Texans’ Danielle Hunter has a passion for fashion: ‘Look good, play good. No. 1 choice: always wear a suit’

HOUSTON – Danielle Hunter walks the red carpet with just as much confidence that he holds in his profession. His handiwork: sacking quarterbacks with an ultra-detailed pass rushing repertoire at the line of scrimmage.

At the Texans’ annual Season Premiere, Hunter sported an ultra-sharp seafoam Italian wool suit paired with a dark shirt and black shoes.

It was another fashion score for Hunter, who’s regarded one of the best-dressed players on the Texans and across the league.

For the Texans’ star, his wardrobe is taken just as seriously as his job. It all goes hand in hand for the five-time Pro Bowl defensive end.

It’s about professionalism, and taking pride in his appearance. One of the most physically fit players in the NFL with a sculpted build accentuated by gigantic biceps, the Morton Ranch graduate has a closet filled with custom designed suits from prolific and award-winning custom menswear designer Tom Marchitelli of Hoboken, New Jersey.

The signature looks for Hunter: bold, solid, neutral colors, perfectly tailored to his specifications in an ongoing fashion collaboration and shared vision of style with Marchitelli.

“It’s my job, and the biggest thing is I just always want to look professional,” Hunter told KPRC 2 inside the Texans’ locker room. “I come here to work and I feel like it goes hand in hand. You look how you play, so I feel if you look good, you play good. If you’re always looking to look nice in a business setting, the No. 1 choice is always wear a suit."

For Hunter, a 30-year-old native of Jamaica who signed a one-year, $35.6 million contract extension in the offseason for a total payout of $55.1 million and $54.1 million guaranteed this year and next season, it’s not about being flashy. He doesn’t wear ties, or pocket squares or lapel pins. Just clean, classic suits.

“That’s just my style,” Hunter said. “I like classy looks. You know, plain colors. Whether it be black or gray, I just like simple stuff. But it’s just got to look professional.”

Marchitelli is the go-to tailor for several top athletes in the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball and NHL. He’s a one-man army and family man who dresses over 500 professional athletes, including 275 NFL players. He had 15 players at the green carpet at the Major League Baseball all-star game.

His NFL clients include everyone from Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, Los Angeles Rams defensive end Jared Verse and retired defensive tackle Aaron Donald, Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, including his Super Bowl suit, along with retired stars turned broadcasters Rob Gronkowski and Shannon Sharpe.

Marchitelli, a former accountant whose social media tag is Gentleman’s Playbook, has made custom suits for three Texans defensive ends: Hunter, Will Anderson Jr. and Derek Barnett.

Hunter is a unique fit, though.

Hunter has a smooth, loose way of getting after the quarterback that belies a frame that looks like it was carved out of granite. His body-fat percentage is lower than most wide receivers and cornerbacks.

“In my business, I’ve fitted several extremely physically fit players, but Danielle was on a different level, about a 12-inch drop from chest to waist,” Marchitelli said in a telephone interview. “The average drop is four to six inches. He’s three times the average. With his frame, he makes my job a little easier. His body is my canvas. My job is to outline it and showcase all the hard work he puts into his diet and fitness. The first suit I made him, I’m blown away by how painted on and perfect fitted it was. He probably has 15 to 20 of my suits in his closet.

“The one key detail fashion choice, he rarely veers off from, he only wears solid suits. He never wants the prints. I am known for bold prints. He always wants clean, classic and simple. At first, it kind of bothered me. I want this guy in my bold plaids. He loves browns. He loves neutrals. He made me appreciate solid colored suits more. Not even a wrinkle. When you’re as handsome as Danielle is and built like a brickhouse, he can make anything look amazing. He could be a model. He looks photo-shopped.”

A former track star at Morton Ranch in Katy who was born in Jamaica, Hunter formed a formidable tandem with Anderson last season. He recorded a team-high 12 sacks and 17 tackles for losses, 23 quarterback hits with 90 quarterback pressures to rank second in the NFL, per NextGen Stats. He had three sacks in one half in the 12th game of the season after joining his hometown team last year on a two-year, $51 million extension to leave the Minnesota Vikings in free agency.

Hunter has a low-key personality. He’s a quieter person who doesn’t seek the spotlight. It just kind of finds him because of his immense talent. The old-school demeanor and blue-collar work ethic and discipline matches his wardrobe perfectly.

“Cool clothes, and quiet, keeps to himself, reserved,” Marchitelli said. “That matches his style. They always say a person should dress as a representation of his personality. He does that to a tee.”

Hunter and Marchitelli have some cool plans cooking up for the season.

That includes double-breasted suits, which are back in style.

“We’ve been talking about a few things, you’ll definitely be seeing that throughout the season,” Hunter said. “He does a good job of picking things out for me. I’ll feel it out with him and I’ll be like, ‘I like this one.’

“He gets excited because basically he says I’m a canvas and he just paint whatever he wants to paint on it. Simple suit, simple color and it’s very classy. Just something I can wear and it looks nice. Shoutout to my guy, Tom. I’m happy I met him."

Over the years, Hunter has had some strong fashion moments. One was a black suit with a matching turtleneck. Another that stands out was a rust-colored ensemble.

“I’ve gotten the most compliments on the rust suit,” Hunter said. “I’ve worn it a couple of times, even when I’m not going to a game or anything I would wear it and I’ve got a lot of compliments about it. That’s one of my favorite suits.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com