British Olympic athlete [1] diver Tom Daley — who just won his first gold medal in Tokyo [2], BTW! — can be seen knitting on the sidelines [3] at the Summer Games. It's a hobby he started during lockdown that he's certainly kept up with. (He even crocheted his medal a little pouch [4]!) The 27-year-old documents his creations on an Instagram account dedicated to his fashions, @madewithlovebytomdaley [5].
His first several designs were for his husband, Dustin [6], and their son, Robbie, but now he's even enlisted clients such as dog Izzy The Frenchie [7], who boasts an impressive one million followers. Of course, we have our favourites. We're particularly attracted to Tom's Malibu jumper, above, from pattern-maker Wool and the Gang [8], where he shops regularly. Oh, and the Gucci-inspired knit dress he dreamed up for his bestie doesn't fall far behind in the ranks. Seriously, BFC [9], are you paying attention?
Most importantly, Tom, who lost his father in 2011, donates many of his PDF pattern proceeds to The Brain Tumor Charity [10] and also raffles off his items for the same cause. So, if you're planning on following along, be sure to stay tuned for announcements. As he continues to advocate for LGBTQ+ community [11] rights in the Olympic space as well as raise money for good, Tom is one kindhearted gold medalist we'll be following for his fashion, too. Click through to see some of his work, which culminates with crochet swim trunks that are totally worth scrolling for.
