Mike Peterson was inducted into the 2011 class of the University of Florida Hall of Fame on Friday, and he was wearing a custom made suit that debuted on his Twitter account @mikepeterson53. (First tweet that day: "Great Day To Be A Gator!") The Falcons linebacker is well-known for his sharp fashion taste. He has a good sense of humor, but he is dead serious about style. TPG spoke with "Mike Pete" in the days leading up to his induction ceremony.
TPG: If you were to define "style," how would you do it?
Peterson: Style is looking good. You've got to make it look easy. You don't have to spend a lot of money to look good, you have to carry it well."
TPG: How do you choose outfits?
Peterson: I like to go with the flow and the way I feel that day; it depends on where I'm going and the occasion. One thing I can tell you is that you should never be underdressed and you also don't want to make it look like you are trying too hard either.
TPG: If you were to redesign the Falcons uniforms, what would you do?
Peterson: I actually like the uniform, I think it's nice, but I think I'd change the white pants. They don't go with the red! I don't know where they decided that the white pants matched.
TPG: Do you have a favorite fashion item?
Peterson: I am a shoe guy. I love shoes: Louis, Gucci, Prada. I work with Reebok so I've got my Reebok shoes for training -- they are real. I have a thing for Chuck Taylor All-Stars, and depending on where I am going, I have lots of slipper shoes too.
TPG: What would you wear on a romantic date with your wife?
Peterson: I'm a Florida guy so I do the linen shorts, slipper shoes. I'm gonna go with earth-toned colors, roll-up long sleeves -- I've got tattoos so I have to cover them up. You need a nice wrist piece, some sunglasses, really mellow, really clean, you know, the 'grown-up' look, sophisticated.
TPG: Any fashion tips for women?
Peterson: I like sundresses, maybe because I am a Florida guy. But it also depends on the occasion or the activity; it's nice when a woman can pull off different looks. Sometimes a woman will look completely different when she's out and when she is in the gym. The key is to pull off all off all your looks.
