Valerie Chiang for The New York Times
In a bathroom at a WeWork in the Gramercy Park neighborhood, Anthony (Spice) Adams was transformed.
He had entered as himself, the former N.F.L. player turned social media sensation, but he emerged festooned in a maroon suit and matching fedora, a white T-shirt from his new merchandise line strategically peering through.
The character Adams was portraying, Oldhead, a dressed-to-the-sevens, know-it-all elder who dispenses unsolicited advice, is among the personas that have helped propel his online popularity. His posts on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter served 100 million impressions in July, up 20 percent from June.