On the first day of the NBA draft, ESPN sports analyst Monica McNutt asked Rutgers University teammates Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey to assess each other’s outfits.
“If you wanted to describe Ace Bailey in a suit, this right here is Ace Bailey,” Harper told McNutt about the 18-year-old Chattanooga native who was the No. 5 pick by the Utah Jazz. “You got the little sparkles, the little diamonds. You got the chain, the red with the black.”
Wearing a black coat speckled with shiny black stones — some shaped like flowers — over a bright red dress shirt, Bailey’s look captured plenty of attention last week. His black shoes had a similar glisten, and on the inside of the coat, Bailey had 24 photos stitched into the fabric. The Athletic named his garb the “best group effort” of the night, noting his ensemble referenced his allegiances to Rutgers and his family.
(READ MORE: Chattanooga native Ace Bailey taken fifth overall in NBA draft by Jazz)
The man who designed it, Clarence Jones, has made a name for himself crafting looks for NBA and NFL athletes. His clients have also included coaches, celebrities, pastors and even former Hamilton County Attorney Rheubin Taylor, Jones said.