NBA Twitter compares THR's Carey Mulligan wardrobe to Carmelo Anthony's infamous draft suit Carey Mulligan in a photo shoot for The Hollywood Reporter. (THR on X/Twitter.)
By Sam Neumann on

Carmelo Anthony’s draft suit from the 2003 NBA Draft has become legendary, and an often joked-about fashion faux pas. The charcoal grey pinstripe suit had a wide-leg fit with no lapels and six oversized buttons, with only the top one buttoned.

It was quite a look, and he wasn’t the only one to sport it. Dwayne Wade famously joked that they had enough fabric to clothe the entire country, as every player on stage during that year’s draft saw their pants touch the floor.

“Where they came from, nobody wore tight clothes; everything was baggy. It was a learning process for everybody; there was a curve. It may have looked good at the time because that’s what they knew,” Anthony’s then-stylist Khalilah Beavers told Bleacher Report nearly 15 years later.

Looking back at it, Beavers was at a loss for words, “They all had the Steve Harvey back-in-the-day thing going on.”

It’s been two decades since that fashion statement was made, and now it’s coming back. At least, that’s what NBA Twitter decided, as The Hollywood Reporter photographed Maestro star Carey Mulligan donning a similar wardrobe that saw comparisons to Anthony’s infamous draft suit.

There are many great reactions as social media is abuzz with comparisons between Mulligan’s recent oversized suit and Anthony’s infamous 2003 draft suit.

Anthony’s draft suit has become a popular pop culture meme, forever etched in NBA and fashion history. Mulligan’s homage — clearly unintentional— adds just another layer to the meme’s lifespan.

Sometimes, the most memorable fashion moments come from revisiting the past with a playful, nostalgic twist. And even if it was completely unintentional and Mulligan is unaware of the 2003 NBA Draft, she is dressed for the occasion.

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.

View all posts by Sam Neumann