With the rise of athleisure and the increased popularity in buying tickets to attend in person events, I have friends asking me what they should wear to the big game as often as what they should wear to a wedding or on a first date. Game day is not just for sweats and tees. Like every other aspect of the fashion world, sports fashion is quite methodical. The secret to standing out v. the (literal) crowd? Try hard but, don’t look like it. You need to know just a little bit about the sport you are watching in order to dress fresh. Therefore, I have outlined what to wear to America’s top 3 spectator sports - in order of popularity!
Leave the pom-poms behind because, today you’re a player.
Football: If you don’t watch any other games, odds are you still have Super Bowl plans. As an outdoor, fall/winter sport, football fashion has become all about jerseys and how to layer them. I feel my coolest when I am wearing an old-school legendary player’s jersey like Westbrook, Dawkins, or McNabb. It is always a conversation starter! Guys specifically, are always impressed I have these jerseys. When they ask where I got them, my answer is always “this is a twenty year old jersey because I am an OG fan.” This is a surprise because, jerseys can be easily thrifted and if you’re not an OG my top tip on where to find an affordable vintage jersey for your home team is to actually travel to neighboring cities and look there. For example, a Philadelphia fan is more likely to find a sick, affordable Cunningham jersey in DC or NYC because there are less people in those areas that would snatch it up!
Once you have your jersey, I like to wear a shirt underneath that matches whatever color is the outline of the number on your chest. For football, I love leveling up my jersey by pairing it with black leather trousers and either booties or platform sneakers to add length. It's just as easy as wearing black leggings and running shoes but, a million times more thoughtful.
Another note is to find something out about the player you’re wearing and emulate the way they style their jersey. For example, if I’m in a kelly green AJ Brown, in my eyes I have no choice but to wear it with pink sneakers. (AJ Brown is known for wearing pink cleats to help his daughter find him on the field.) If I’m in Jalen Hurts, you best believe I am rocking silver hoop earrings and eyeliner as a nod to his signature eye black.
Baseball: Baseball was first coined “America’s Pastime” by the New York Mercury all the way back in 1856. Whenever I don’t know what to wear to something I like to think about the origins of the event. In this case, pinstripes, high socks, and “baseball shirts” are a must! For a Phillies playoff game this past season I was so happy to find a use for what I like to call my train conductor mini skirt. By adding some movie star sunglasses and mid calf boots I might as well be Louise Gehrig!
If you think about stereotypical symbols for America, baseball, apple pie, and denim often come to mind. If you’re new at attempting to be a baseball fan just go to the game in head to toe denim and a baseball cap! You’ll look more glam than everyone there because committing to one fabric always gets noticed. I went with an off-the-shoulder denim bow top and loose jeans with a thoughtful knee tear in the same shade. For my hat I chose a maroon baseball hat from the 1980 World Series that packaged the darker denim nicely. Any sort of championship gear always plays and isn’t too hard to find years later! I got my hat from someone moving for $2.00.
Baseball is one of the sports to switch out their gear (and players) most often. So instead of going with a vintage jersey prioritize playing into the team’s alternate colors. For some teams, the alternate uniform may have been the main home uniform a few decades prior.
People don’t really think about accessories to wear to a baseball game after all, baseball is not half as flashy as basketball and football. However, it's an old game and therefore a lot of things are tongue in cheek. I.E. “going home.” I love wearing my gold stars necklace because stars are a part of my team’s logo. I also have a diamond shaped necklace that often makes it into the rotation merely because the playing field is called a baseball diamond. It’s clever accessorizing like that that will always make me smile!
Basketball: If I could equate one sport with street style it would be basketball! Basketball is all about showing up and showing off whether you’re in the stadium or at a bar. My favorite thing about going to Sixer’s games is the Drip Cam they have at the first time out of the game. They show the outfits of the players walking into tonight’s game and then pan to the crowd. I’ve used their outfits as mused over years and have perfected the bball watching-look!
#1 is I always want to look like I am someone famous sitting courtside! This means a fur coat or bright colored geometric or graffiti printed coat. Under the coat should be a rhinestone encrusted top that shines when you inevitably get on the Jumbotron for looking so fly. Chains that set off the metal detector walking in are a must! And though, not as big of a sneaker brand as they used to be Nikes, specifically Jordans reign supreme at any basketball arena.
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