YinzPitt

Thursday, the Pittsburgh Steelers will partake in a fashion show in hopes to increase charity funds for the UPMC Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute and the Cancer Caring Center.  Last year the fashion show and another one called “Taste Of Steelers” pulled in an estimated and wonderful amount of $737,000.  Not only do these men do great work on the football field, but they also inspire others with their work in the communities as well as charitable donations.

The fashion show called “Steelers Style 09″ will be showcasing more than 30 years of Steelers style, as well as video and images from previous Super Bowl wins, and shows prior.  Ike Taylor and Heath Miller(huge charity guy) are named the respective captains of this event and will strut their stuff along with 44 other Steelers and their families.  Ike Taylor is quoted as saying:

“Football players are fashionable,” says cornerback Ike Taylor. “That’s what we got … style. We have a swagger about ourselves when we wear nice clothes. Me, I am more of a casual kind of guy. I like the colors grey, red, and Yankee blue, but I do have nice suits, and I feel comfortable dressed up.”

Also, Hines Ward takes this time to show his more fashionable/comfortable side as best as he can explain it:

“I know fashion,” Ward says. “I wear pink and purple and am comfortable with my fashionable side. I like to look classy and this fashion show is a way to show my fashion sense and help raise money for two good causes.

Our runway is the aisle of a plane when we travel,” Ward says. “Some of the guys arrive at the last minute so everyone can see them. And their teammates will tell them if they look good.”

Also, regarding the aisle plane comment made my Hines Ward, fellow Steeler Casey Hampton had something to say about his fashion sense:

“There is good fashion, and there is bad fashion, and I know the difference,” Hampton says. “There’s nothing better than a nicely dressed big guy. I don’t always wear black and gold off the field, but I do wear a lot of black because it’s slimming.”

Slimming is about the only word anyone can use for Casey Hampton in terms of the colors he chooses.

All in all, I’d love to go to this event and see what players of new and old are wearing.  I think it’s pretty cool that the Steelers organization can coordinate this with another foundation and put on such a wonderful event year after year.  Also, it’s not just the young guys getting a chance to show off their stuff.  Many veterans of past teams as well as veterans of the current 09 team will be able to show off their style, with various tailor made suits as well as comfortable evening out clothing.

The rookies, seem to have the short end of the stick for now, as they will be wearing clothing picked out by fashion cooridinators from various clothing lines such as:

American Eagle Outfitters, Reebok, Nordstrom and some from their own closets, including a gown made by Kiya Tomlin, wife of head coach Mike Tomlin. The couple is chairing the event along with Greta and Art Rooney II.

This sounds like fun, and I’m sure it will again raise nothing but wonderful support for the foundations they have continued support for.

Pittsburgh Steelers Style 09 Invitation

Quotes and snippets of information used from: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/lifestyles/fashion/s_646698.html