Style is an important aspect of any wrestler's look and aesthetic. It can be the difference between looking like a main event-level talent or looking like a fish out of water with terrible gear when compared to other great sets of gear. The way that a wrestler dresses is a reflection of their character and how they would like to be seen by the world. Whether it's a classic set of trunks with some designs, the way that a wrestler accessorizes padding or even using their attire to pay tribute to something, ring attire can mean much more than just the clothing that is worn during matches.
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With two major wrestling companies in AEW and WWE on full display through exposure on major channels, there is a big spotlight on the performers that make up the respective rosters. Given such a busy landscape, it is the small details, like the way their ring attires are put together, that can help them stand out. These are just some of the most fashion-forward professional wrestlers that are currently lacing up their boots or typing up their shoes.
10 Daniel Bryan (White And Black)
In terms of simplicity, Bryan Danielson loves to stick to his gear. His use of kick pads gives his legs a little more thickness to them, making his kicks and knee strikes look like they have more power and weight to them. In AEW, Danielson has stuck to a dark maroon base with silver designs on his trunks, kneepads and kick pads. During his almost 10-year run with WWE, however, he was a bit more experimental with his look and briefly donned this gorgeous set of white ring gear with a black tree texture on one half of his side, along with kanji for "Dragon."
9 Penta El Zero M (Black And Gold)
Masked luchadores tend to have a grasp on the creativity that is required to wow the crowds with their attires alone. Penta El Zero M has had his fair share of amazing looks, from a Venom inspired mask to a Joker inspired getup, or going further back to his days when he had a more traditional samurai-type look.
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His cleanest look, however, is the one that even Chris Jericho donned for a night. Yes, the black and gold colored attire is by far the cleanest and sleekest look color palette to highlight all the intricate designs on the entire outfit.
8 Rhea Ripley (White And Blue)
Great women's attire is usually a bit on the generic side in WWE, as every outfit is adorned with endless glitter and rhinestones. Rhea Ripley brings a sense of seriousness to her attire without going off into the deep end and playing on the "hardcore" aspect too much. Usually wearing black or another similar dark color, this white and blue attire from WrestleMania 36 (which was one of the best of the two nights) has the perfect blend of color within the attire that makes it pop. The specific shade of blue is an excellent choice, not going too bright or dark to contrast the white top very well, giving an aesthetic reminiscent of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
7 Seth Rollins (Rey Mysterio Halloween Havoc 1996 Tribute)
This might have been a way to mock his opponent Dominik Mysterio at Summerslam 2020, but it was an excellent use of the Mysterio theme with question marks adorned on his tights. The purple and black is an excellent look on Seth Rollins, who has been known to have some of the best tight designs in wrestling. It was a difficult decision to put this attire above others like the only once-worn SummerSlam 2015 all-white gear or the Royal Rumble 2018 gear with flames on the side, but the connection to wrestling history mixed with that one-glove look gives it a sinister spin of style.
6 AJ Styles (Blue)
AJ Styles has one of the most underrated accessories in all of professional wrestling; gloves. Specifically, in this case, the wide receiver type gloves that allow for a custom "Phenomenal One" logo adjacent for perfect posing. Styles wears long tights with knee pads and kick pads, all following the same theme. Long tights can be difficult to pull off, but somehow the right elbow pad (with that Phenomenal One logo as well) and NBA style forearm band just give the look the right mixture of style and athleticism. While his WrestleMania 33 look with a mixture of red, white and blue was great, his blue-colored attire just matches with his aesthetic and has a classy use of logos and lettering.
5 Cody Rhodes (White)
The Rhodes Family has a long tradition of having some of the most notable pieces of in-ring gear in the history of the business. Dusty was infamously given polka dots by Vince McMahon as a way to embarrass him when he got to WWE, and Dustin spent the majority of his career as Goldust in a gold jumpsuit among many other wild outfits. Seeing Cody stick to a classic style of tights and boots is as traditional as it is well-done. The addition of the big leather belt (reminiscent of Hulk Hogan's nWo attire) is the perfect touch to his look, and goes so well with his colorways. This look from the All In PPV when he beat Nick Aldis for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship features a gorgeous shade of white with contrasting animal skin patterns.
4 Bray Wyatt (The Fiend)
Throughout most of Bray Wyatt's career, he was mainly wearing pants, boots, and a sleeveless shirt as his in-ring attire. It wasn't the best look, but it went with his "cult leader" character. When he abandoned the gimmick and started his dominant run as The Fiend, however, he had a brand-new look to go with his persona. The red/black tights with stripes is reminiscent of the "carny" look of old days, while his has been upgraded to a black singlet. Finally, his black gloves with red trim and white letters on the knuckles that say "Hurt" and "Heal" provides the perfect touches to go with that iconic mask of his. Consistent use of color, mixed with smart choices in terms of athletic wear just make this one of the best wrestling costumes, ever.
3 Becky Lynch (Black And Yellow)
A seemingly subtle nod to the characters of The Bride or Bruce Lee's persona in the film Game of Death, this black and yellow affair from Becky Lynch is a clean and an underrated cut of women's attire. The long sleeves and leather-like consistency give it a sense of toughness and durability, something that is right in line with the way that "The Man" is booked. Finally, the fishnets that run down the legs to the boots provide a level of femininity, which adds to the coolness of her gear.
2 The Young Bucks (Dior)
The Young Bucks have long been a staple of the highest-brand of wrestling fashion. Their headbands, frills and extremely loud patterns have been a great nod to a bygone era of in-ring gear. Of course, since their move to AEW and constant placement at the top of the tag team division, they have upgraded their look and taken to purchasing extremely expensive shoes to match their outfits. This specific look with the Dior Jordan 1's (which fetch prices higher than $5,000) is a fancy usage of silver/white to give them a modern, sleek look.
1 Shinsuke Nakamura (Red Velvet And Gold)
By far, one of the most fashionable wrestlers of all-time, Shinsuke Nakamura has constantly reinvented his look without ever-changing the core pieces of his in-ring gear. The pants, mixed with the wristbands and single arm ribbon makes for a look that he has only continued to re-purpose with all kinds of different patterns, textures and colors.
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There might be a lot of differences between his WWE and NJPW run, but he still has awesome moments like when he wore his velvet/suede red attire with a gold belt/arm accessories for his WrestleMania match against AJ Styles. It is regal, but not too pompous, and gives him this look of a competitor that is not afraid to be flamboyant while dominant.
