Words: Gentleman's Journal
From the age of nine, Ollie Watkins has been making a name for himself as one of the brightest young players in English football and has most recently been signed by Brentford as a forward.
Previously an attacking midfielder for the League Two club Exeter City, his impressive season was crucial in bringing the team into play-offs. After spotting his talents on the pitch recently, Ted invited his newest ambassador to his Regent Street store to find out if the young football player can talk a good game when it comes to style.
Browsing around Ted’s flagship store, 21-year-old Ollie kicked off his shopping spree with something formal. Choosing a smart, navy suit he explained “You can’t go wrong with a navy suit, it’s a classic. This is something that I could wear to most formal events – I wore one to my brother’s wedding in Barbados recently and even to football awards.”
Speaking of which, Watkins was recently awarded the prestigious accolade, EFL Young Player of the Year. When asked about how he felt about it, it’s clear that he’s somewhat of a modest gent. Ollie explains; “I was humbled to receive the award because it showed that people have recognised what I’m doing which felt great. I was genuinely surprised when I was told, mainly because there are so many talented players to choose from like John Swift or Ryan Ledson and I believe they deserved it too.”
As Ollie browses through Ted’s abundance of summer T-shirts, Mestay catches his eye. He explains, “For me, Ted Baker is all about quality and individuality. When I pick up a shirt or T-shirt from Ted I can instantly feel how luxurious the material is. I also love florals – which definitely helps!”
Watkins explains that this look is for days when he’s off the pitch spending time with friends. A key trend of the season, it comes to no surprise that Ollie steers toward this sport-luxe look. Pairing smart, linen trousers with a laid-back, printed T-shirt, he can’t help but complete the outfit with his favourite Kiing leather brogue trainers. “I can wear these shoes with anything,” Ollie says. “They’re easy to throw on and make an outfit look more casual for days when I want to dress down and feel relaxed.”
Ollie joined Exeter City’s academy at the age of 11 and after working hard to make his way through the ranks, he signed a two-year professional contract with the club in 2014. Despite having grown up within the football industry, Watkins’ style doesn’t conform to the flashy fashion choices that are sometimes associated with footballers. In fact, if there’s one trend Ollie would hand a red card to, it’d be logo-laden looks making it apparent that his style is a different ball game altogether. Hence, he chose the Lazer bomber jacket for his next look.
“There’s something about the combination of navy and suede which works well. This is the kind of jacket I’d wear from day-to-night; it’s a good smart-casual option which you can team with a white polo, shirt or even a T-shirt depending on where you’re going.”
As football season comes to an end for the summer, Ollie and his friends are taking some time away from the pitch to jet off to Vegas. With this in mind, he chooses the Shesho shorts in a turquoise shade and a bold, printed short-sleeved shirt to complement.
Picking out Char from the rail, Ollie says “This shirt is fun; I can wear this to pool parties in Vegas and even switch out the shorts with some swim trunks. If I had to describe Char in one word, it’d be fruity – perfect for summer holidays and barbeques in the sun.’
With a week in Vegas with the lads to look forward to, Ollie inevitably brands this particular look as his favourite. After all, pink does make the girls wink.
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