NBA coaches get help maintaining sartorial style

When NBA coaches congregated in Chicago in September for their annual meetings, league topics were not the only items on the agenda.

Coaches also met with a master tailor from Joseph Abboud and picked fabric from a range of styles to create 10 custom suits for the 2015-16 season, which begins Tuesday with three games.

"It’s a real cool experience, and it’s painless," Dallas Mavericks coach and NBA Coaches Association president Rick Carlisle said. "If we need help, they’ve got people there who can give us recommendations. It’s fun, and they’ve become family."

This marks the seventh season the NBA Coaches Association has teamed up with Joseph Abboud.

Baseball managers wear uniforms. Hockey coaches, while often well-dressed, are behind players on the bench. Football coaches rarely are sartorial on the sidelines.

But basketball coaches are visible, often standing on the sideline, interviewed between quarters and televised in the huddle diagramming plays, and many have shown off their fashion sense.

This year, Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers, known for his style, picked pants with no pleats and suits in a range of colors: dark gray, black, navy blue and taupe.

"The guys who are smart bring their wives," Carlisle said. "The wives do a fantastic job of helping pick stuff out. One year, I had Mike Brown’s wife help me pick out some stuff. That was one of the best moves I made with my clothing endeavors."

(This season, coaches will wear a lapel on their suits in honor of longtime NBA coach and executive Flip Saunders, who died Sunday after a four-month battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.)

Abboud, who was born in Boston and is fan of Boston teams including the Celtics, enjoys sports partnerships.

"I've always felt sports helps promote our brand. Any time we can get our name out there through sports associations, that’s more important to me than any other type of branding," Abboud said. "NBA coaches are probably the best vehicle for us to really show style, and they all have tremendous style. We’ve had a very, very good relationship."

Abboud said it is his company’s responsibility to help coaches stay current and not wear outdated styles.

"Our job with coaches and everybody is to gently move them forward so that they are current. Get them into more wearable, contemporary fits," he said. "There is an inherent style to the NBA. There always has been. It’s a game of style. For us to be a part of that, we love that association."

There is also an important philanthropic component to this partnership. The 20 coaches participating in this year’s program with Joseph Abboud Custom suits will also participate in the annual Men’s Wearhouse National Suit Drive in July.

Men’s Wearhouse collects men’s and women’s professional clothing for those in need and trying to secure jobs. Last year, 225,000 garments were donated.

"It's amazing how many lives we’ve changed with a simple item like a suit," Abboud said. "Dressing well makes you feel good, makes you feel more confident."

Follow Jeff Zillgitt on Twitter @JeffZillgitt.