By: Steve Miles
A fashion house fit for men by the name of Steele Simons is turning heads with their crisp fits and bold accessories. We took a deeper look into who is behind this emerging men’s brand out of Texas.
It all starts with two brothers. Both from Texas, both played sports most of their life. The older, Samuel, played collegiate football at the University of Texas. The younger, Steele, played every level that baseball could offer, from little league, to Division 1, to the major leagues. However, after getting to know them, their athletic resume does not necessarily reflect the inner workings of their mind.
I began by asking Steele how you go from highly competitive Major League Baseball to a men’s fashion house. He chuckled and responded with “In my experience, there’s really two types of athletes.. the athlete that is fueled by winning and competition, and then there’s the athlete that gets excited about beauty and style. I was definitely the latter.” -Steele.
I could see how sports have a certain beauty to them, a certain art. So I asked Samuel about the beauty he appreciates in the game of football, having played 4 years at Texas. He stated gently, “I’m not talking about the game, I’m talking about how a certain player wears their helmet, or their sock combinations, or their celebration after they succeed. There is uniqueness in that, there’s glimpses of creativity, and at times real beauty is expressed.” – Samuel.
I wanted to hear more.
Sports have an undertone of being fully about winning, and doing everything in your power to do so, no matter who is in your way. And I believe to a lot of people, that message speaks to them. But there I was, talking to two brothers who have lived it, had success, and are here giving me a perspective of a world within a game that was expressive, as opposed to competitive.
“Expressive as opposed to competitive, that! That is foundational for Steele Simons”. – Steele.
They don’t look at this brand as a competition. They see it as a way to express quality, richness, and style. It is an art form. Something that was always within them, it just needed to get out.
I began to ask myself, “what if this was a more pure way to go about anything you do?”.
Steele elaborated on what he observed in playing baseball at such a high level. “To do something at an elite level, for a long time, it needs to be a part of you. Skill and talent is one thing. I’m talking about genuine expression. Your craft needs to be an expression of your soul in order to not feel forced or eventually become a burden. For me, that expression is getting into my spirit and building a brand of beauty and weight, of class and taste, with my dear brother”.
They went on to discuss how in sports, it was the new pair of cleats, the custom tailored jersey, the uniqueness expressed in movement that excited them.
I began to see how fashion, detailed touches, and being uncommon is not merely what they do, but in a certain sense, who they are. It is a genuine expression of their soul, made available through a fashion brand.
“We would be doing a version of this no matter what. If we were still playing sports, it would be how we wear our socks, if we didn’t have this brand, we would be going through stores saying how we’d add to a certain collection. We still actually do that!” – Samuel W.
I can say, after looking into who is behind Steele Simons, I’m more inspired to operate my own job outside of a competitive mind. Maybe get back to the roots of why I write, why I enjoy writing. And not to mention, the next time I’m watching a football or baseball game, I may just pay more attention to the hitters cleats, or the spiral of the football. And who knows, I may enjoy it even more.
Cheers to Samuel and Steele, two brothers who are truly one of a kind. The men’s fashion world could use a dash of their genuine expression and quality that they carry with them. I encourage the reader to find that in themselves and in their craft as well, whatever it may be.
God bless.
You can experience their 2024 collection at steelesimons.com
