Travis Kelce's suit stylist Tom Marchitelli revealed the reason behind the tight end's signature pose in an interview with PEOPLE.
Kelce, known for his bold sartorial choices in addition to his football prowess, has been a staple at red carpet events as his popularity extends beyond the walls of the NFL.
From prestigious sports ceremonies like the ESPYs and NFL Honors to Vanity Fair's Oscar after-party and movie premieres, Kelce has been known to grace the red carpet with the same pose.
“When Travis is on the red carpet, he always has his hands centered and rubs them together,” Marchitelli noted. 'I asked him one day. I say, 'Why are you doing that?'
And (Kelce) says, 'Well, kids don't know what to do with their hands.' And if you put your hands like that in the middle, the cut of the suit is accentuated,' the athlete recalled, explaining the 'genius' strategy.
“And now I always do it in my fitness videos,” Marchitell continued.
Travis Kelce's stylist Tom Marchitelli revealed the reason for the tight end's signature pose
Kelce routinely rubs his hands together when posing for photos on a red carpet.
Marchitelli also highlighted his favorite photo of Kelce wearing one of his pieces.
'It's a royal blue (suit). “It's actually my favorite photo I've ever seen of him on a red carpet,” she told PEOPLE.
The two first teamed up in 2016 and since then Marchitelli has styled Kelce for numerous red carpet events. In the same interview, the designer revealed how their partnership came about.
“I'm very proud to say that Travis slid into my DMs,” Marchitelli stated.
He also recalled how Travis reached out to him after seeing a piece worn by an MLB friend.
'Travis was very close to one of my baseball clients, Eric Hosmer, who won the World Series that year with the Kansas City Royals. So they were tight,” he recalled.
“(Hosmer) gave (Kelce) my Instagram and Kelce texted me,” Marchitelli continues. 'I said, 'Oh, you're in Kansas City?' And he said, 'No, I'll be in New York tomorrow.' Does that work for you? '
Coincidentally, Marchitelli was headed to New Jersey, despite having more than 500 clients in different leagues, when Kelce called.
'So I went to his hotel the next day. The rest is history,” he says.