Sportswear Reimagined
…because rooting for your favorite teams fashionably is completely possible.
by ELIZA CARDILLO ★ OCTOBER 28, 2022
Football season is underway, baseball playoffs are here, and the NBA and NHL seasons commenced in October. It’s once again the time of year when we’re roped into watching the Jets with our grandparents or the 76ers while our situationship mansplains setting a pick. And many of us, let's be honest, are just there for the guac or buffalo chicken dip. Still, a portion of us, including me, are overly competitive, extremely toxic sports fans. Whatever your prerogative is, I promise you, there’s a better way to go about your fan gear.
Let’s begin with your classic big t-shirt. This is not only something you can wear to your Sunday sports-viewing gatherings, but to class, on a hot girl walk, or out to lunch with friends. Peace Collective has some amazing basics with tasteful fonts and timeless colors. Homage offers some amazing vintage-looking oversized tees that are so comfortable and such good quality. I also highly suggest you check out Kilam for some dope twists on your classic team tee. Though it’s not your traditional baggy t-shirt, we can’t forget to mention the power of a good baby tee. For NCAA team baby tees, Hype & Vice is probably your best bet. For professional sports team crop tops/baby tees, there are dozens of Etsy sellers who have some adorable tops. Plus, you can support a small business when you buy.
Comfy outerwear is the perfect thing to throw on when you're headed to a winter sporting event or viewing party. 47 Brand has dozens of hoodie and crewneck options and carries apparel for essentially all MLB and NBA teams. Mitchell & Ness carries some super stylish, retro NFL/NBA/MLB jackets. However, these do count as investment pieces!
Ebbets Field Flannels (also on the pricey side of things) sells super unique sports pieces, all with a vintage feel. Of course, you can always look to find actual vintage outerwear as well. Just be wary of resellers overcharging! If you want to take the time to scour through the racks of local thrift stores, all the power to you. For those of you that can’t find that time, Depop and Poshmark often have some great pre-loved MLB/NBA/NFL sweatshirts from the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Finally, there’s the prized baseball hat. Surprisingly, Urban Outfitters has a pretty good selection of flat-top caps and dad hats. Their fabrics and patterns are unique and timeless. Culture Kings also has some great options under their “unisex” and “men’s” sections. On that note, I would like to encourage you to take a look under these sections, specifically the men’s sections, when you’re looking for fan gear (or really any clothing). Most companies tend to develop more sports-related apparel for men as they assume that’s the audience that will be wearing it daily. So, when you look on some of the sites if recommended, the “Men’s” options will appear to be more on trend and won’t contain glitter, deep v-necks, or fringe like the women’s do (yikes). The fashion industry has seen so much change in the past decade, and it’s time that fresh, on-trend options are offered in the unisex realm and the women’s realm as well. That being said, broaden your horizons when you search for baseball hats. These are perfect to throw on while running errands, working out, or hiding your face in Schine to avoid last night’s hookup.
We hope this provided some insight into the world of fashionable fan gear. Because, even if you’re a Jets fan, you can at least dress cute to make up for your consistently poor performances (sorry, that was a low blow). It’s time we normalize fan gear being an everyday look for anyone who wants it to be, not just Chad and his friends in DKE or your grandpa who’s a die-hard Cubs fan. Tis’ the season for tailgates, nail-biter playoff games, and athlete crushes (shoutout Jayson Tatum).