Cam Newton is adopting a new fashion philosophy in 2021. The star NFL quarterback, 31, who’s known for his colorful, over-the-top ensembles and accessories off the field, is putting off his love for designer threads to challenge himself creatively. In the new year, Cam’s goal is to not spend a dime on pricey designer attire to see if he can handle the challenge of recycling the clothes he already has. While it may be seem trivial to some, this is real stuff for Cam, who’s arguably the best-dressed player in the NFL. For years, his intricate outfits and loud looks have helped him carve his own lane in the world of men’s fashion. Now, thanks to his Meshika hats and three piece suits (sometimes just to hit the mall), Cam is one of the most sought after figures in fashion.
“Honestly, I’m not just saying this for the perks or the glory, I’m gonna need Downy more than ever this year because one of my New Year’s resolutions is not to buy any type of high fashion clothing, that’s shoes, clothes — everything,” Cam, who stars in a new ad for Downy’s DEFY Damage Conditioning Beads, told HollywoodLife in an exclusive interview. “For the whole year I’m attempting to recycle all clothes to put a new look to it, because I’ve been known to wear clothes just once or twice then that’s it, and I’ve been doing that for years. It’s gonna be the challenge for me… but, I think it’s gonna be an interesting challenge that I’m looking forward to doing.”
One thing is for sure when it comes to Cam and fashion, he has an infinite amount of passion for everything he wears. “My love and passion for fashion ranges deep, a long line of just loving the ability to put things together, to show off your creativity without even having to open your mouth,” he said, adding, “It’s just a form of expression.”
When it comes to Cam’s head-turning looks — some of which have included a babushka, a brooch, feathered hats and paint-splattered sneakers — it’s not a facade. “A lot of times, people on social media will say they only see me dressed up. But, it’s very important for me to uphold that, I don’t want to say that image, but people who know me, know I dress up every single day. It’s just a mentality,” he explained, noting, “It was instilled in me at such a young age. If I see you at the farmer’s market, the mall or whatever, it’s just a lifestyle for me and I just wanna make sure that I’m always challenging the pendulum of creativity.”
That fashion forward mentality of Cam’s was actually passed down from his father, Cecil Newton Sr. “I grew up in a Pentecostal church where we weren’t able to — even the Bible says, ‘Come as you are’ — but that’s a very open-ended kind of statement. But for me, growing up in a three parent home with my mom, my father and my grandma, they wouldn’t allow us to go to church just any kind of way,” he recalled. “So, we had to iron our clothes and prepare them. When we woke up on Sunday mornings, we already had our outfits already picked out, our shirts pressed, pants pressed, ties and everything alike. And, it just kind of stuck with me throughout my whole adult life.”
For Cam, he’s not in the business of fashion to please anyone but himself. “Throughout the process of creating or putting on different outfits, it may come off as a bad look to some people, it may come off as creative to others, but for me it’s not approval for other people to say ‘yay or nay’ to an outfit,” he said. “It’s just up to the discretion of me to say, ‘You know what? I didn’t like the way it feels. I didn’t like the way you know the pants drop. I didn’t like the way the cuff links were rolled up,'” he explained. “I’m more of the detailed dresser rather than the overall aspect of the whole look.”
Cam is using much of this offseason to focus on challenging himself creatively in fashion and anything he does. “From recycling outfits, to taking more of an initiative to take fashion more seriously, or doing potential collaborations with different companies — I just want to know the ins and outs of the creative process. Whether it’s an exotic brand or it’s a sportswear brand, it doesn’t matter, I just want to be a part of a process,” he said. “That’s another initiative I’m working on this offseason, to see how I can learn more, so when I’m no longer able to play the game of football that has gotten me so far in life, I always wanna still be challenged with whatever I decide to do with pushing the creative lens.”
One way Cam is pushing the creative lens is through his Meshika hats line, which is releasing its first collection of hats in February. “We’re doing somewhat of a tribute to Black History Month,” Cam said, explaining that while the country has battled much “torment” in recent years, there’s also been a surplus of “unity” as well. “The peaceful of protests, the marching — whether you’re in the big city of Houston, Los Angeles, or Atlanta, there was a lot of unity that took place,” he said. “I just want to do our first collection as a brand to attribute to Black History Month, and I’m super excited about it.”
Cam is also excited to be working with Downy to help promote the brand’s new DEFY Damaging Condition Beads. “Downy is the best, obviously, and they’re Downy DEFY is something that’s been helpful for my everyday lifestyle, from the clothes that I purchase for myself, the clothes that I purchase for my children, to the clothes that I purchase for my whole household because it protects clothes from a stretchy, fading and even fuzzing,” he said.
“[Downy DEFY] has this aesthetic that it keeps clothes in this newer state of being for longer than expected. For me, I’m able to wear different shirts, pants and outfits many different ways, but also keeping that same new aesthetic to the whole outfit.”