There has been much criticism centred around the newfound trend of wearing fan apparel away from the sports stadiums. While it is true that the hype around causally wearing sports apparel for its fashion-ward yet minimal effort, athleisure look has only grown in recent years, fashion critics point out that this trend was never open to everyone –that is, specifically full-grown men.
Critics point out that there is a way to wear this trend wrong, and this fashion YES becomes the ultimate NO say for example, when overweight dads slip on their size-too-small fan gear before their family trip to the mall or for their outing to their local bar to sip beers with their buds.
But is there a right way for grown men to sport these jerseys AND not be the perpetrators of the ultimate fashion hate crime? Let’s discuss!
In this article we will talk a bit about the most acceptable ways sport men’s sports jerseys and still look put together. We will also give you a few tips on where to get your hands on these fan jerseys.
How To Wear Your Favourite Team’s Jersey AND Avoid the Fashion Police
- Wear The Right Size, Dad!
This might feel like a general rule for most any item of clothing, but hear us out! The rules are a bit different for sports apparel. As a general rule when it comes to wearing sports gear, opt at least for one or two sizes over your correct size. Not only does this LOOK better, but if you are generally bigger in size this can both be flattering and immolate the look of the powerful lineman from the NFL who are usually pretty big guys themselves.
Picture a 300lb man wearing a men’s sports jersey that is one size too small. Now, picture that same man in a lineman jersey two sizes too big… which one do you think looks better? Exactly.
Plus, offensive and defensive linemen are powerful and intimidating figures, so why not replicate them. Alternatively, you could grow out your hair and beard and sport a Nick Mangold jersey to twin with the famous Jets centre. Of course, matching with any one figure is not a must and you can look good in any fan jersey that feels right to you – as long as it is the right size!
You can get your lineman jerseys here on the official NFLSHOP.COM where you can easily select which team and which player’s jersey you want to sport.
- Stick to Your era!
If you are pushing 60, nothing looks as good as sporting your favourite throwback jerseys. It looks good, it sends a message that you are not ashamed of your age, and it looks fashionable!
A grandpa of 6 wearing a Broadway Joe, Namath jersey? Now that’s athleisure done right.
If fashion is not your main concern, then you can definitely disregard this advice. But we think the best way to hop onto this trend is to sport that throwback with your head held high!
Fanatics.com has an extensive variety of throwback fan apparel for sale. Feel free to browse their website for the perfect throwback jersey for you.
- Skip The Visitor’s Jersey, Choose Colour Instead!
Maybe not so much a fashion ‘no-no’, as a fashion ‘uh-oh’; in the case of the white visitor’s jersey, the problem we have is not so much with the jersey itself. In fact, wearing white is a whole fashion statement in itself.
But owning a white jersey is not worth it unless your plan is to never wear it out.
Why spend upwards of $50 on one shirt that you will, more than likely, immediately ruin by spilling your ketchup or beer on it?
It’s simply not worth the investment. Plus, nothing is as unappealing to the eye as a shirt full of stains!
Of course, if you plan to buy the shirt just to look at it in the comfort and safety of your own home (not in your kitchen), be our guest!
The best place to find ANY other men’s sports jerseys (including but not limited to football, baseball, basketball, soccer jersey) is AMAZON.COM or FANATICS.COM. Both websites offer huge varieties and excellent customer service.
No fuss, and importantly, no mess!
- Avoid the Wear and Tear!
If you are prepared to throw down $100+ on a fan jersey, we highly suggest that you pinch together those few extra dollars and splurge on the stitched jersey over the printed replica.
Not only does this look more expensive, it is also better quality and will last you much longer (and through many more laundry cycles).
You will be able to sport your beloved fan apparel for possibly even years more before wear and tear gets to it.
A second part to avoiding the wear and tear, if you cannot afford the printed jersey, is to store your jerseys properly! You cannot simply fold and stash these in random draws. Opt for hanging your team sweater in the closet (possibly in a dry-cleaning bag) to avoid creasing the printed names or numbers on the backs.
Find both your stitched jerseys or your dry-cleaning bags on Amazon.com.
We Will Conclude by Saying…
While many might exclude grown men from today’s younger generation’s fashion trends, there is definitely ways you can avoid a serious fashion faux pas if you follow our simply advice!
In this article we laid out four guidelines for men to wear men’s sports jerseys acceptably away from the sport stadiums.
This included wearing the correct size jerseys (a mandatory one to two sizes up), sticking to the sports era appropriate for your age (a throwback is a comeback!), staying away from white (it’s not only a crime on labour day) and avoiding wear and tear to ensure you can continue to sport your favourite team’s colours for years to come!