While there is tons of excitement over the Met Gala this week as fashion’s biggest night, fashion’s second biggest night is stealing the spotlight online. The Kentucky Derby was this weekend and saw a number of celebs in their true Derby best. It was big hats galore, bringing a fun, southern charm to the horse race. The true talk of the event though was Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who showed up to the event solo and in his best suit. The look was a blast from the past, igniting some fun takes from fans on his dapper appearance.
Lately, Travis Kelce has seemingly been everywhere, embarking on outings with girlfriend Taylor Swift. Kelce and Swift even attended Coachella together and were recently spotted together at a fundraising event for Patrick Mahomes. However, this weekend, Kelce made a statement on his own while attending the Kentucky Derby. He totally understood the assignment, showing up in a pinstripe, double breasted white suit and a fedora. You can see a video of his look from the official Kentucky Derby TikTok below:
@kentuckyderby
♬ original sound – kentuckyderby
He was also seen chatting it up with Jimmy Fallon in another TikTok video, and the late-night TV host looked dapper himself. Check it out:
@jimmyfallon
♬ dog days – 𝐀 𝐔 𝐃 𝐈 𝐎 𝐒 🩷
Of course, fans on X had some hilarious takes on the outfit, with one suggesting Travis Kelce should get into the horse racing game himself and give it a name that reflects his podcast with brother Jason Kelce:
Can’t wait to meet his new horse ‘Neigh Heights’.
Another X user thought the NFL player looked great, and his enthusiasm for the event made the whole thing even better:
Travis Kelce literally being the hottest man with the best boyish charm simultaneously.
Like I can’t… 🔥🔥🔥
While the race was the main event, the Super Bowl winner certainly made an entrance with the look and the police escort. Taylor Swift fans certainly approved of the fashion moment, with one using the handle @corneliastagain saying:
Travis Kelce rolling up to the Kentucky Derby in a mob boss suit with security and police officers escorting him… your honor, he’s slaying!!!!
The references to Kelce’s famous significant other were rampant, with one joking that the football player was wearing Swift’s “22” hat from the eras tour, which she usually gives away to a fan each concert. They said on X:
Omg he got the 22 hat!!!!
Fans were definitely excited to see the footballer rocking this fit, but many missed seeing Swift by his side. Another Swiftie, @thisisvertrying, said
he’d look so good in a hat a dress next to him today but work is work 🥲
For context, the Eras tour is starting up again in Paris next week following Taylor Swift’s hiatus from touring for a few months. Gearing back up for an epic tour like Eras is no easy feat and, while the “Love Story” singer likely would’ve loved to accompany her boyfriend to a fun event like The Kentucky Derby, she is hard at work. I couldn’t help but notice the athlete’s suit is the same color scheme as Swift’s latest album that dropped two weeks ago, The Tortured Poets Department, which garnered reactions from various fans. This could be a coincidence, but Swift loves an Easter egg, and I wouldn’t be surprised if her boyfriend also wanted to get in on the fun.
It’s nice to see Travis Kelce is enjoying his own time off, as the NFL season doesn’t start up again until August. Taylor Swift will be continuing her shows throughout the summer, so he will likely be making a few appearances at Eras Tour shows as he has in the past. Swift has some iconic looks of her own amid the Eras Tour. And, if this Kentucky Derby look is any indication, we may be able to expect some more stylish Kelce looks during Swift’s summer shows.