Lewis Hamilton feels that his ‘daring’ fashion choices in the Formula One paddock will encourage other people to be more tolerant of others.
When he isn’t in his regular team uniform, the world champion has made it a practice to wear some unique fashions at grand prix.
He wore an eye-catching blue and black kilt and trousers with a matching Burberry jacket in Turkey on Thursday.
While his clothing have caused some criticism among fans, he stated at the Istanbul Park circuit that he hoped that by showing that he was at ease wearing what he chose, he could achieve a greater good.
“It’s quite daring,” he said about his kilt. “I really like what Burberry is doing, and I just love the outfit.
“I go through all these different images online and find things that I like. I did a shoot with GQ a couple years ago with a kilt, and it was one that we specially made with Tommy Hilfiger, which was again just gender neutral.
“Anyone can wear whatever they want. There will be people that don’t understand it, but that’s okay. Hopefully they’ll eventually go through the opening their mind phase and let people be who they want to be.”
Hamilton, who was in Paris for Fashion Week and just attended the Met Gala, stated that his interest in these events was a far way from what people expected in Formula One.
“It’s a much different world naturally to F1,” he said. “F1’s obviously not focused on that and it’s obviously very corporate. There is no fashion, actually, in F1.
“I always felt like it was always a place that it wasn’t easy to be yourself. And when I went to a fashion show, when you’re in a fashion week for example, you’re surrounded by people from all different walks of life, expressing themselves in different ways.
I love that environment where I’m able to be able to express myself. I now do that on the racetrack. And I feel free to be able to do so.”
Hamilton stated that being able to turn off from Formula One and get lost in the world of fashion for a while was also helpful to him.
“I love being able to separate from the sport, and the intensity of this whole season is difficult for everyone that’s at the track,” he said.
“So to be able to have something else, another outlet, that you can focus on helps take the weight off it.
“So when I come back, it always feels fresh when I come to a GP, because it’s not something I’ve been thinking about every single day.”
The uniforms of Formula One racing drivers are currently available at the following websites for a reasonable price:
