Tijjani Reijnders: ”When I see what I was wearing, I ask my wife how she ever let me walk around like that”
Tijjani Reijnders has experienced a meteoric rise at AC Milan and is making waves in Italian football with his impressive goal contributions, composure on the ball, and slick dribbling. Back during his AZ days, Life After Football sat down with him to talk fashion. His favorite brand at the time now has an exclusive collaboration with his new club — right in the heart of one of the world’s fashion capitals.
Tijjani Reijnders: “I always try to be original with my clothing choices. I take risks by wearing certain items that stand out more. For example, I’ve started wearing looser, baggier pants. I like shirts to stand out — with prints, for instance.”
Which retro item would you absolutely not wear anymore?
“Skinny jeans — I don’t wear those at all anymore. I’ve now switched more to straight fit. When I look at old photos and see what I was wearing, I ask my wife how she ever let me walk around like that, haha.”
When did fashion start to become more important to you?
“Around four or five years ago, I really started paying more attention to what others were wearing. That’s when I started thinking, ‘Hey, that’s a nice style — I could incorporate some of that myself.’ That’s kind of how it started. Different people inspire me when it comes to fashion. On social media, I sometimes see a cool outfit that I think is dope. And when I buy it, I put my own spin on it. Leroy Sané from Bayern Munich really stands out to me in that area.”
Who do you share that passion with?
“With my wife. At the club, AZ, I talk about it a lot with Panta (Pantelis Hatzidiakos, ed.). We have pretty similar tastes. Of course, there are teammates I don’t want to talk about fashion with. They’ve got different taste. But who am I to say anything? If he feels comfortable in it, he should absolutely wear it, right? I’m not naming any names though — I’m not trying to bash anyone, haha.”
When is an outfit complete for you?
“I often start with the shoes and base my outfit around that. When I drive to the club for training, I often mix it up with sweatpants or a good hoodie. That hoodie can definitely stand out, though. At home, I always have a comfy outfit ready that I can throw on quickly if I don’t have much time but still want to look decent outside.”
What did you buy with your first big paycheck?
“When I got my first paycheck after signing my first big contract, my parents let me spend it all. So I definitely bought some nice stuff. I remember buying quite a bit of clothing. And an MCM backpack! I thought it was really nice back then — a little less so now when I look back. My style has evolved over the years, haha. I was totally into that hype back then. Now, when I’ve had a good month, I always look first to see if there are any nice new shoes available. And only then do I check out the rest of the outfit.”
Do you have a designer you really like?
“Virgil Abloh from Off-White, of course, made really dope clothes. Also for Louis Vuitton. I think Off-White and Louis Vuitton are the nicest brands”, said Tijjani Reijnders, who, at the time, had no idea a transfer to AC Milan was on the horizon. The Rossoneri, based in one of the fashion capitals of the world, have an awesome collaboration with Off-White, which, funnily enough, was already his favorite brand back in his AZ days.
Including the recent kit created through the collaboration between the two powerhouses. However, this was the first on-pitch expression — previously, Off-White mainly styled the AC Milan squad off the pitch.
