Crucible Clobber

So now the Worlds after-party hangovers have worn off and the Awards hangovers are just being built, I return to my usual Twitter role as The Person Who Talks About What The Players Are Wearing. Because again, we’re talking about a sport where THE PLAYERS WEAR SUITS and I don’t think we can ever take that for granted.

(I’m sorry I’m not including what was worn at the qualifiers, because they’re a fantastic event that will reportedly finally get the tv coverage it deserves next year, but I have a life and it took me long enough to go through pics just for this part of the Worlds.)

This was a pretty good year for threads at The Crucible. I have a fair number of Honourable Mentions, and probably could’ve gone further, but that would’ve just included almost everyone. Players I dug I’m not posting photos for include Stuart Bingham, Ronnie O’Sullivan (you like the lining), Michael Holt, Stephen Maguire (thank you for not shaving your head), Barry Hawkins, Shaun Murphy (improving on his scene-stealing from last year), Neil Robertson and his Shirt Wardrobe (not used enough this year, tee hee!) and especially Ding Junhui whose massive comeback can only be attributed to his Lucky Red waistcoat (and #TerryGriffithsSnookerGenius). To be honest, my Top Two could be interchangeable, but I have to make my stand somewhere. Also, this is TOTALLY my opinion based on pretty much nothing. If you want to write a Tumblr post about your picks, go nuts.

LET’S DO THIS!

Honourable Mention

Michael White. M-Dubs is one of my favourite players, and of course it sucked that he fell to Sam Baird. Making it into the top 16 for the first time, he’s also been rising in the rankings in terms of style, particularly in terms of his facial hair, which has succeeded in making him look older than 12 (see also Mark Allen, who also did well this year). He’s had his missteps, though, as he also succeeded in showing off his butt crack at a PTC this season (always a risk with guys of his build). But during his short time at The Crucible this year, he did very well in all-black with a bluish-purple shirt, and wore a great suit to the opening photo call. 

Mitchell Mann. The lone debutant (and former Snookerbacker Classic finalist - you’re welcome, SB) also had a brief stay at The Crucible, but made a great impression with his play and with his variation on Selby’s Maroon. 

John Higgins. A lot of people don’t like this guy for various reasons, but it can’t be denied he’s shown a lot of his old mettle the past couple seasons. I’ve also noticed this season he’s been a little more interesting in his kit, which is admirable for such a veteran and a fellow whose style has in the past struggled with his size. He’s done a lovely dark blue back on his black waistcoat with white shirt, and he sported this medium blue shirt which could’ve come from the Robbo Shirt Wardrobe. 

David Gilbert. Anyone who’s watched him in the smaller tournaments the last little while would know 😍, but he maintained his style in The Crucible as he helped make Ronnie O’Sullivan mightily annoyed enough to get a Tintin haircut after blowing off the post-match press conference. Here’s his variation on the Selby Greys with crucial black buttons matching his shirt.

Liang Wenbo. Another guy not liked by everyone, but he’s a great representative of the flair I see in younger Chinese players on their way up and those I’ve seen around locally in Toronto, only without going too nuts. He acquitted himself well with a dark blue kit (you’ll be sensing a colour trend here) with grey back, although I’m not sure about the grey edge on the tie.

Ali Carter. He’s a perennial on Tumblr and lists like these, and for good reason. This year, along with his usual black with super-gorgeous medium-grey shirt, he brought out a kit in an appropriately aviator-y greyish blue.

Mark Selby. He’s now twice World Champion, and to me the overall champion of style for the past few years. Part of that is slightly unfair, because he has the body-type and look of a model (that doesn’t mean he’s automatically the best-looking, though arguments have been made), so clothes just usually hang well on him. But he also usually makes the best choices of what he wears, including away from the table. As you’ve already seen, what he wears gets copied to the extent I attach his name to certain colours and patterns. Maybe one of the only things that makes me class him not at the absolute top for The Crucible this year is that he’s worn these same two awesome kits for the past two years at everything that hasn’t been a PTC, so he’s past due to change things up. I look forward to what comes next when he finally does.

Alan McManus. Ah, Angles. Betfred gave him the Best Dressed award this year, and I can’t entirely blame them. Who else on Earth, much less at age 45, can go full-kit tartan without looking like a complete idiot? I don’t think even Selby could’ve pulled it off. Mixing up the tartan pieces with more conventional blacks and an ice-blue-backed waistcoat, Angles is a prime example that great style isn’t just about great clothes, but having the personality and presence to make it come to life. 

Okay, here’s where things get super-close. There are strong arguments to be made for both these guys, but I made a gut call. Here we go...

Runner-up

Marco Fu. This fellow is always near the top for me in style, and his amazing performance at The Crucible this year gave him every chance to show it off. The quibbles I usually have about his curved Jimmy-White-style lapels and odd bowties were put to rest this time as he went with calm notched lapels on two terrific kits: one in his version of the Selby Greys, and one mainly black with a back of stripes that were THAT close to being tartan and THAT close to looking like an old-timey awning without becoming either. He also brought his usual white shirts with the double buttons and CUFF MONOGRAMS. So many great little details, but nothing over the top.

Again, Marco could easily be my pick for Best Dressed. But there was someone I just couldn’t turn down....

The Winner!

Anthony McGill. Okay, hear me out. If The Smiling Assassin had turned up in just one of these kits over the course of The Worlds, he would’ve been in the Honourable Mentions. He’s a ginger going full-kit dark purple. AND he’s got black with dark-red pinstripes without looking like he’s auditioning for Bugsy Malone. He had already been doing well overall with his style, but unlike with Marco, he went up about two gears from where he was previously and he did it as a guy who, also unlike Marco, does not just naturally look good in anything. This is really a battle between detail versus risk and execution, and I just happen to be picking the latter. 

Congratulations, Ant. You win absolutely nothing but the admiration you already had. But hey, it was fun.

Thanks to everyone for looking great and being awesome, because you work goddamn hard for being in a sport where players where suits. G’NIGHT, JV! (p.s. Please retire from live broadcasting. But that’s another matter.)