We’ve been into inexpensive suiting recently—and not just because we blew all our cash on $98 white T-shirts, either. Some of the slickest, most rakish, most versatile and just downright best-looking suits of the season also happen to be, dare we say it, affordable. One of the best is the Abercrombie Collins Suit, which will run you less than $300 all in. Versatile, well-tailored, available in both single- and double-breasted options, amenable to pretty much any body type, there are no notes, really. And, as we saw firsthand last night—courtesy of the fifth overall pick of the NFL Draft, Mason Graham—it also happens to be refined enough for one of the glitziest events of the sports calendar.
In case you missed it amid the other festivities, Graham, a defensive tackle from Southern California who went to Michigan and is now the newest Cleveland Brown (Myles Garrett is presumably pleased), rocked the absolute hell out of a Collins suit last night—paired with one of Abercrombie’s now-famous knits, for good measure. And when you’re a 6’4”, 296-pound interior defensive lineman with preposterously good technique, finding the quarterback might seem like lighter work than finding a suit that looks good and wears well for an entire evening of on-camera interactions.
So, because suiting up on the biggest night of your life is a process, we sat down with Graham ahead of the draft to see how he was feeling about the most important aspect of the evening: his outfit.
GQ: How are you feeling going into tonight?
Mason Graham: It’s been a long process, so [I’m] ready to be where I’m at, and whoever picks me is where I’m gonna go.
Let’s get into it. When it came time to pick a suit for tonight, what were your considerations going in? What were the things that you were looking for?
I was just looking for more of a classy look. I’m not like a flashy, poppy, vibrant colors, type guy, so I [wanted a] little more of a classic look, so when [Abercrombie came to me it] seemed like a good fit.
Were you familiar with the Collins suit or the cut or anything going in, or was that something that they brought to you and said, “Hey, we’ve got an athletic cut that we think might work?”
Yeah I didn’t even know at first [that] Abercrombie made suits. My mom always used to wear Abercrombie stuff growing up, so she was pretty excited when she heard that I could work with them.
I grew up with Abercrombie too [laughs], but I’m decidedly older than you are. So how did you enjoy the fitting process? Was that something you’d ever done before?
I only got fitted for one suit. [At some] colleges, you have to wear suits [on] game day, but at Michigan you wear just a jumpsuit or whatever they gave us for that week, so I’m new to suits. I only had one, for when I went to the ESPYs last year. One of the local Michigan brands just made it for me and then I was just kind of willing to see what I could do for the draft and Abercrombie came. So it’s my second suit.
It was pretty cool, open lines of communication [throughout] and they helped my family get ready. My brothers are also going to be wearing some Abercrombie stuff, my sister and my parents. So they did a good job on their part hooking up the fam for the big day.
Were there any fabric selections you got to make, or where did they let you play around with the materials?
Yeah, like some of the undershirts, I’m going to wear this under my blazer [gestures to a ribbed knit short-sleeve]. It’s like a knitted sweater and we were just trying to decide whether I wanted the black shirt, the long-sleeve, the short-sleeve. But it was just cool seeing all the options. So yeah, I went with this shirt and I went with like, a light gray on the suit.
The second fitting can be kind of a cool process to get to go through, see how they molded it and tweaked it and all that. Was there anything you were surprised by? Something they figured out fit-wise that made you feel like, “Oh shit, like this is working now?”
Yeah, the first fitting we figured out what type of suit I’d like to wear, and then the second fitting was dialing in the details. Like it was a little big on me at first so, then we [took it in] and tightened up part of the back and did some work on the cuff and a few more places. So they really did tailor it to my liking and it came out really good. I tried it on again yesterday for the final time, and I’m ready to wear it tonight.
Hell yeah. Do you wear Abercrombie otherwise? Or is this your first foray into the brand?
I think my mom bought me some stuff when I was little, and it’s hard to find my size sometimes, but I fit into this stuff so I probably will in the future too.
I can imagine it’s tough on occasion. Is it hard finding clothing? Just in general?
Yeah, sometimes it is, but if it’s good material then it probably helps it look better [on me]
Are you a clothes guy? Was that something you were into growing up or are you into it more now?
I have some different stuff. You know, one of my favorite other brands is Amiri, too. I wear a lot of Amiri. And [after wearing the suit on draft night] I’m sure I’ll be in some Abercrombie here pretty soon too.
Anything you got your eye on post-draft day? Clothes-wise, otherwise?
Nothing really. [Pauses] I like Dior shoes, I’m wearing some right now. I like that type of sneaker.
Dior Jordans or Dior trainers?
The trainers. I’m wearing some trainer shoes, some sneakers.
I appreciate it, dude. We kind of ripped through this. You’re gonna be at the top there, so that’ll be fun. I won’t ask you where you want to go but…
There could be some crazy stuff happening, so we’ll see.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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