Cam Newton dropped $850 on a pair of crazy striped Versace pants that only a very confident man would wear

AP/David J. PhillipCam Newton is an NFL trendsetter with a penchant for raising the bar.

If Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is emblematic of the NFL’s style renaissance, then this picture shows exactly why.

When Newton landed in San Jose, California, Sunday, all eyes were on him — well, his pants to be more exact. As he got off the plane, he showcased his most adventurous look yet: gold and zebra-striped $850 Versace pants.

Now, this isn’t something we would normally ever recommend someone wear — especially a likely-MVP whose sartorial choices will make national headlines.

That doesn’t matter. None of that matters. It all comes down to one thing: confidence. And Newton clearly has it in spades, as he matches the loud-as-heck pants to gold and black leather shoes and an incredibly trendy black leather motorcycle jacket.

These types of loud and garish pants are known in sartorial circles as “go-to-hell pants” and are preppy New England style staples. They’re usually bright red (or Nantucket red) or made out of seersucker or patched madras. They’re a traditional summer piece for many of the more adventurous East Coasters.

Brooks BrothersBrooks Brothers pants that can be considered “go-to-hell pants.”

These aren’t so much a pair of pants as a lifestyle choice. They say (well, yell, really) to the world: “I honestly don’t care what you think about my choices, and I’m going to wear whatever the hell I want”. That’s an incredibly respectable point of view.

The pants will elicit comments from both friends and passersby, who will in equal numbers approve and disapprove. If you can’t handle that, it’s best to stay far away.

But if you can rock ’em like Newton — and have thighs that match — then by all means go all-in like he did. But like most things, there are gradients and degrees to it, and Brooks Brothers’ take on the classic style is decidedly less bright. That’s really saying something when one of the options is a coral pant printed with navy sailboats.

Go for the pair that feels right, but if you’re feeling hesitant at all, stay far away. These pants are not for the faint of heart or the man with any kind of hang-ups.

The reserved need not apply.