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I am staunchly opposed to adult men wearing sports jerseys. Are you an 18-year-old frat bro? No? Put the sports jersey away (unless you are, indeed, a professional athlete). Under absolutely no circumstances should you wear a jersey to any event other than the stadium at which said sports team is playing, and even that’s pushing it. That means not at parties, not at bars and — God forbid — not at a restaurant. Not when you pick up your kids from school or run errands around town. I’m only laying the hammer down because as a society, we have come light years in terms of fan gear.
Brands like Mitchel & Ness, ‘47 and even Abercrombie & Fitch have collections of style-forward, and often vintage-inspired, sweatshirts, tees, hats and jackets that are much more suitable, and honestly way cooler, than any $130 jersey.
Goldbelly Simplified Your Super Bowl Party Spread
The online marketplace teamed up with the NFL to launch officially licensed Super Bowl LIX Tailgate KitsWith one of the biggest sporting events of the year on the horizon, now is an opportune time to gear up with some not-super-ugly fan gear. Whether you plan to climb greased poles on Broad Street or celebrate Kansas City’s potential historic three-peat, you’ll want to look swagged out in those celebratory Instagram posts, right? But even if your teams aren’t appearing in Super Bowl LIX on February 9th, there’s still ample gear for every fan base across every sport (baseball will be here before we know it).
See below for a list of the best brands offering good-looking fan gear for your favorite NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, soccer and college teams.
’47
Starting as a souvenir shop on a vacant lot next to Fenway Park 75 years ago, ’47 has become one of the most recognizable cap brands on the market, offering five different cap silhouettes, plus winter headwear and apparel. Their ’47 Clean Up is their most popular style — a 100% cotton cap with a relaxed, unstructured fit and curved visor. I only own sports caps from ’47, personally. I’m a huge fan of the comfortable fit and unique, retro-inspired designs.
Abercrombie & Fitch
To be honest, I was pretty surprised to see that Abercrombie & Fitch’s collection with the NFL includes banger merch. Seriously, if I could purchase every piece of Eagles fan gear from AF, I would. With merchandise for all 32 football teams, there’s something for everyone. From oversized sweatshirts with letter blocking and retro crewneck sweaters to varsity bomber jackets and graphic tees, the styles exude a cool, old-school sports feel.
Homage
Founded in 2007, Homage offers a nice mix of vintage-inspired apparel offerings with iconic pop-culture moments in sports, film and music. Whether it’s onesies that read “There’s no crying in baseball” or a shiny coach’s jacket, the brand has a piece of comfortable, unique apparel to help you pay homage to your all-time favorite people and moments in sports.
Mitchell & Ness
The Mitchell & Ness label made its debut in 1933 when it began making uniforms for the Philadelphia Eagles, and, a few years later, started outfitting for professional baseball teams. Today, if you want high-end sports gear and don’t mind paying a bit higher price for it, Mitchell & Ness is the place to shop. The Philadephia-based brand offers a premium collection of authentic sports apparel and vintage jerseys for the MLB, NFL, NBA, NCAA and MLS.
Nike
Nike needs no explanation. All you really need to know is that the premier sportswear brand has an entire collection of high-quality fan gear from leagues like the NFL and WNBA. If you must pick up a jersey, Nike has ’em equipped with sweat-wicking technology, along with some more casual options like long-sleeve tees, hoodies, slides and sweatpants. If you’re in the market for Super Bowl LIX fan gear, head to Nike.
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