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In Honor of March Madness: The 100 Most Stylish Athletes

5:30 PM, March 19 2013

By Elana Fishman & Alexis Manrodt

March Madness, the high point of every college basketball fan's calendar year, kicks off today with the first round. But in the midst of building your bracket around Florida, Ohio or another team of your choice, you've likely forgotten about the old-school greats who paved the way for today's champs. And while some of the best dressed dudes in the world happen to be basketballers (Dwyane Wade! Carmelo Anthony! Kobe!), there are tons of chic athletes competing in tennis, figure skating, soccer and swimming, too. To wit, we cracked open our history books and took a look back at some of the most fashionable sports stars of all time.

After all, winning doesn't mean a thing unless you do it with style.* Click through the slideshow to see who we selected.

*We kid, of course. We're actually in awe of everyone who possesses any sort of athletic ability. But those who look good while scoring goals or landing Triple Salchows are truly superhuman.

In addition to currently holding a No. 1 worldwide ranking in tennis (get it, girl!), Serena's a trained nail tech—hence her famously wild manicures, which she shows off both on- and off-court. She's also got her own clothing line, Aneres (yep, that's "Serena" spelled backwards).

Being married to a supermodel is bound to make anyone step up their fashion game, but Mr. Gisele Bündchen always looks good.

While many know “Wilt the Stilt” as the only player in NBA history to score 100 points in a single game, Wilt always scored high in his custom suits made to accommodate his 7'1" frame.

The No. 3-ranked Russian blonde is a designer favorite—and with legs like hers, it's not hard to see why. She's designed tennis outfits for Nike, accessories for Cole Haan and even has her own candy brand, adorably called Sugarpova.

She may have ended her gymnastics career at the age of 22 (!), but the Beijing Games gold medalist is still an avid fashion fan—and even starred in BCBG Max Azria's Spring 2009 ad campaign.

This beautiful blonde is a fashion world favorite—she regularly hits the party circuit with awesome designers on her arm (hey there, Olivier Theyskens) and has walked Alexander McQueen's runway, too. And though she was born with missing fibula bones and had to have both legs amputated when she was just one year old, that didn't stop her from competing in the 100-meter dash and long jump at the 1996 Paralympics.

This eleven-time Olympic medalist set international hearts aflutter during last summer's London Games—and he's nearly as well known for his interest in fashion as for his record-breaking ~~abs~~ laps. "Reezy" has already put his stamp on sneakers and sunglasses, and plans to launch a full-fledged fashion line in the future.

Can you believe this five-time Olympic gold medalist is 51 years old? The former gymnastics champ certainly doesn't look it.

Nicknamed "The Crocodile" for his fierce on-court technique, this French tennis player created the Lacoste polo in 1929. The sporty shirt, with its trademark embroidered croc logo, is still a hit with both athletes and fashion folk today. Lacoste won seven Grand Slam titles over the course of his career, and was ranked No. 1 in both 1926 and 1927.

Top golfer Morgan is currently playing on the LPGA Tour. What, you don't wear stilettos to the driving range?

In a Hawaiian shirt and Wayfarer shades, this NBA player looks like he stepped straight out of an Urban Outfitters catalog.

This L.A. Dodgers player hits a home run in his three-piece suit.

Fellow NFL players named Larry the best-dressed guy in the league last year, and it’s easy to see why. He always looked put-together in his suits, glasses and signature dreads.

Is it just us, or does Kim's skating ensemble look like it could be from Balmain? The tiny South Korean athlete picked up a gold medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Olympic gold medal winner Evan Lysacek is one of the best-dressed men on the rink in costumes designed by Christian Dior, Alexander McQueen and frequent collaborator Vera Wang.

Mayor Bloomberg's very accomplished daughter is a pro equestrian (with an Ariat sponsorship to boot), philanthropist and undeniable style star. How great does she look in this flapper-esque gold Gucci dress?

When not playing with the Yankees, this celebrated shortstop hits the town in classic, well-cut suits—often with one of Hollywood's leading ladies (Jessica Biel, Minka Kelly, etc.) on his arm.

The 1968 Olympic figure skating champion was known for her model-esque good looks and elegant, demure style sense. Gene Kelly certainly seemed to be impressed.

The world's most famous female race car driver has been twice featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. We also suspect her likeness has been featured on many teenage boys' bedroom walls.

This Miami Heat star isn’t afraid to take fashion risks–just look at those leopard-print kicks.

All hail the original babe with the bowl cut!

Known as the world's fastest women in the '60s, this sprinter, who was nicknamed "The Tornado," won three gold medals at the 1960 Rome Olympics.

Wait, Olympic gold medal-winning pole vaulters look like this? Apparently, they do in Russia.

Baron Davis is so passionate about style that he's producing a documentary about the decline of men’s sartorial tastes in America. The film, called American Schlub, is the NBA All-Star’s plea for men to dress better. We approve.

This Australian snowboarding beauty took the Olympic gold medal in the halfpipe at the 2010 Games. She's sponsored by Roxy, and in 2008, she designed her own sporty womenswear capsule dubbed the "Bright Series."

Just look at this baseball legend's wingtip brogues, suit and flat-brimmed fedora. So very dapper.

The retired ice hockey center forward lets his wife Hilary Duff make the style statements on the red carpet, but he still keeps it stylish in his casual separates.

This Hawaiian babe was the youngest golfer to ever qualify for the LPGA Tour—she was 14 at the time. Currently backed by Nike, she makes us feel like true underachievers.

The former Chicago Bulls player translated his on-court success for the masses by designing the wildly popular line of Nike Air Jordan sneakers.

This now-retired soccer ace has famously scored more international goals (158 total) than any other player in the history of the sport. Clearly, she also knows the power of a sexy shoulder cutout.

A four-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time WNBA MVP, 6'5 Lisa certainly knows how to dress her statuesque frame.

Having been ranked the No. 1 golfer in the world for a staggering 55 weeks total, it’s no surprise that Luke Donald embraces everything that comes with the sport—pastel pink pants included.

This Paraguayan model and beauty pageant contestant also happens to be an Olympic javelin whiz. Let's see one of the Kardashians try to pull that off.

Gorgeous Gabrielle is a volleyball pro who's also dabbled in golf and has modeled since her college years. Seems good looks run in the family, too—lucky kids.

Oh, and Gabrielle's husband Laird isn't too bad-looking either. The pro surfer has appeared in L'Uomo Vogue and designed a clothing line for the now-defunct Steve & Barry's. Here, he's looking pretty chummy with artist Julian Schnabel at a Chanel party.

Serena's older sis has earned more Grand Slam titles than any other lady in tennis—except her sibling. In addition to having won three Olympic gold medals, she also studied fashion design at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and now designs her own collection, EleVen, which just relaunched last August.

This heptathlon and long jump champion has won three gold, one silver and two bronze Olympic medals. Also, being pals with Iman clearly qualifies one for a spot on this list.

It’s usually hard for figure skaters to top the costumes they wear on the ice, but Johnny Weir does it with ease. The skating champ hit up New York Fashion Week, for instance, in Christian Louboutin shoes and with an Hermès bag on his arm.

Named ESPN's 10th Greatest North American Athlete of the 20th century, Babe—born Mildred Ella Didrikson Zaharias—was a gold-medal-winning Olympian who competed in golf, basketball and track and field. She was also an expert seamstress who famously made all her own golfing ensembles.

In addition to that famous lucky necklace she wore while on the ice, this two-time Olympic medalist has worn lots of memorable looks on the red carpet over the years. She's also pals with designer (and former figure skater) Vera Wang, and even made a front-row cameo at her Spring 2013 runway show.

Like Torah Bright, snowboarder Hannah's a halfpipe champ, having won the gold medal at the 2006 Winter Games. But she seemed right at home in 100-degree Indio, California at Coachella recently.

Becks’ fashion choices (and his willingness to, ahem, take it all off) made soccer (sorry, "football") relevant in the U.S.A. When he's not playing ball, this British heartthrob's designing men's underthings for H&M and hitting the party scene with his lovely wife Victoria—perhaps you've heard of her?

This 1994 Olympic champion figure skater was famous for her wacky feathered competition outfits—one of which she's proudly showing off at left. She now has her own collection of clothing and jewelry.

This stunning swimmer got shut out of the 1940 Summer Olympics due to World War II, but that didn't stop her from enjoying a prolific movie career—she was known for her "aquamusicals," which featured synchronized swimming scenes. And that's how you make lemons into lemonade, people.

An Armani underwear model and owner of several Portugal-based fashion boutiques, the Real Madrid footballer is also an ardent supporter of the fauxhawk.

The softball pitcher led her U.S. team to Olympic gold at Athens in 2004, and then to silver in 2008. She's now a spokesperson for Under Armour.

This is how Kobe Bryant dresses before he plays ball. 'Nuff said.

A model as well as a two-time Olympic gold medalist, this figure skater consistently pushed the envelope with her costume choices. This feathered look she chose for a 1988 performance even resulted in the ISU's demanding that female skaters wear more demure, covered-up ensembles.

This 24-year-old Aussie surfer was crowned World Champion in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012. She also happens to be 5'10 and, well, totally stunning.

The Clippers player seriously knows how to wear a suit—and we're digging those specs, too.

Though retired at age 20, Shawn memorably took the gold medal at 2008's Beijing Games thanks to her incredible balance beam skills and later competed on (and won!) the eighth season of Dancing With the Stars. She was also clearly ahead of the curve on that whole Tangerine Tango trend.

"Melo" looks casual and cool in this shot, where he's arriving at a Knicks game. The sleeves of his suit are rolled up in a non-Miami Vice way and he strips the brooch of all its old-lady connotations.

Back in 1994, Nance bounced back from a terrible knee injury in time to compete at that year's Olympics in Lillehammer—and took home the silver medal. She also famously competed in costumes designed by Vera Wang.

Brazilian model Milene is a true soccer star—she holds the record for "juggling," or keeping a soccer ball off the ground, with a staggering 55,198 touches. We can only assume that when this picture was taken, she was attempting to best herself.

This now-retired tennis champ fronted Lacoste campaigns for several years—and even collaborated with the brand, designing clothes to help aspiring players hit a fashion ace.

Named one of People's 50 Most Beautiful, pro surfer Malia also designs swimwear for Mambo Graphics and has modeled extensively. With a body like hers, are you really surprised?

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali's daughter recently retired with an undefeated record of her own in the sport (and she's evidently not too tough to shun polka dots!). She now has her own hair and skin care collections.

This retired pro ice hockey player has had a rather impressive second career in fashion. Avery has interned at Vogue, guest-edited for the Men’s Vogue website, appeared as a guest judge on Project Runway: All Stars and worked on shows for New York Fashion Week a few years back. Now that he's got more time on his hands, here's hoping for a full-fledged collection...

1992's gold medal-winning figure skater, Kristi Yamaguchi's an athletic legend who was also crowned Dancing With the Stars' celebrity champion in 2008. Last year, she launched her own clothing line, a fitness-centric collection called Tsu.ya.

This former New York Knicks player was nicknamed “Clyde” after Warren Beatty’s character in the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde. Modeling himself after the legendary gangster, Frazier would arrive for games in wide-brimmed fedoras, wildly patterned suits and fur coats.

Heather's won two Olympic gold medals as part of the U.S. National Women's soccer team, and is living proof that if you're an athlete, you can pull off the liquid leggings look—no matter what.

This tennis pro, who won 12 Grand Slam singles titles and 16 doubles titles over the course of her career, actually founded the Women's Tennis Association and the Women's Sports Foundation. She was also the first openly gay professional female athlete. That's trendsetting for you.

One of the best tennis players in the world, Roger Federer is one to watch for his style on the court. Here, the Nike spokesperson embraces the neon trend with bright green accents. His tiny twin daughters, by the way, dress pretty well too.

This 12-time Olympic medalist can do far more than swim at blazing speeds—she walked the charitable Heart Truth Red Dress show at New York Fashion Week in 2010, for example, and looked damn good doing so.

Rafael was once best known for dressing like a pirate on the court, choosing to wear capri pants, sleeveless shirts and headbands. Nowadays, the tennis champ models for brands like Lanvin and Emporio Armani. Upgrade!

A member of the gold-medal-winning U.S. Olympic gymnastics team in 1996, Dominique was famously emancipated from her parents two years after the Atlanta Games. She recently published her autobiography, and seems to be a fan of fashion's current obsession with paisley.

She's a dedicated show jumper who's starred in campaigns for Gucci's equestrian collection and covered international magazines—oh, and she's Princess Caroline of Monaco's daughter to boot. Given all that, it's kind of unfair Charlotte Casiraghi always looks this good.

In between playing basketball and keeping up with the Kardashians (he's Khloe's hubby, in case you didn't know), Lamar Odom still has time to design a clothing line called Rich Soil.

This Serbian tennis ace has a lifetime contract with Adidas, and though she's known for her aggressive on-court demeanor, her style sense clearly skews more soft and feminine.

This legendary Yankees center fielder caught the eye of Marilyn Monroe with his all-American style.

This Norwegian three-time gold medalist has won more Olympic and World titles than any other female figure skater. She was also one of the highest-paid movie stars of her time—and with costumes like the one at left, it's clear she had a flair for the dramatic.

This Swedish Olympian looks more like a model than an ice hockey player. The Rangers goalie is a regular on the fashion show circuit, seen here at the Calvin Klein menswear show in Milan last summer.

One of the most famous gymnasts of all time, Mary Lou scooped up a total of five medals at the 1984 Olympic Games. In addition to being the first female athlete to ever appear on a Wheaties box, she also understands the power of the little black dress.

Lovely Sabine competed in her first Olympics last year, and recently starred in Nike's new "Play" campaign pictured here. We love the elegance this 23-year-old brings to the sport of tennis.

George Best became a fashion icon in the '60s for his mod suits and Beatles-inspired haircut. The Manchester United footballer even opened a clothing store called Best Boutique to help fans get his look.

This British athlete currently holds the world record for the fastest marathon ever run by a woman—she finished in 2:15:25 hours. She's won the London Marathon three times, the New York Marathon twice and the Chicago Marathon once. If that's not a reason to show off one's legs in a perfect little sequined dress, we're not sure what is.

Throughout a career that earned him nine gold medals, this iconic runner became just as known for his bold tracksuits as for his lightning-fast speed.

"Ladies and gentlemen...Sarah Meier, the figure skater on FIIIIIRE!"

This German equestrian studied at Princeton University and has won multiple European championships. Her horse is pretty snazzy, too.

The New York Knicks power forward is practically a style-industry veteran. With a collaboration with Rachel Roy under his belt, this fashion show regular (seen here at the Lanvin Spring 2013 menswear show) reportedly has a collection of his own in the works.

This alpine ski racer, who's won four World Cup championships and took the gold medal in downhill at the 2010 Winter Olympics, is just as well known for her blue-eyed, blonde-haired good looks as for her impressive skills on the slopes. She's currently romantically linked to Tiger Woods, in a relationship as scandalous as it is stylish.

This now-retired softball player helped her team win the gold medal at the 2004 Olympics, and later the silver at the 2008 Games. And in 2002, ESPN named her the Best Dressed athlete at the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards, calling Jennie the "runaway winner."

There’s a reason why movie stars like Kate Hudson and Cameron Diaz have flocked to this Yankees third baseman. His penchant for classic suits that feature trendier details (like his look here, which combines a knit tie with a silk-piped jacket) are worthy of the A-list.

The 22-year-old Danish tennis pro recently announced she's launching her own underwear collection. Additionally, she's the face of Stella McCartney's long-running collection for Adidas.

The Seattle Sounders' goalkeeper helped her team win big at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics—and flaunts her killer style chops when off the field, too.

Tiger rarely strays far from his red-and-black color combination of choice while on the golf course.

One of the most successful golfers of all time, this blonde Swede has won a whopping 90 international tournaments. And under her own ANNIKA lifestyle brand, she's produced a clothing line for Cutter & Buck, a fragrance and even a limited-label wine. We'll drink to that.

This runner became known as “The Man With the Golden Shoes” after his 1996 Olympic win while wearing a pair of gilded Nike kicks.

Undeniably one of the most beautiful athletes on the planet, the Moscow-born tennis player has appeared in numerous fashion ads and swimwear spreads. She caught Enrique Inglesias' eye in 2001, and the pair famously dated for several years.

LeBron’s pink-and-purple color combination is a slam dunk.

With his signature long red hair and penchant for skinny suits, Shaun White could easily pass for a rock star.

This Chicago Bulls point guard looks cool in his own "D-Rose" memorabilia, matching his team’s signature red with his studded sneakers.

A favorite of designer Roberto Cavalli, this Italian figure skater designed all her own costumes for the 2011-2012 competition season. Any lady who chooses to skate in a sequined gown gets our vote.

From her famously wacky embellished nails to her trademark one-legged unitards, the three-time Olympic gold medalist truly owned her unique style sense. She's also still widely regarded as the fastest woman of all time.

The Thunder forward favors preppy, tailored clothes, but it's his love of one unlikely accessory that elevated him to style icon status. Kevin Durant’s backpack has spawned dozens of YouTube videos, a Facebook group (with almost 10,000 likes) and even inspired Nike to release a line of KD backpacks.

This Canadian figure skater was a bronze medalist at the 2010 Olympics, and always turns up in beautiful halter-neck costumes in feminine shades of pink, purple and blue.

Once ranked the No. 1 tennis player in the world, Chris Evert's career winning percentage in singles matches is the highest in the history of the sport. This lady made tennis whites look good.

This Miami Heat power forward, seen here at Duckie Brown's Spring 2013 presentation, embraces his lanky 6’11" frame in slim cuts and tailored separates.

Björn Borg’s distinct look (popped collars and sweatbands) served as the inspiration for Luke Wilson’s character Richie in The Royal Tenenbaums.

The first black woman to win a Grand Slam title (in 1956) and compete on the world tennis tour, this stylish South Carolina native always looked sharp. Later, in 1964, she became the first black woman to join the LPGA Tour.

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