What to Wear: New York Jets

It should be an exciting year to be a New York Jets fan.  After a 4-12 season last year, the fanbase has reason to be excited again after acquiring future Hall of Famer Brett Favre.  While Favre might not lead the Jets to the promised land this season, he certainly gives new fans a reason to jump on board the bandwagon and provides lifelong fans with even more reason to show their pride.

Brett Favre jerseys have been flying off the shelves at NFL.com. These jerseys will no doubt be the "hot" item this upcoming season at the Meadowlands, but we recommend looking just a little bit different from the crowd of number 4 jerseys.  We love jerseys, but Favre isn't exactly at the start of a promising young career - so we predict they will look a bit dated within a couple of years.  You don't see too many Joe Montana Kansas City Chiefs jerseys anymore, right?

Check out these "Ithaca is Pretty" shirts from M. Phil Designs here.  Match the shirt with either a casual looking Jets hat or the team's 2008 draft hat.  The shirt and hat combo looks great and isn't over the top - which is key if you hope to snag anyone's number during pre and post game festivities.

The Jets logo and colors also look good in more traditional fitted caps like this one.

Once again, avoid player "tribute" tees like this one.  If you have that much of a man crush ona player like Favre, it might be wise to pick up a jersey instead. After you make your purchase, consider counseling before you become a full blown stalker.  If you do opt for the Favre jersey, we suggest snagging a throwback "alternate" jersey.  These will set you apart from the crowd. Unfortunately, "authentic" versions of these jerseys (with sewn on numbers) are not yet available as of this posting.  Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the authentic versions of these to appear, as they will last you much longer than the replica versions.

Be sure to check out our other tips for looking good this football season here.  Also, check out our Preseason NFL Preview.  You can find other fun designs from M Phil Designs here.

College Football Preview

I didn't grow up much of a college football fan.  My Dad and my Grandpa took me to a number of Minnesota Golden Gopher games when I was a kid, but, at that age, I was more into watching the NFL on Sundays.  Shortly after I arrived in college, it all started to click.  The families of fans, the band, the mascots, the tradition.  Now, I love college football and it consumes many of my Saturday's in the autumn.  Dressing the part as a college football fan, however, is quite different from looking good at an NFL game.  

College football teams offer jerseys for sale, but I wouldn't really recommend picking one up. The exception to this rule of thumb would be the University of Michigan - where top players always wear the number 1.  Most teams, however, offer the number of a handful of players expected to be the team's stars that upcoming season.  If your favorite player wears the number 1 - consider picking up the jersey if it is available - but other than that, most jerseys will look dated after a couple of years ("number 19? Who is that?  We haven't had anyone wear the number 19 for three years").  If you're willing to spend 50-60 bucks every year or two on a new jersey, this might be for you, but I would instead recommend picking up a hooded sweatshirt with your favorite schools logo.  Hoodies can be worn on more occasions and perfectly compliment a crisp Saturday afternoon.  

If you're a hardcore college football fan and want to opt for a jersey, consider sporting a throwback jersey instead of a jersey for a current player.  These jerseys will look "fresher" longer and you can often find sewn on versions that can live through the wash (important if you are in any danger of having beer spilled on your duds).  

College football has a long and healthy tradition of tailgating.  If you plan on grilling before the game, we recommend layering.  Wear your hat and t-shirt, but be sure to grab your sweatshirt. Once the afternoon or evening sun dips below the edge of most stadiums, you'll want to be prepared - either for yourself, or to lend to that cute recent alumni you just met. 

Avoid: Overly baggy t-shirts given away by the university - instead buy one that fits your shape a little bit better.  

Quick Tip: As a general rule, crushed hats look far better than any other kind of hats at college games.  The casual look just fits a little better in most college football stadiums.  

Rule Number 1: "Crushed" Hats and the Well Dressed Sports Fan

A few days ago, the Well Dressed Girlfriend and I were sitting at an evening baseball game.  We sat watching the local squad under the lights, sipping on a couple of brews and chatting.  We noticed that a large number of the fans in our section looked like total geeks.  Oversized t-shirts, jerseys for teams that weren't even playing or for players long since traded to other squads, and various shades of hideous pink logos.

On the other hand, we also saw a fair number of sports fans who looked pretty good.  A nice looking jersey, cool hat, and matching jeans made single guys look attractive.  If a cute girl wears the right hat, she can look extremely sexy.  Certain ballparks have become the "hot" place in town to meet people.  Some parks even feature "Singles Nights".

Don't get me wrong, we aren't fashion or design professionals.  I'm just a huge sports fan that often  says, "Hey, how does this look?" before walking out the door for the day.   The Well Dressed Girlfriend seems to appreciate this and since it encourages her to keep dating me, which is always a plus.

Plan on meeting a girl or guy at the stadium?  Only go to ballgames once a year and always wonder what the heck you should wear?  Are you a hardcore spots fan that wants to show off your loyalty to your team?  This is a good blog to bookmark. 

Let's get started by talking about hats, aka "caps".

One of the first things I notice about sports fans are their hats.  I collect hats like crazy, so I can be a little particular about how they look on people.  A poorly fitting hat can make you look like a 70 year old skipper.  This works when you have Hall of Fame credentials, but not when you're trying to pick up chicks at the stadium.   A poorly fitting hat on a hot girl just looks like a missed opportunity. 

Let's say you are a casual sports fan.  You go to a couple of games a year and want to avoid looking like a total geek when you're at the ballpark.  Invest in a Twins Enterprises "The Franchise" hat.  A few years ago, people would have called these hats, "crushed" or "broken in". These hats are good for new sports fans for a couple of reasons.  First, they come in only a few sizes.  Small, medium, large, xl, etc.  The caps that baseball players wear on the field come on sizes based on the exact size of your head and are harder to break in (which is the subject for another post).  A "fitted" Twins enterprise hat ("fitted" meaning they don't have an adjustable strap on the back) already looks broken in and fits closer to the dome of your head than the official caps.  In this shot, the guy on the left gets the fit right and the guy on the right rocks the hat with a nice casual sweater.

Rock this cap with a solid color polo shirt and some jeans or khakis and you will look like a well dressed, but casual fan.  If you're going for the more hardcore look, match the hat with a jersey (we will get into matching hats to jerseys later on).  

If you're buying this as a gift for someone, go ahead and grab an adjustable version of the cap.  You can't tell the difference from the front and both look just fine.  Girls tend to like to versatility of adjustable hats, since they can wear ponytails through the opening in the back.

Well Dressed Girlfriend's take: All crushed hats remind me of that Boston Red Sox fan who is comfortable with spending a little time on Saturday night picking out the right Oxford, but likes to watch ESPN and drink a beer on Sundays.  Wearing the crushed hat, of course.  Note: this hat is versatile and not overbearing, but you lose all style points if it's not impeccably clean.  You're not 12 anymore, even if you still love that hat as much as you did then.

Keep in mind these hats fade in the sun.  This can look really great if you keep it clean and clear of sweat stains.  Hand washing the hat with warm water now and again should keep it smelling clean and free of stains.  Avoid throwing hats in either the dish or clothes washer.   

Think about picking up a crushed hat before heading to the ballpark, but be sure to try on their sizes in a store to make sure it fits properly on your dome.  Match it with a solid t-shirt, polo, or oxford, to achieve the preppy look, but don't over do it.  A long sleeve tee, crew sweatshirt or oxford will look more like Nich Lachey than a 70 year old manager.  While we encourage you keep it simple (and to keep your hat clean!) the crushed hat can help you ease in the world of the sports fan.

Click here for a few more tips regarding crushed hats.