will be featured on a special pull-out cover of the print magazine and will be featured on its website starting next Monday with other high-ranking fashionistas to follow over the course of the week. It is also reporting that TIME, Inc., which is SI‘s parent company, released an internal mandate to grow new forms of revenue.

Will you be looking out to see if your favorites make the cut? Who do you want to see on the list?

[image via screengrab]

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