Dwyane Wade talks about what sparked his love of fashion and painting his nails since 2007

The retired NBA star credits his father and the other men in his family for instilling in him the importance of looking, smelling and feeling good when it comes to style and self-care.

Dwyane Wade has followed in his father’s footsteps, as far as fashion and self-care are concerned.

According to People, the retired Miami Heat star said in a recent interview with fashion and lifestyle magazine Highsnobiety that he took after his father, Dwyane Wade Sr., as well as the other men in his family, when it comes to dressing and personal upkeep.

“My father has always been a man who would take care of himself. My uncles took care of themselves,” said Wade. “I always knew that’s what I wanted to do: I wanted to be one of them sharp-dressed men who smelled good, who stayed clean-shaved, and all that.”

Dwyane Wade fashion
Dwyane Wade attends the 2022 TIME100 Gala on June 8, 2022, in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for TIME)

Wade, who has been painting his nails since 2007, asserted that he and his teammates started to take their attire more seriously after the NBA changed its game-day dress code to “business casual” in the early 2000s. With age and comfort coming into play, the players began attending more fashion events, and Wade was able to elevate his sense of style.

The basketball Hall of Famer shared some of his favorite game-day fashion memories, including the bright pink pants he wore to a press conference and the Gucci capri pants that made local headlines.

“Now people wear pink pants to golf. It’s nothing,” said Wade, proud of the risks he took. “But at the time, it was a big deal, right?”

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The businessman and father of four said he immediately starts “scanning details” and paying attention to attire when he meets people, as their appearance clearly indicates how they care for themselves.

For his part, he takes getting dressed very seriously.

“Me and my body, we love putting on clothes,” said Wade, People reported. “It’s not something I play around with. It’s a part of my personality, it’s a part of my lifestyle. So I’m not just wearing clothes. I put that s–t on.” 

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