L-R: Randy Urban, Laura Diakun, Kristian Jack, Renee Paquette
Working in the industry of fashion makes me look at style no matter what I’m doing. Sometimes it gets me made fun of (re: my best and worst dressed politicos) other times it gives me something to write about when my brain is having its own rainy day.
Recently I started to pay attention to how sportscasters dress. It’s no secret that a man in a well-tailored suit is possibly the best thing on earth (PJ Stock, you know I’m lookin’ at you), but I’ve come to notice that certain sports networks give their on-air talent a little lee-way to actually showcase their individuality through their clothes. While news anchors always seem stiff and stuffy, the men and women reporting on sports can get away with dressing down.
A week ago, I sat down with two of The Score‘s on-air personalities Jackie Redmond and Randy Urban to chat about their clothes over coffee. No seriously. I can’t believe they took time out of their day to talk to me about their wardrobes either. But…here we are. The two showed up casually dressed but colour blocking. Randy – owning it after being explained what colour-blocking entails – with a blue and purple tee topped off with a black cardi (he’s pretty unapologetic about his love of cardigans) and Jackie with a black, pink and grey slouchy, off-the-shoulder top. Both are wearing jeans and there isn’t a tie or pocket square in sight.
I had always imagined walking on set to be akin to that scene from Pan Am when each stewardess is weighed, measured and checked for perfection. But as Jackie and Randy tell me, I’m crazy and that’s not a real thing.
“No way, it’s so relaxed,” said Randy. “I was never given an outline of what I can and can’t wear.” In addition to producing those hilarious Gerry Dee “sports reporter” (that’s right…air quotes) segments, Randy also does on-air reporting for The Score and covers things like Crankworx. “I’ve never worn something where my bosses have been like ‘We need to talk’, they just let me dress myself.”
“Our network is pretty great that way,” said Jackie, an on-air segment producer and Drafted’s season 3 winner. “They like that we all have our own styles and personalities. The way I dress is different than how Sophia [Jurksztowicz] dresses and she’s different than how Renee [Paquette] dresses. They want us to showcase who we are as individuals through our clothes.”
Randy UrbanThe onus can’t only fall on the talent for their style.
Amy Lu, a pretty, petite blonde sprite of a woman, is a fashion stylist and has worked with the likes of FASHION, Glow, Interview, People and Vanity Fair. Amy is tasked with taking most of The Score’s on-air talent shopping and making sure they carve out a look that both fits their identity and that of their viewers.
“I worked with The Score to come up with a look that suited the station’s vibe,” said Amy. “It’s not the same as other sports networks and the audience is different too. I wanted the look to be somewhat cohesive but leave enough wiggle room for each person to dress like themselves. I work with each host on a one on one basis so decisions are always ultimately made by them. I’m not a fan of pushing looks on individuals because if they feel uncomfortable in what they’re wearing, it will be obvious on camera.”
Jackie RedmondThe vibe at The Score is noticably casual comfort. Hosts are usually decked out in tees, jeans, blazers and dress shirts with a few undone buttons. Take a closer look though, and you’ll see that the labels they’re sporting (zing!) are unduly high end.
“I never used to look for quality when it came to clothes, just deals,” said Randy. “Five years ago I would never have paid $200 for jeans. But now that I do they feel better, look better and last longer. My Diesel jeans will last me years whereas cheap jeans will last a summer.”
Amy maintains that it can be a bit of a struggle to get her clients to shop at higher end stores but that once they do, they know it was worth it.
“My challenge,” she says. “Always stems from convincing a client to splurge on items that are barely noticeably, like $250 denim, or $1000 on a basic black suit. But once they work with me for a few seasons, they better understand the importance of investing in quality.”
I asked my two subjects what they hoped viewers gleaned about their personalities just by tuning in and getting a quick glance at what they were wearing. Predictably, Randy let it be known that he dresses in his own unique way (lots of colour and varied levels of tightness) because he wants to and not because people are watching.
Jackie on the other hand: “I want to look laid back and not too serious. Being a female talking about sports is a hurdle to overcome already so I want to look put together but not like I’m trying to hard. Approachable.”
Randy contemplates for a second and then says “Yea…change my answer to hers.”
Next time you watch a sports newscast, I encourage you to look at what the hosts are wearing. People tend to think when it comes to television, everyone is told what to wear but for the sportscasters at The Score, they’re able to let their inner style maven out.
And when they’re not on camera?
“I don’t wear anything when I’m at home,” said Randy. “Wait…you’re not going to write that are you?”
Photos generously provided by The Score____
Bianca Teixeira is Toronto Standard’s style editor. Follow her on Twitter at @BeeIsTheNewBlog.
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