Boston Celtics
Now trending, Brown in all forms and glory, in the NBA fashion tunnel and on the floor.
Three weeks into the season, the Celtics have zigzagged the country, playing 13 games, and today sitting 11th in the rankings. They’ve notched half a dozen wins, taken on the ongoing NBA Cup, and have done a lot of this work from the road. As the team has bounced around town, racking up field goals and style points, there’s been one constant, one element quietly dominating our screens and stories: the color brown.
Also, Jaylen Brown, who’s averaging 30 points (and minutes) per game. But also, in an endless array of hues … cocoa, umber, russet, taupe, golden brown.
As a trend, brown took off in 2023 with the slowing “quiet luxury” aesthetic that uses rich tones of chocolate and vanilla to create a sense of decadence and depth. Then it became popular when Pantone declared Mocha Mousse the 2025 Color of the Year.
Just last month, a reader wrote to the New York Times asking, “Why is everyone talking about brown?”
Last season, Jaylen Brown was all about black. Now, brown is the new black. He kicked off the seasonal trend in a Starting 5 appearance. Jordan Walsh then followed suit with his opening-night Manière De Voir kimono. Jayson Tatum doubled down in beige threads at TD Garden and triple-downed during his first visit to Madison Square Garden since the last.
The brown does not stop there. We peeped Payton Pritchard dripping in colors that, if not brown, pair perfectly, like milk in coffee. Other player fashion has showcased the beauty of brown, like Derrick White in lighter, more casual versions and Neemias Queta in designer, like this Kith Pullover in Rye.
Sideline reporters, insiders, and game announcers, too, have been sporting the trend under blazers and as dresses, boots, coats, and quarter zips. And a few high-profile athletes have been seen rocking brown lately, including fashion icon Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, fashion designer Esther Wallace, and Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs, whose girlfriend wore brown’s trendy color sidekick, cherry, during a visit to Gillette Stadium.
Brown is everywhere — in the tunnel, during pregame shows, posted on social media, embedded in the culture. Because even if you don’t follow fashion or have the kind of eyes that notice this sort of pattern, brown, in a way, has made its way to the team uniform. You can’t miss it.
Released to the public in September and first put to the test in November, the 2025-26 Celtics City Jersey has no green, but it does sort of have brown. The concept behind the design, the “Gold Standard,” pays homage to the past while ushering in the future — future wins and perhaps future forward trends like head-to-toe non-black neutrals, like brown and its cousin, gold.
Brown has made its way around, traveling coast-to-coast with the team in different formats: hats, tops, bags, and more. The journey started in Boston, where Brown cozied up in a creamy, woven cashmere sweater.
Subtle and smooth, brown pulled up on the way to Philadelphia: Louis Vuitton, an NBA mainstay, plus moccasins and a knit cap for Brown, and hoodies for Queta and Sam Hauser.
In Detroit, a triple scoop of color, toffee, caramel, and chestnut. White dressed down with a simple team crewneck sweatshirt mimicking the city jersey colors. Brown dressed it up, carrying what looks like this Brunello Cucinelli calfskin leather backpack, which, according to the retailer, “creates light and dark effects that enhance the refined appearance.”
Therein lies the essence of brown as a trend in fashion, design, and art. The color has evolved from pauper to flower power to power player, and its appeal lies in the way it reflects and elevates whatever it’s applied to. In color theory, brown isn’t a pure hue but a composite, a blend of many colors layered together. It’s a collective shade with nearly infinite variations, created through countless combinations of pigments. When illuminated and light hits it, like from a camera, brown bursts with sophistication and complexity, sometimes revealing a warm orange undertone. It renders impeccably onscreen.
The color mirrors what this team needs to be right now: comfortable, adaptable, willing to show up, able to show out, mixing and blending in new ways as a new roster. It makes sense that even though the city bleeds green, the players are leaning into brown.
Get the latest Boston sports news
Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.
