Unpacking the ‘Shady’ Fashion Statements During Super Bowl LIX You Didn’t Pick Up

You probably thought the Super Bowl was just a football game with a Kendrick Lamar concert in the middle, but oh, it was so much more. From Chiefs player DeAndre Hopkins paying tribute to his late father with a vintage fur coat to what Kendrick Lamar and other halftime performers wore on stage, there was so much to unpack with the Super Bowl fashion that if you blinked, you may have missed it. Here are a few of the Super Bowl outfits that have everyone talking today.

Halftime headliner Kendrick Lamar oozed cool wearing a custom leather varsity jacket from Black designer Martine Rose. The jacket, which had the name “Gloria” written on the front, was a nod to the last track on Lamar’s 2024 “GNX” album, a song which is meant to be a metaphor for his craft.

In the song he writes:

“Me and my b**h got a complicated relationship; She’s so controllin’, I noticed it ain’t no playin’ with her; I met her when I was off the porch as a teenager; She said one day I would right my wrongs and see paper.”

And as if performing Drake diss track “Not Like Us” during his Super Bowl set wasn’t enough to have folks checking in on the Canadian rapper on social media, we have have to talk about Lamar’s choice of jewelry – including an “A” chain, which most are saying is a reference to a line from his GRAMMY-award-winning “Not Like Us,” in which Kendrick destroys Drake, rapping: “Tryna strike a chord, and it’s probably A-minor.”

Let the internet tell it, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was trolling his Super Bowl opponents when he showed up wearing a checkered suit from Nashville tailor Richards Bespoke in Philadelphia Eagles colors. But what The New York Post called the “ultimate power move” on X, others called a big mistake, especially since Mahomes’ team ultimately lost to Philadelphia, 40-22.

“That power move didn’t help him any in the game,’ wrote someone in the comments.

Halftime show viewers were surprised to see Samuel Jackson open the show as “Uncle Sam.” The choice of Jackson, a supporter of the Democratic party and an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, to portray a character who has personified the American government and patriotism for nearly two centuries was ironic to say the least. Throughout his performance, Jackson’s Sam told Lamar his performance was “too loud” and “too ghetto,” representing messages most artists of color have heard all too often. And he did it all while looking sharp in a custom three-piece red, white and blue ensemble from American luxury brand Bode. Did we mention Trump was in the building?

Ok, so this one may be a stretch, but go with us for a minute. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts showed up to the game in a monochromatic purple look that got lots of love on social media. While his purple suit choice is most likely a nod to his fraternity, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., whose colors are purple and gold, it could also be a reference to the color’s association with royalty. Even if it isn’t, we can all agree that Hurts is the King of Quarterbacks today.