From dressing room to living room: Harrison Butker wants to elevate men through tailored excellence

It’s no coincidence the NFL’s sharpest kicker has launched a made-to-measure menswear company.

“I’ve always been drawn to dressing well,” says the Kansas City Chiefs’ Harrison Butker, who approaches his wardrobe with the same discipline as a game-winning kick, believing excellence will follow.

It’s working.

Butker, who is expected to return from injury later this month, became the NFL’s all-time leader in field goal accuracy (89.2%) over the weekend, after the Ravens’ Justin Tucker and the Panthers’ Eddy Piñeiro missed kicks.

Butker’s accuracy has helped the Chiefs win three Super Bowls since he arrived in 2017, putting him in a tie for second all-time in championships as a kicker, trailing Adam Vinatieri by one. 

Elevating men 

But dressing well to live well isn’t just for star kickers. 

Butker, motivated by his Catholic faith, wants to elevate men everywhere to develop good habits and pursue excellence in all they do, including their dress. 

“Being Catholic is central to everything I do and everything I am; I love being able to bring Catholic virtues into any business that I am involved in,” he says of the menswear company he co-founded, Shepherd’s, which just opened a showroom in Leawood, Kansas, a Kansas City suburb. 

“A value we really emphasize at Shepherd’s is uplifting men and encouraging them to live up to their fullest potential, and that starts with dressing well, kind of the same way it’s good to make your bed in the morning,” Butker explains. “It’s a habit that shapes you.” 

It’s a deeply held belief shared by the three other co-owners of the company. 

“Shepherd’s stands for the best of what men can be in the world,” says St. Louis native and Head Tailor Nathan Price, who’s been in menswear since high school and began working with Butker during the 2022 season. “We want to make clothes that a guy can throw on and forget, that he can be a husband and a father in, and that he can feel proud to wear, maybe even that he’d feel like standing up a little taller.”

The confidence and respectability generated by dressing well is something Shepherd’s wants more men to experience. 

“There’s a certain feeling when you put on a suit or a sports jacket and you know you’ve put care into how you’re presenting yourself in the world,” says co-owner Austin Wright. “We want more guys to have that feeling and get in that habit.” 

Shepherd’s CEO Chris Cottrell knows the feeling, and even remembers the first time he wore the menswear staple of a navy blazer. 

“I was on a field trip to the state capitol in Arizona, and I remember feeling more confident when I put on the blazer,” Cottrell recalls. “I think everyone has had that feeling of seeing and wearing a high-quality garment. 

“Our first principle – or our ‘why’ – is that we believe it’s important for everyone to dress well because it encourages them to take care of themselves and it shows respect for others, both of which are good.” 

Pregame drip 

Now in his third season working with Price, Butker has developed a reputation for his game-arrival attire. But the planning starts well before the games, and even the season. 

“The process of designing the suits each season starts when the schedule is released,” Butker says. “We plan out everything together and go through a lot of fabric options to select ones that fit the weather, the location, and the time of year. Once we have the fabric picked, we’ll select everything else about the suit, things that don’t stand out to the casual observer but make a difference when they come together.” 

Butker remembers one of his custom Shepherd’s suits from last season: 

“I wore a dark green double-breasted suit to the game against Buffalo … We picked a dark green Prince of Wales flannel, which is a very English fabric, and gave it a more British styling with strong shoulders and double-breasted peak lapels and a nod to the countryside with pockets that were originally designed for hunting jackets.” 

Attention to detail? Check. 

“Like I said, this wouldn’t stand out to most people but it all fits together,” he explains. “It’s been a fun experience and has allowed us to showcase the great work that Shepherd’s can offer.” 

New teammate and veteran wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins noticed. A style connoisseur himself, Hopkins stopped by Shepherd’s in October to order some custom suits after being acquired midseason by the Chiefs. 

“First stop groceries, next stop Shepherd’s. Welcome to Kansas City @deandrehopkins!” the menswear company posted on Instagram. 

Women, men and society 

The menswear business is really part of a larger vision Butker has for leveraging his God-given platform for good. 

“I’ve been interested in menswear and how to elevate society for quite a while,” he says, adding he is grateful to work with a like-minded team at Shepherd’s. 

In the last year, Butker’s platform has reached new heights. 

In February he won his third championship, setting two Super Bowl records, for longest field goal (57 yards) and most career field goals in Super Bowls (9). In August, he was rewarded with a record contract extension for a kicker, worth $25.6 million over four years. 

But neither of those feats put him in the middle of a national conversation about the dignity of motherhood, fatherhood, and family, though they may have made it possible. 

In a May commencement speech delivered at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, Butker unapologetically declared what Christians have long believed: women and men have profound, distinct roles and gifts they should embrace, not avoid.

A woman can find deep significance in the vocation of wife and mother, he said, even more than in a career. While this declaration launched a national debate online and in the media, it was met with resounding applause during the speech. 

“I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabelle, would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation, as a wife, and as a mother,” Butker said. “I’m on this stage today and able to be the man I am, because I have a wife who leans into her vocation.” 

Butker’s address also included a challenge to men, to take responsibility and “do hard things.” 

“As men, we set the tone of the culture, and when that is absent, disorder, dysfunction, and chaos set in,” he said. “This absence of men in the home is what plays a large role in the violence we see all around the nation. … Be unapologetic in your masculinity, fighting against the cultural emasculation of men. Do hard things. Never settle for what is easy.” 

Less than 24 hours after Butker had surgery on his left knee in November, he stood comfortably near the back of Shepherd’s new storefront, where guests had gathered for its opening event. 

It certainly would have been easier – and understandable – had he bowed out. 

Instead, Butker donned a stunning, well-tailored Shepherd’s suit and conversed with anyone who approached, unapologetically sharing his vision to lift up men.