Let’s pour one out for the real retirement: Jay Wright’s legendary suits
Jay Wright was known as being one of the best dressed coaches in all of basketball. His suits will be greatly missed.
Jay Wright is known for a lot of things, chief among them being a Hall of Fame basketball coach and an icon in Philadelphia after winning two national championships at Villanova in the past seven years.
But Wright isn’t just a Hall of Fame coach, he’s also a Hall of Fame dresser — and before the Wildcats became a perennial powerhouse in college hoops, it was arguably his flashy suits and overall good looks that got more attention as he prowled the sidelines in bold pinstripes, three-piece suits, and even a few that made him look like a 1920s gangster.
» READ MORE: Jay Wright coaching moments and accomplishments to remember
And, somehow, he pulled off every darn one. Even if a suit gave distinct “I could never wear that” energy, there was Jay, just rocking the hell out of it like only he could. I guess that’s why they call him GQ Jay.
But being the best-dressed guy around was nothing new for Wright, who has apparently been pulling off fits since he was a teenager. Prior to the 2009 Final Four, Wright’s first with the Wildcats, former Inquirer writer Ashley Fox got a peek inside the coach’s closets (yes, there are more than one). She also learned where his fashion sense came from...
» READ MORE: Jay Wright: A man of style, and also of substance
Fox didn’t just get to check out Wright’s suit collection, she also spoke to the man behind the suits, tailor Gabriele D’Annunzio of Newtown Square, who dressed Wright from the time they met in 2008 until he passed away in 2021. In 2009, D’Annunzio was kind enough to share the tale of the tape for the then-47-year-old coach with the Inquirer:
Suit Jacket
Size: 44, Length: 35
Pants
Inseam: 33
Outseam: 45
Waist: 36
Shirt
Collar: 161/2
Right sleeve length: 36
Left sleeve length: 35 3/4
Shoes
Size: 13
» READ MORE: Jay Wright's stunning retirement explained
At the time, according to Fox, Wright had two separate closets, with one just for his upwards of 30 custom suits. But with this much style — not to mention your own personal clothier — why wouldn’t you have your own suit closet?
» READ MORE: Photos: Jay Wright through the years
As mentioned above, Wright may have been a sharp dresser from childhood, but didn’t do this all on his own. D’Annunzio certainly helped, as Wright was often quick to point out when asked about his style. Here’s more on D’Annunzio from an Elizabeth Wellington story in 2016 before Wright returned to the Final Four:
» READ MORE: This is the guy who dresses Villanova's Jay Wright right
As it turns out, that’s exactly the suit Wright wore — and not only did it look sharp as ever, it seemed to work out, as ‘Nova rolled past Oklahoma, 95-51, on their way to their first national title under Wright.
The relationship between Wright and D’Annunzio was a special one, by all accounts. All you have to do is read what Wright had to say following his passing last year. Mike Jensen spoke with the former Villanova coach about his late tailor:
» READ MORE: Jay Wright eulogizes one of his most important advisers, his tailor | Mike Jensen
But all great things must come to an end. And for Wright’s suits, that time came prior to D’Annunzio’s passing. It actually happened a year before in 2020, the first college basketball season being played during the pandemic after March Madness was cancelled earlier in the year.
When the sport resumed in the fall, Wright looked a little different on the sidelines, trading in his fine wool for much more comfortable attire. And even back then, he appeared perfectly content ditching the suits for sweats. Here’s more from Jensen:
» READ MORE: Jay Wright is dressing down, but as always, he’s doing it in style | Mike Jensen
Some thought the move was simply temporary, but as things returned to a greater sense of normalcy around sporting events, Wright continued to keep it casual, something that actually didn’t ruffle as many feathers as you’d think, especially given how well known he was for his flashy suits. But not everyone was on board.
There was some hope that he would break his formal wear back out for his team’s trip to the Final Four earlier this month, but as he told Mike Jensen before leaving for New Orleans, that wasn’t likely to happen, even if his boss would prefer it.
» READ MORE: Casual Jay Wright gets mixed reviews, but he loves it
So, as you can see, Jay Wright’s suits were actually retired two years ago, but there was at least always a chance he would bring them back. Now, it all just feels so final. Are we really never going to get to see this again?
What a shame.