June 21, 2018. The Barclays Center in Brooklyn is buzzing. The air is thick with the scent of expensive cologne and the frantic energy of 19-year-olds about to become millionaires. Most of these kids show up looking like they’re heading to a high-end corporate gala or a luxury wedding. Then Trae Young rolls off the bus.
He isn't wearing pants.
Well, he is, but they stop at the knee. The Trae Young draft suit wasn’t just a fashion choice; it was a tactical strike on the tradition of the NBA Draft. While his peers like Collin Sexton opted for classic (if loud) red tuxedos, Trae decided to showcase his calves to a global audience. It was a burgundy, slim-cut ensemble paired with a black button-down and a black bow tie. The most jarring part? The sheer audacity of the suit shorts.
The Strategy Behind the Shorts
People love to act like Trae just forgot his trousers at the hotel. He didn't. This was a calculated move. At the time, Trae was coming out of Oklahoma as one of the most polarizing prospects in recent memory. Critics called him too small. They said his "deep-range" shooting wouldn't translate.
He knew the eyes were on him.
By rocking the suit shorts, he leaned into the "unique" label. He told reporters on the green carpet that he wanted to make history. "You’ve never seen someone rock shorts to the draft," he said. He wasn't lying. While the NBA has seen its fair share of sartorial disasters—shoutout to the oversized "tents" of the 2003 class—nobody had ever dared to go with the short-pants look on draft night.
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Trae actually took notes from the legends. LeBron James and Draymond Green had toyed with the suit-shorts look during the 2018 Finals and the NBA Awards. LeBron’s Thom Browne sets had sparked a massive debate just weeks prior. Trae essentially took that flame and poured gasoline on it.
The Designer and the Details
The suit was provided by Express Men. While many high-level draftees go for custom-tailored bespoke suits that cost more than a mid-sized sedan, Trae’s partnership with Express made the look surprisingly accessible, even if the style was anything but.
- Color: Deep burgundy/maroon.
- Accents: Black lapels that matched his shirt and bow tie.
- Footwear: Black loafers, strictly no socks.
- Family Tie: His younger brother, Timothy, was right there next to him in a matching miniature version of the outfit.
Honestly, the "no socks" thing was the MVP of the outfit. If you’re going to wear shorts with a blazer, you can’t have mid-calf whites ruining the silhouette. It’s a commitment. You're either all in on the "South of France" vibe or you look like a schoolboy who outgrew his uniform.
Why the Internet Lost Its Mind
Social media in 2018 wasn't exactly known for its nuance. The second Trae hit the carpet, the memes started. People compared him to Angus Young from AC/DC. Others joked that he had a "first day of private school" energy.
But here’s the thing: it worked.
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In the attention economy, Trae Young won the draft before a single name was called. He was the most talked-about person in the room. When the Dallas Mavericks drafted him 5th overall and then immediately shipped him to the Atlanta Hawks for Luka Dončić, the suit shorts became the visual shorthand for that chaotic night.
The Cultural Ripple Effect
Looking back from 2026, the Trae Young draft suit feels like a turning point for NBA fashion. It moved the needle from "just wear a nice suit" to "use your outfit as a brand statement."
Before this, draft fashion was mostly about who could wear the most fabric (the 90s/00s era) or who had the best patterned lining inside their jacket. Trae changed the actual architecture of the suit. He broke the silhouette. Since then, we’ve seen Gradey Dick show up in a ruby-red "Wizard of Oz" suit and Victor Wembanyama embrace high-concept silhouettes. Trae opened the door for the "weird."
Was it actually a "good" look?
Fashion is subjective, obviously. But if the goal of a draft suit is to signify who you are, Trae nailed it. He was a skinny kid with limitless range and zero fear of what people thought of him.
The suit was:
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- Provocative: It forced a conversation.
- Modern: It moved away from the stuffy, "banker" look of previous decades.
- Memorable: You might not remember what Deandre Ayton wore that night, but you remember the burgundy shorts.
Lessons for the Modern Draftee
If you're an athlete—or even just someone trying to make a splash at a big event—there are genuine takeaways from Trae's 2018 wardrobe.
Don't just chase trends; adapt them. Trae saw LeBron wearing shorts and thought, How do I make this mine? He chose a color that popped but wasn't neon. He kept the rest of the outfit (the shirt and shoes) incredibly simple so the shorts could be the star.
Also, confidence is the only thing that makes an "out-there" outfit work. If Trae had looked uncomfortable or kept pulling at his hem, he would have been roasted into oblivion. Instead, he owned it. He walked like he was wearing a three-piece tuxedo from Savile Row.
Moving Beyond the Fabric
Years later, when Trae was eventually traded to the Washington Wizards in early 2026, fans still brought up the draft shorts. It’s part of his lore now. It’s the "Shorts Era" origin story.
When you look at the trajectory of his career—the deep threes, the "Ice Trae" persona, the villain arc in Madison Square Garden—the suit shorts make perfect sense. They were the first sign that he wasn't interested in fitting the traditional mold of a "franchise player."
To replicate this kind of impact, you have to be willing to be the joke for a night to be a legend for a decade.
Next Steps for Style Seekers:
- Research the "Short Suit" Fit: If you're actually trying to wear this, the jacket must be shorter and more fitted than a standard blazer. A long jacket with shorts makes you look like you’re not wearing anything underneath.
- Tailoring is Non-Negotiable: Trae’s shorts hit just above the knee. Any lower and they look like capris; any higher and you’re in 1970s marathon runner territory.
- Coordinate the Palette: Keep the shirt tonal or neutral. Let the suit color do the heavy lifting.