While our primary uniform interest here at Uni Watch is those uniforms worn on the field of play, we do sometimes focus on fan gear and other attributes of the overall viewing experience to a much lesser extent.
A good bit of focus recently has been on MLB’s City Connect (CC) program, and whether it has been “successful” both on and off the field. While most of us would probably agree the entire program has produced mostly bad-to-terrible uniforms — yes, there have been some good CC uniforms mixed in — the overall success cannot entirely be measured by the CC uniforms created for the teams.
Anecdotally, we’ve had a number of readers remark on how fans of some teams (or just fans of the CC caps and jerseys) have absolutely embraced the gear, noting it’s seen “all over the place” and not just at certain stadiums or games. In particular, Colorado and San Diego have been cited as examples of fans embracing CC caps and jerseys and sporting them any time, anywhere. Fans in other cities seem much less enamored with the merch.
Here in New York, where the Mets were recently outfitted with a CC earlier this season, I’ve seen very few folks wearing CC gear — whether it be the cap or the jersey. In fact, the only CC gear I’ve witnessed “in the wild” was when one of the guys I curl with was sporting a Mets CC shirsey last week. I may have seen one Mets CC cap not being worn at a Mets game.
I recently went to a Mets/Giants game with UW stalwart Kary Klismet, and it fell on a day when the Mets wore their CC uniforms. I was expecting to see quite a few fans sporting CC gear, but surprisingly, very few of those in attendance were. I don’t necessarily think the relative dearth of CC gear (on a day the Mets wore their CCs) is in any way a barometer of the program’s success or lack thereof. But it did get me thinking about what fans wear to games, as well as what they wear everyday.
Fans at games I’ve attended run the uni-gamut from “hardcore” to casual. By this I mean some fans will wear an authentic jersey and cap, specific to what the team is wearing (the hardcore). They actively choose their gameday outfit based on what the team is wearing on the field that day. Others not-quite as hardcore will wear a jersey and/or cap to every game, irrespective of what the team is sporting. Many others will wear team gear (t-shirts, shirseys, etc.) that show support for the team. Then there are those who will wear team-adjacent clothing (like the “I’m Calling It Shea” t-shirts Paul and I are wearing in today’s splash photo). Finally, there are attendees who don’t wear anything team-related at all.
My first question to you is: how do you “dress” if you go to a game? In football and hockey, I see way more “official” (and knockoff) jerseys than at a baseball game. In fact, hockey fans seem the most passionate, with what seems like half the audience wearing team jerseys. Football is close. If you’re going to see your team play, how likely are you to wear a team jersey or cap?
My next question is: if you’re just going about your business on a typical day, how likely are you to wear a jersey or cap or t-shirt? Do you “show your colors” depending on the season or how the team is doing? I have a few Mets-related t-shirts which I do wear casually as well as to games, but not only is it mostly seasonal (I’m much more apt to wear Mets gear during the season), it’s also sometimes dependent on how the team is doing. I’m much more apt to wear a Mets t-shirt after a win, or when the team is playing well. When they have a bad stretch (like in June of 2023), I tend not to wear any Mets gear at all. To those of you who support your team by owning and wearing merch, is it ever dependent upon time or year or team record? Or do you wear team gear regardless?
Is your choice of game-day attire dependent upon the sport? I mentioned above that when I attend a hockey game, it seems like half the arena are wearing hockey sweaters. But those games are generally played during colder months, and no matter what time of year, in an indoor hockey game, it’s going to be cool enough to comfortably wear a hockey jersey. Conversely, I see very few fans in team jerseys, especially without some sort of undershirt, at a basketball game. Since hockey and basketball are played at roughly the same time of year, is that a reflection of “fanhood” or simply a concession to the weather? If you attend either a hockey or basketball game, are you more likely to wear a hockey sweater than a basketball top?
Let’s throw in fashion jerseys and caps — those items that are never worn by the team on the field, but which are still team gear (for example, the red “NY” Yankees cap Spike Lee made famous). Do you buy and wear these items to games? Or do you restrict that to everyday use? I know some fans who own dozens of jerseys for their teams, but they are only (and always) something the team currently wears, or has worn in the past. When asked, they tell me they’ll only wear something the team has worn. Others have said they’ll “buy anything” with a team logo on it. Do you wear “fashion” gear for your team?
There are no judgments here: I’m simply curious as to how deep your fanhood runs when it comes to wearing team gear.
We’ve also recently discussed whether a particular uniform is “lucky” or “successful.” For example, the Red Sox sport an ungodly good record when they wear their CCs. Do you think there is such a thing as a “lucky” uniform?
Adjacent to that — do you as a fan feel YOU have a lucky shirt or cap? Do you wear it more often than not? Do you feel your wearing of a certain article of clothing relates in any way to the success of your team? A good buddy of mine is a Yankees fan. I remember a particular time in 1996 when the Yankees played Atlanta in the World Series. For the first two games (both Yankees losses), he wore a Yankee pinstripe jersey and cap. For game three, he simply wore a plain white t-shirt and no cap and the Yanks won that game. For game four, he wore the same (unwashed from the day before) t-shirt. The Yankees won. You can probably guess what he wore for games five and six. In his mind, his decision to wear that white t-shirt was the reason the Yankees won that World Series.
Now, obviously, his choice of gear had absolutely zero effect on the outcome of the games, yet he was sure the shirt became the Yankees good luck charm. Have any of you ever had a similar experience? Do you believe your choice of gear can somehow affect a game (or series) outcome?
What about other rituals? I have another friend who actually will begin to grow a beard when the NHL playoffs start (but only if his team is in them). He won’t shave until his team is eliminated, in solidarity with his team’s players, who also don’t shave until their playoff run is complete. Does your fanhood include anything along these lines?
So what kind of a fan are you? What do you wear to games (or everyday), and do you base your choice(s) on different factors? Do you believe wearing (or not wearing) a certain shirt or jersey in any way affects how your team does?
Love to hear your thoughts on this!
I usually wear a jersey or tshirt to games. day to day, I probably wear team branded stuff twice a week or so, and a Mets hat maybe 5 of 7. Have a few fashion caps, and or oddballs like the all black and all white from Players Weekend a few years ago. They mostly are so I can support the Mets while wearing a not blue and orange outfit, or wear with a different teams jersey. Also, fashion caps are great for my softball team that wears phillies throwback colors, but I balance it with a burgundy Mets Cap
As a self-loathing lifelong Cowboys fan, I don’t gear up much. But I wear a cap pretty much every day for one of the local pro teams (Cowboys, Mavericks, Rangers). My only Cowboys shirt is an I MISS TEXAS STADIUM tee from UniWatch. My game attire is whatever I’m wearing that day. For college, I’m a New Mexico State grad, so our merch is in fairly short supply, but I absolutely will proudly rep NMSU when they play sacrificial payday lamb to Texas A&M, UT, Alabama, etc. It works, too. Saw the good Aggies play at Kyle Field vs. the evil Aggies. They were 43.5-point underdogs. We lost by only 42.
I sit here typing this in my office while wearing a San Francisco Giants polo shirt. So, yeah, I wear team gear to work. I almost wore a blue shirt to work before remembering that the Giants are playing the Dodgers this weekend, thus banning blue as a whole from my wardrobe for the weekend. I do not own a single garment in the specific shade of blue used by the Dodgers and once refused to wear the jerseys for my daughter’s softball team because they were Dodgers blue and white. I was the coach.
When I go to games, which is rare since I now live in Texas, I were a jersey and cap. I went to a AAA game where the River Cats (Giants affiliate) were playing, so I wore Giants gear.
I wear my Uni-Watch hockey jersey to all hockey games I attend.
I own only 1 replica jersey (baseball) and rarely wear it because it’s too hot and synthetic. I have a thing for cotton clothing. I wear shirseys or team fashion tshirts to games. No lucky clothing for me. I do have one fashion cap (pink) but rarely wear it. The cap I usually wear is from an earlier era and it’s cotton twill, so it’s not authentic.
Hockey is the only other sport I follow and I very rarely attend games. I own 1 short sleeve and 1 long sleeve T-shirt for that team. I’m surprised at how many authentic hockey jerseys fellow fans I follow on Twitter own and continue to purchase. It’s just not my thing to spend a lot of money on team gear but I don’t judge people who do. I’m just more surprised at then having that much disposable income for hobbies.
I’m a very hardcore/passionate fan for my teams. When I go to games [or even when I’m watching games at home], I’m all-out full uniform because I’m not only showing my support for the team, but in some instances showing my support for the mascot because I’m a diehard mascot fanatic, and have been since 2010. I own close to 80 jerseys, and I would say half or close to it are mascot-customized or mascot-inspired [i.e. with the number they wear but no NOB]. I’ll wear team jersey, team pants, team socks/stirrups, the whole nine yards. This applies for football, baseball, basketball and hockey [ESPECIALLY hockey, I would say it’s my favorite sport to go full-uni for, although baseball is a close second because stirrups].
Work is a bit trickier because my job just recently relaxed its dress code. I have been able to wear team jerseys/shirts to work, so I’ll wear one if one of my teams has a game that day/night or they’ve had a big victory the day prior.
I’m a long-suffering Suns fan, and I usually wear a Suns shirt a couple times a week. Attending games has become less and less frequent over the years, but I usually go in a Suns t-shirt. I also frequently wear my Suns cap during the week, and I’ll probably wear it until it has lost all life because it’s so hard to find a cap that fits my big head! (size 8 1/4). (I also have Diamondbacks and Cardinals caps of course)
My Arizona Coyotes shirt will still probably still get occassional wear, and I also have a favorite Diamondbacks shirt. I’m still on the lookout for a Cardinals shirt that I like. And a Phoenix Firebirds shirt too, for that matter.
I like to sport my team’s colors when I go to a game. This might be influenced early on when watching a USC/UCLA football game, when they shared the Coliseum. The rivalry game would split the stadium in half, equally sharing the stadium. It was very cool to see half the stadium red, and half light blue. Even though they don’t do this anymore, it’s still great to see the different fans. I hated that when at the ASU/USC in Tempe, you couldn’t differentiate who the fans were supporting, since the colors were similar. I was always surprised by the number of Trojans attending when USC would score, and the Trojan contingent would stand up and cheer. Otherwise the maroon and cardinal red would just blend in together. Contrast matters!
I have quite a few USC shirts, sweatshirts, and hats. I also have USC head covers for my golf clubs. I wear them, but not a lot. I have one Suns t-shirt in I haven’t worn in years. Same for the Cardinals. I only have a hat for the D-Backs. Might be that they are my adopted teams, having moved here from Southern California. I still love my natural born teams.
I wear team gear at any time of year, no matter how they’re performing. My fanhood is primarily Indiana University so, outside of the summer, sports are always in-season. I’m more likely than not to wear team gear to a game in support of my team, but it’s not something I’m devoted to. I’ve become far less likely to wear “official” jerseys as I’ve gotten older (I’m now in my 50s). It just doesn’t look and feel right to me.
Love wearing a jersey and cap to a game but rarely rock the jersey casually the older I get. Being down in Texas I do my best to wear my beloved Stars gear as much as possible. Have made a couple of lifelong friends just because we both like hockey even if it is not the same team (made one friend just because he had his Knights hat on and that is what sparked our first conversation). Other than the yearlong Stars gear I will wear something during the proper season of my other teams and especially after a W cause of the conversations it sparks (and the opposite after a loss haha). Playoffs make it x100.
Growing up in San Diego, but currently living in Arizona, I don’t get a whole lot of opportunities to go to games of my team. I am a FIRM believer that you DO NOT wear your team’s apparel to a game if they’re not playing. For example, I can go to a DBacks vs Rockies game and I won’t wear Padres gear. I’ll just go as a fan of baseball.
If I go to a Padres game, it’s always jersey and hat. I would be more inclined to wear CC apparel if I am going to a CC game, but I wouldn’t steer away from wearing CC to any game. With the Padres’ wavering aesthetic history, one thing I see at a lot of games is mixing and matching eras and it drives me nuts. I would never wear a blue/orange jersey with a brown/yellow hat. Or a CC hat with a brown/yellow jersey. I have three jerseys, ’98 Gwynn, Brown Alt Soto (sad face) and White Home Tatis. If I wear one of those jerseys, I always match it with the corresponding hat. I do have a CC hat, which I wear with a CC shirt, and one fashion hat (black with white SD), which I wont wear to games, but i’ll wear to anything else.
Hockey: Always a sweater
I don’t have basketball or football teams
Some of you may know me for my lacrosse write ups. That’s always a jersey as well. I have three California Redwoods jerseys and one San Diego Seals jersey. I’m going to frame one of the Redwoods jerseys (Kyle Harrison), i’m going to use one for signatures on the front only (player is no longer on the Redwoods) and the third one I wear to watch/go to games
I have as much affinity for the billionaire owners of pro teams as they do for me. Watching for free (paying with my views of ads) is about all the satisfaction I’ll give them. I don’t need a polyester tee shirt to further line their pockets.
I do think it’s a barometer of the success of a uni set. Being a Jets and Mets one thing I’ve noticed on my trips to MetLife during the Jets’ 19-23 set was absolute dearth of the new unis worn by the fans. If anything there were far more of the white throwbacks. Even on TV it was noticeable that you would see mostly Namath era unis. Combine that with comments on social media when it was not positive, very similar to the current Mets CCs (save Grimace jokes).
It doesn’t help when there is little to no connection to the current color scheme. The Mets brand is Blue and Orange not graphite and black with a touch of purple. Additionally the they minimized traditional marks in lieu of an NYC which while using the road font isn’t immediately connectable. It’s like putting a Coca Cola in dark blue and purple can with a C that uses the “classic” font in black. People aren’t going to get it. When Coke uses alternate colors they use their word mark to tie it back to the brand. The Mets didn’t really do that. If they had done that (like the road “New York”, NY monogram, or similar) it would be more successful.
As for the Mets for home games I will usually wear a jersey and cap. The jersey it depends but I’ve wearing the blue road cap. I don’t consider it lucky just something fun to wear.
I’m 50+ years old and feel silly wearing team gear to a game. Not criticizing those who wear jerseys, etc. I’ll root for a team, but I’m not part of that team. I’ll leave the uniforms to the players.
I’m 58 and done wearing jerseys for the most part, but t-shirts, sweatshirts and caps I still wear. You won’t even wear those?
Lee
Agree with you. I wear T-shirts and hats, but I’ve never owned a jersey. When I was young it was probably because I was too cheap, but now I just think it looks silly for grown men to wear game jerseys.
I’m curious if you consider on-field coaches wearing jerseys to look silly or just older fans?
I pretty always wear a Nats cap at games I attend, regardless of sport. All DC teams being red (and most blue too) makes it easy to coordinate.
I don’t wear a Nats jersey in the stands much anymore, but maybe a t-shirt along with the cap. If i am coming from work, I might wear a Nats tie.
For Caps games, I usually wear my throwback M&N jersey, but I have a 2010s vintage red one too.
I wear a blue Nats cap at Penn State games, bit they are so rare now…
I haven’t attended a live sporting event in two decades. But I wear a piece of sporting apparel every day. My principal obsession is with the generic apparel regardless of team branding. So I am just as likely to wear a baseball cap with a Pink Floyd logo as a Mets’ logo. Even though I have allegiances, they seldom figure into what I decide to put on. About the only rule I observe is to make sure the hat and shirt represent different sports.
Baseball is usually a jersey, and often times some throwback jersey of the ream. My daily wear does consist of a series of football (Raiders, 49ers, Fresno State) and beaseball polos of A’s, Hall of Fame and ones picked up at All Start games.
Hockey games are a jersey (sweater) too and usually a throwback (Seals of various years)
Though I have throwback football jerseys, my attore is usually a polo and team cap
An authentic baseball cap of my home team is the only gear I’d wear year round. Outside of that I’ll wear a shirt or hat “seasonally” based on which teams are playing that day. Of course there will always be exceptions based on circumstances such as wearing a basketball jersey en lieu of a tank top when I know I’m visiting a summer beach town or the county fair.
Aside from that, I rarely wear jerseys l unless it’s to a game or watch party I’m attending. My big hang up is I collect hats for every stadium I visit but I can’t really justify a good time to ever wear them.
I can’t wear anything that is not team colours. My OCD kicks in way too much for me to wear a fashion cap. For games I wear a jersey (except basketball). I prefer retros jersey for my teams.
I am a Californian now living in New York City. I’ve been here for one year now, and have only attended 1 Mets game, and 1 Yankees game. Both times I wore my orange SF Giants t-shirt.
I would never wear a NY sports team’s gear, altho I would wear a NY baseball Giants cap if I found one cheap enough.
Lee
There are only two types of games at which I will consistently wear jerseys: St. Louis City SC games and Minnesota Vikings games. I don’t do the soccer jerseys all season long because early/late season weather in STL isn’t always conducive to short-sleeved jerseys. I am primarily a Bruins fan when it comes to hockey and I have three B’s jerseys, so when I attend Bruins games in STL I wear those. I don’t own a Blues jersey so when I attend their games against other teams I wear my other Blues fan gear.
It’s rare or never that I attend a game without any fan gear for the team I am supporting in that game.
The reason I have so much sports gear is because I get most of it at Goodwill or other thrift stores, or I wait for a clearance sale…as I did when I bought my Pittsburgh Maulers jersey and my Pittsburgh Thunderbirds shirt.
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I wore the jersey to the T-Birds home opener because of the colors. If I ever go to another Steelers or Pirates game, most likely I’ll wear the same jersey. But that’s not set in stone.
I’ll wear my sports gear all year round, anytime I’m in a casual setting. No “lucky” shirts or jerseys for me.
When I kick field goals, I mostly wear a jersey or a football T-shirt, but I’ve also kicked with plain workout shirts or T-shirts.
Sometimes I’ll wear something for the team I’m watching, sometimes I’ll wear a different team’s gear.
For baseball, when I go to a stadium for the first time, I like to get a hat for the occasion, and I always try to get a standard team “Home” hat. If I go back, that hat is what I wear. This has been foiled at least once, the first time I went to Chase Field in Phoenix, was just to eat at the restaurant there in the off-season, and my in-laws, knowing that I get a hat when I go to a ballpark, surprised me with a “Road” Diamondbacks hat since they liked that one better, and I decided that was good enough.
The few times I’ve lived close enough to teams to go somewhat regularly, I’ve also gotten authentic jerseys to wear to games, but generic, without a name or number. It feels more timeless, as players tend to come and go. Strangely, those seem to lean towards more towards alternate jerseys, like a blue Cubs alt and a red Nationals alt. I think another relative gave me a Nationals road jersey, from their first year in DC. The only home jersey I have is a White Sox pinstriped jersey, which I liked just a bit better than their black alternate at the time.
For other sports, I just try to pick out a decent looking cap with some version of a team logo.
I’m generally a “t-shirt to the game” guy. I like collecting hats, but I hate wearing them…
Though I’m an old fart, I think its fun to wear a jersey and cap to games. I mainly attend Braves games, so I try to wear a different jersey and matching cap. Most are throwbacks and rarely match what the team is wearing on the field (though an old guy wearing a throwback usually looks more ancient than cool!). I love to check out the merch worn by other fans, but don’t notice which fans go to the trouble of matching what’s on the field.
I see tons of the new city connect jerseys at Braves games, but slightly fewer CC caps. I like the CC jerseys better than the caps. Also see more and more fashion caps at games and around town. Many are okay, but I’d rather wear something closer to what’s worn on field. I mostly only wear one of my various Braves caps (or the AAA Stripers). I often wear Braves polos or PFGs to work. I usually have a Braves cap in the car, so if I score a last minute ticket I’ll at least have a cap to wear to the game.
I own a Dominique Wilkins jersey and would consider wearing it to a Hawks game, or a Brett Favre or Matt Ryan jersey to see the Falcons.
Not a true “fan” of any team. There are teams I seem to like more than others, but nobody I am willing to kill or be killed for. Typically, when I visit a stadium I root for the home team.
My wife and I love hockey together and will both dress in sweaters. If it is an ECHL game, we wear whatever we want. If it is a Panthers vs Lightning game, she wears one and I wear the other. If it is Florida or Tampa only, she wears the local team and I wear a defunct franchise (breaking out my howling Coyote next year).
I have several MLB shirts that I will wear doing shopping and errands.
At work, we have “Mission Monday” where teachers are encouraged to wear college, career, or military apparel to remind students that there is life after high school. I alternate between my alma mater and trade school shirts on those days.
One thing I will never understand is when fans will wear a team jersey to a game between 2 teams that aren’t the team of that jersey. Example: I went to a Seahawks/Cardinals game in Seattle. Naturally, a fight broke out between 2 guys – one wearing a Saints jersey and the other wearing a 49ers jersey. The one instance that drove me the most crazy was at a Mariner game. They played another American League team. The fan in front of me was wearing a Mets jersey & cap and WATCHED the Mets game on his phone while he had spent money to attend a Mariner game.
He just wanted to watch a doubleheader…in half the time! ;)
I mentioned the other day that I’ve worn stuff from teams other than the two in front of me. I was at an Indians game in the late 90s, and I didn’t have anything from the National League team that was playing, so I wore a Mets cap and a Padres shirt. Because National League.
People have reasons that aren’t always apparent, but even if they have no reason, it doesn’t matter to me.
Honestly, *I* think its kinda weird to wear gear for teams you don’t actually like. I only wear SF Giants or Vikings stuff (or one of 4 soccer teams), no matter who is playing.
Lee
Whenever I go to a Padres game, I always rock my brown SD hat. I especially love wearing it when I’m traveling to “rep” SoCal.
I will usually go to a Guardians game with the CC jersey I own (yeah I know I know, I’ve fallen for the merch dump).
Football I’ll go with a t-shirt/hoodie/beanie of the team I’m supporting because I don’t own any other jerseys.
Soccer I’ll wear the scarf of the team I’m supporting
I’ll sometimes wear stuff out, but it depends what I’m doing that day
I can’t believe that you did not mention team-appropriate stirrup socks for baseball games! OK, it’s a niche (within a niche), but we are on UniWatch.
I’m retired so my usual mode of dress is tee shirt and cap. Most of my tee shirts are team, school, or music-related. As for attending games… I live in Houston but my baseball team is the Orioles. I went to the Orioles’ game here Sunday and wore an Orioles-themed aloha shirt. I normally would have gone to all three games but I’ve got a new hip and am limiting my adventures for a bit. Had I gone to the other games it would have been Orioles tee and cap. I’ve got a ton of both! I attend most if not all University of Houston contests and I always wear a school tee and cap. I get some nice polos through the basketball team staff but I rarely wear polos. I’m a Texans fan although I gave up my season tickets in the Pandemic year. I always wore a Texans tee although I have an Andre Johnson jersey that I wore to my one game attended in each of the last couple of seasons. I love hockey sweaters and have several Rangers that I will wear to my trip to Dallas each season for their game. I also wear those to the hockey pub when I go to watch playoff games. I’m not a big NBA fan but we do get some Rockets tickets through a friend who works for the arena. The last few times we went I wore a game worn Otis Thorpe warmup top from the goofy late 90s pinstripe era. I hated those unis but the warmup, a short sleeve road white, is a conversation starter at games for sure.
If I’m attending a game of a team I follow, I usually wear team gear. Jersey if I have one, related shirt if not. Hat that’s thematically appropriate but never a hat that is or closely resembles a hat the team wears on the field with the jersey I’m wearing, if I’m wearing a jersey. So for example, if I wear a Brewers home jersey to a game at AmFam, I’ll pair it with, say, a Youniform cap or a Motre Bame-era cap; if I’m wearing a 1982 throwback road jersey, then I’ll wear a present-day navy BiG cap. I religiously refuse to pair cap and jersey from the same set, for much the same reason that I don’t put NOB of any jersey. Number maybe, blank most often, but never name and number. I’m a fan, not a player, and I decline to wear a real actual professional athlete’s name on my back.* For soccer, I’ll usually wear a kilt in team colors too.
I wear team jerseys in my daily life pretty often, as I work from home, and don’t have on-camera video meetings every day. In the winter, hockey sweaters are a comfortable, warm layer. In the summer, soccer shirts are a comfortable, cooling base. On game days, especially for big games or playoff contests, I’ll almost always wear team gear, even if I’m going to be on camera at work.
As for rituals, the only team whose games I attend in person regularly enough to develop meaningful superstitions and habits is my local minor-league soccer team. I pretty much always wear my team-colored kilt, and I have a lucky hat, a plaid flat cap in team colors, and if the team wins, I typically wear the same jersey I wore to that game to subsequent games until they lose. Outside of attending games, for baseball playoffs I adopt a single team cap and wear only that cap for the duration of the team’s run.
*Two exceptions in my closet: My one Packers jersey, which I got on closeout and just for fitting-in-with-friends-at-watch-parties purposes, is a blue and yellow throwback with Arnie Herber’s name and number. I’m always happy to talk about Herber and his revolutionary role in largely creating the modern concept of a quarterback, and very few contemporary Packers fans have even heard of the guy. And Herber, being dead, will never jump to the Jets or Vikings and make himself a national laughingstock and/or steal millions of dollars in tax money from poor folks, so I feel pretty safe with HERBER 38 on my back on game day. And my Man City shirt has Rose Lavelle’s name and number. Again, a closeout purchase where it was mandatory to designate both name and number when checking out, and she’s my favorite player of her generation of Americans, and the reason I started rooting for Man City at all, and it kind of matters to me to show that I’m supporting a women’s team.
“For soccer, I’ll usually wear a kilt in team colors too.”
Kilt or kit? Pics of the former or it didn’t happen.
Must be kilt, he said it twice!
I’ll try to get a picture sometime, but I’ve been routinely wearing a pink tartan kilt to Forward Madison FC games for the last three seasons. The specific plaid is Sterling Pink from USA Kilts. When it’s not too hot, I’ll also wear pink knee-high kilt hose, but that’s typically limited to April and October games.
Long time reader, first time poster…
Not to get into too much pop psychology, but I’d be interested to dive into **why** we wear what we wear when we go to a game.
For many people, our daily choice of clothing is affected by how we think we’ll be perceived by others. Perhaps this plays into our decisions of what to wear to a game?
I’m in my 50s now, and realized around 20 years ago that I was mostly opting to wear obscure throwbacks, jerseys from once-popular but now somewhat forgotten players, and items not easily found at retail stores, presumably in the hopes that someone would come up to me and say “oh my god, where did you find that Glen Wesley All-Star Game jersey?”
I’m guessing that the “I’m Calling It Shea” t-shirts, choices of player names on the back, and era of the clothing we choose is at least somewhat influenced by how we think other people will react to them.
Do others consider this as well?
YES! I always think about the potential for the hat, shirt, or jersey to be a conversation piece.
Living in Milwaukee…. here goes…
When going to a Packers game (which I do once every two years or so) it is ALWAYS in Packers gear – T-shirt or light Packers jacket early in the season, heavy Packers jacket and knit cap for colder games.
When going to a Brewers game, I have a couple of knockoff DH Gate jerseys in my rotation. I usually wear a Brewers T-shirt or pullover to a game (unless I am with corporate peeps). One personal rule I have is that I have to wear the logo that the team is playing that night. So no Wheat-Ms or Barrellmen for me (unless its a throwback). I enjoy throwback games (especially the ’90s throwback games) because I adore that Todd Radom crossed bats logo.
Finally, today in the office I am wearing a current-logo golf pullover. It is always cool in our office so I am always wearing some sleeves, but the Brewers are playing those smelly, ugly, can’t-hold-our-beer northsiders tonight, so I decided to wear the Brewers pullover to work.
I forgot to include in my post…
Though I really like the Brewers CC color (powder blue and yellow) I hate the design of the hat with the airport code and jammed in area code (414)… which brings me to a different point…. why not just embed 44 for Henry Aaron instead of the area code which has been rendered null as area codes are no longer geographic?
Anyway, since I have no CC gear, if I am going to a game where I know that is what they are wearing, I won’t wear any team gear. Again, the rule is I have to wear the logo that the team is using that day.
I also think one of my posts got lost…. it was really good, too.
Refresh your page.
This is refreshing after this site has dumped all over those who choose to wear team merch for years by the too-cool-for-school crowd.
What was that quote supposedly attributed to Michael Jordan? Something about sneakers and Republicans.
And I don’t think this site has “dumped all over those who choose to wear team merch” at all. But Paul always tended to specifically focus on what teams wear — not what fans wear. I’m just genuinely curious what unis/gear people wear to games, or even, just everyday. I think we can all agree that there are definitely uniforms being made today with the specific intent of the retail aspect; when that happens, we’ll still rail against that.
But as far as what people want to wear and how they choose to spend their money? It’s all good. We just don’t want the retail dog wagging the uni tail. That will never change.
I’m in Chicago. I’ve worn Brewers stuff to Cubs/Sox games and LA Kings gear to Hawks games. I dislike all the Chicago teams except the Sox, so if I see a Sox game against anyone else, I might wear a Sox cap. Just to blend in.
I’m in Austin for work this week. I chose to bring my Astros cap so I can kinda pass as a local. (IDK if this is Astros or Rangers country).
I’ll wear my team gear out and about. It’s fun running into fellow Brewers and Lions fans in Chicago — we’ll nod at each other, maybe have a fist bump.
I avoid wearing team gear after a big loss. I do not want to get clowned.
I feel your pain!
The only jerseys/caps are what the teams have or are wearing. I don’t collect any “fashion” merch. My favorite is my authentic Bears jersey I bought in 2006. I had no idea back then that the entire jersey was made with mesh fabric until it came in the mail.
Usually, when I’m at a baseball game (either MLB or Minors), I’ll wear either my 1971/1972 Orioles button up orange jersey or my 2022 orange alt with Frank Robinson’s name and number. I used to wear a white 70’s Orioles script-style pullover, but the stomach doesn’t agree with that style currently. I haven’t been to a game since I bought a CC jersey, but I do wear it often, as it’s lightweight and I throw it on to run errands.
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I have several soccer jerseys/kits (USA, Germany, France, Austin FC, Dortmund, and FC Köln) that I wear when watching the team. I’ll also wear a jersey occasionally when the team is not playing, but I’m hanging out with friends day drinking somewhere. The soccer jerseys fit and breath well, and I get lots of good comments on the Dortmund and France kits.
I have a few Cowboys jerseys and usually wear one while watching them play. I have a couple of Astros jerseys, but only wear them during the playoffs, too many games otherwise. Watching my teams can be it at home, a bar, or in-person.
I’ll wear one of a few Yankees jerseys I own if I’m going to a Yankees game as a fan. I’ll pair it with a different Yankees related shirt sometimes (or if it is Star Wars Day I’ll wear a Star Wars shirt). There have been times I didn’t have a jersey on and that was because I came straight from work and only had a Yankees hat (sometimes these opportunities to go to a game came last minute). I don’t wear jerseys too often if I’m out and about doing non baseball activities. One time I met up with friends watching the World Cup and I didn’t have anything soccer related so I wore a baseball jersey instead.
I don’t really think of my jerseys as lucky or anything, I’ll usually wear whatever. Although I will sometimes not wear a players jersey if they’re slumping or they’re hurt and not playing.
I will say I’m more superstitious during the hockey postseason. When the rangers were making their playoff runs this season and two seasons ago I would try to wear at least one item of clothing relating to the Rangers, whether it be the same hat or the same undershirt and keep wearing it until they lose, then I switch the shirt or hat.
I go to about 25 Mets games a year as a partial plan holder.
Mets authentic blue hat with an assortment of t-shirts or hoodies is my go-to for most games. I now also have an authentic CC hat and shirsey. I’ll wear that mostly when the opposing team has a blue primary color.
I own a few jerseys but only wear them a handful of times during the season. In the summer it’s too hot and in the spring/fall it’s too cold. And they just don’t feel right going over a hoodie.
When I’m not going to games, Mets merch might sneak into the rotation once or twice a week. But never more than one item. Hat only, shirt only, not both.
I think Phil nailed it on the head regarding hockey jerseys/sweaters. It seems OK to wear one to a game since it’s a winter sport and you can wear a thermal or sweatshirt underneath. I own 3 hockey jerseys I’ll wear at random times in the fall/winter regardless of what teams are playing or where I’m going that day. Going to a baseball game I’ll usually wear a cap (because of weather again) and maybe a team T-shirt I bought from the thrift store. Or maybe not. I’m not one to “theme dress” for a game.
On the rare occasion I make it down to see the “big club” at Fenway, I usually do it wearing something from our hometown Sea Dogs, their AA team. No reason really, just what I wear.
I’ve only attended Seattle Mariner games the past 10 years. One a year usually. I’ll wear one of 7 game used/worn Mariner jerseys that I’ve purchased in the past 15 years. All from auctions and everyone is different. And as an aside, all 7 cost less than 1 2024 Nike Mariner jersey. I don’t coordinate with team but I do try to look at a previous year pic and not repeat. Cap is whatever is in the car. My wife will wear a replica jersey. Or a t shirt. Or a jacket. And it doesn’t even have to be Mariners. I don’t have a lot of baseball friends, so I don’t complain.
I have lived in Cleveland and in Phoenix. My main fandom is Cleveland teams and have grown to support the D-Backs and Cardinals. I have also grown to support the Pirates and Penquins as my wife is from Pittsburgh. I’ve developed some rules as how I wear my fandom. 1st I only wear the teams that are in season. What that means is I only will wear Guardians gear from when pitchers and catchers report till the their last game of the year whenever that is. I like the fall time as all the leagues are in season then. 2nd I only wear pro football related gear on game days. I can’t explain that one, I just do. 3rd I do not ever mix sports. So no Pirates hat and a Penguins jersey even though they are both of similar color scheme. 4th. If two teams like the Browns and Cardinals are playing I’m wearing Browns gear as that is where my fandom is. I differentiate between being a fan or a team and being a supporter of a team. 5th my fandom in college is with Ohio St. with me also supporting Arizona St. and since there is multiple sports with college, I will wear them year round, although again mostly stick to sports that are in season. What I wear is all over the place, official team gear, team related, coloraways, retro merch, hats, jerseys, t-shirts.
I don’t get to too many games in person, but I do try to wear some kind of team gear or at least team colors when I do. I have quite a few shirts and hats from teams that are not “my team” too, so for most games I’d attend, I have something to wear that pertains to a participating team.
I wear quite a bit of team gear casually as well. I do have more of a tendency to wear items from a team (whether one I root for or random others) that are playing well. My only real “rule” is not to wear apparel from a team that my team is playing against that day.
Baseball is my favorite sport, but I don’t intentionally match with what my Reds are wearing on any given day. I wear Titans gear on game days, and I do wear Oilers gear when they’re wearing throwbacks (and sometimes when they’re not).
I like to wear a jersey and hat for baseball and football games, the two sports where I attend the most games. I have a few of each for my favorite teams and rotate them. I happen to travel a fair amount and I intentionally wear hats and shirts, jackets or hoodies of my teams as conversation starters. I’ve met some interesting people as a result. In fact, my wife just bought me a purple Uni Watch hat which I wore on the plane on my current trip with the hopes of a fellow Uni Watch member recognizing it.
I always wear a replica shirt when attending football (soccer) games here in England, even if it’s obscured by other layers on colder days. I have a couple dozen Palace shirts and generally pick one at random to wear on the day, whether it’s a home or away match – the only consideration I give is if I feel I might have worn it the last time we played poorly, or if the opposition team colours may match (for example, I won’t wear any of my yellow shirts if we’re playing Watford). If I’m not attending but the game is live on TV I’ll usually grab a shirt out the wardrobe too!
Outside of matchdays, I have Palace jackets that are worn throughout the year, as well as scarves in winter – win, lose or draw, you know who I support. It often leads to random conversations with football fans as we’re either useless or sublime!
As a soccer shirt collector I have several from my favourite foreign teams which get worn out and about and when playing 5 a side, with some being worn on trips to watch those sides live around Europe.
I’m from Seattle, but my dad grew up in Houston so I’ve been raised an Astros fan. As a baseball fan in general, I’ll go to a lot of Mariners games but most of the time won’t wear anything team related (mostly because I don’t really have any Mariners gear.) However, when the ‘Stros are in town, I’ll wear a jersey and hat to the game, or will wear some form of gear out and about
What I wear to games largely depends on weather.
Always sport-appropriate for my team (i.e. no Eagles hats at Phillies games).
Always era-appropriate (i.e. no kelly green and midnight green together).
Sometimes comes down to feelings and probably a degree of superstition.
Baseball is my favorite sport and I’ve been an A’s fan since I was 11 years old and they got Rickey Henderson back from the Yankees. I own a lot of A’s gear but I have yet to wear any this season and will not until they have a new owner. Instead, I’ve worn gear for a variety of other MLB and NHL (the only other sport I follow) teams. I don’t own any jerseys, all my gear is caps and t-shirts.
This is all just wearing casually on weekends. Living in Idaho, the opportunity to wear anything to an actual game is rare!
A little late to this party, but figured I’d toss in.
I have joked that I’ve always liked to dress in such a way that my wardrobe could very easily transition to being a uniform. As time has gone on, I’ve transitioned into a less-casual, more professional look generally, but I still feel like my day-to-day apparel is actually influenced by baseball uniform style.
First off, ever since my aunt gave me my first official 59fifty New Era on-field model cap, I have been obsessed with wearing the same cap the team wears on the field. As a Brewers fan, I even go through and make sure I put it in my calendar every few months which days I need to wear the road cap (and I just added the City Connect cap into my collection as well, as the Brewers do wear those on predictable days). I *prefer* the plain blue home cap, but I feel like part of being on a team is going with what the team has decided is best, not you. I don’t care for the yellow-paneled cap or the CC cap, but when they wear it, I wear it. In the off-season, I look at the schedules for my other favorite teams (Marquette men’s basketball, the Bucks, Chelsea and the USMNT & WNT) and, based on the balance of if they’re home or away, I wear the Brewers’ home or away cap accordingly. In case of a tie, home has won traditionally, but I think I’m going to use the split days going forward for the CC cap.
Part of the reason I don’t care for the yellow-paneled or CC cap is because I just don’t think it looks very clean and professional. Post-COVID, I work from home and we can kinda wear whatever we want for our Teams meetings. Accordingly, it’s way easier for me to wear a hat than to do my hair. However, I just think the plain hat looks more business-like than the trucker style or the CC. Nonetheless, they wear it, so I wear it.
I have taken to liking wearing a dress shirt or golf shirt most of the time because, as I’ve aged, my chins have kinda multiplied, so the collar conceals that a bit. However, I love me a good sweatervest, which I think is directly from the baseball influence of teams like the Pirates and Rockies. I also love quarter-zips, both because they’re comfortable and because they, too, kinda have a baseball uniform feel. In my youth, sweatshirts and T-shirts with turtlenecks underneath were a thing for me — again, a baseball look and feel.
Accordingly, I don’t dress all that differently for work and going to the game anymore.
I’m not really a jersey guy. On the occasions I have gotten them in the past, again, the authentic model and usually with my own name and number on the back because, especially for us Brewers (Molitor) and Packers (Favre, Rodgers) fans, I’m the only person I trust not to leave, and leave me with a jersey I don’t want to wear anymore. That said, jerseys are so stupidly crazily overpriced now that I don’t bother. Fanatics has decent lines of “cheap” apparel that I typically rely upon in the quarter-zip and polo realm.
Anyhow, just stream of consciousness there.
My ‘rule’: no jerseys if you’re over 30.
If attending a sports game in my area (Philly) or elsewhere, pro or other, I’m wearing a Father Judge High School hat, tee, windbreaker, something….and I’m often not alone in the crowd.
Up til a few years ago, if I was attending a NASCAR race, I’d absolutely be wearing a driver number cap…as ad-free as possible, though not my rooting interest (the 43). My black 45 was my go-to, but when I bought my Purp Walk SnapBack, that was it! I of course still wear that out-and-about even though I’ve given up on Cup.
I would amend your rule slightly. If you must wear a jersey, no players younger than you. Strange to see old guys wearing Judge or Soto.
I go to baseball games the most, and if I’m going to see my beloved Yankees, I’m always wearing a Yankee hat. I’ll typically wear the classic, but if I’m also
I don’t mind if others do but for me, I will not wear a jersey or hockey sweater because I didn’t earn it. I didn’t make the team. I mostly wear items from the local University because I figure I am supporting the whole University and not just the Athletic Department. Again, it doesn’t matter to me if others wear jerseys, especially kids. Just not for me.
I live in Richmond, VA now but grew up in PA, and am a lifelong Philadelphia sports fan. During football season I like to go grocery shopping on game days wearing Eagles stuff; it always makes me happy when I see someone else doing the same and we give each other a “Go Birds”. Makes me feel part of something.
I always wear my SF Giants hat when I go to one of their games, and usually also a team-branded t-shirt or hoodie.
In the everyday realm, I spent many years wearing my Giants hat around town. But now I seem to have hit a transition point as I move into middle age: I’ve come to prefer wearing plain, logo-free hats.
Late to this, but it’s a good question and worth answering.
One thing I differed with Paul over was the legitimacy of wearing team “uni” gear to games. I like uniforms, I think they look good… naturally I enjoy the idea of wearing them.
My fan allegiance is largely University of Michigan and Detroit pro sports. At least for me, the anecdotal observation that fans prefer jerseys in football and hockey holds true; I own multiple jerseys for both Michigan football and hockey (including a game-worn dazzle maize hockey jersey that is my single most valued jersey) and when they play in my current state of residence I will always wear one. I also enjoy wearing soccer jerseys quite a bit, and though I rarely have an opportunity to attend a game, I would and have worn a team jersey if I’m attending a game for that team. I haven’t attended a Detroit pro team game in years for various reasons, but would wear a jersey if I went and had one.
I own no basketball or baseball jerseys. I do have some Michigan basketball replica shorts just for wearing around the house, but would never wear those to a game.
Baseball is a bit of a different case, because while *jerseys* seem like an unusual piece of apparel, baseball has one very prominent and iconic uniform element that every other sport lacks: team caps. For a relatively modest expense any fan can own either an authentic or replica cap that looks just like what their team wears on the field. Or, if they’re just a fan of uniforms, they can collect a handful of caps that look good and look like what several teams wear. I’m a Tigers fan with several caps, but I also have a Twins cap (because I live in Minnesota) and Blue Jays and Cardinals caps (because I don’t hate those teams and the caps look great).
Indeed, I will often wear a baseball cap to hockey or football games, even though it’s not the “team” I follow, because I like them. Baseball is lower on my totem pole of favored sports, but the hats they produce are both practical and fun to wear.
For football games I like wearing whatever jersey the team is wearing, or a jersey in the color the whole stadium is wearing. Always a hat
For basketball, our home games are almost always white jerseys, so I rotate thru jerseys. 50/50 on hats
Go Cougs!
bYu
If you’re a hardcore fan it helps to live near the team’s stadium. I live in Nashville and am primarily a Bengals fan. I am a Titans fan too but not life long. Titans stadium is a blah experience and I rarely go. I do like the newer Bengals uniforms a lot more than the Carson Palmer era duds that were just ridiculous but I haven’t been to a game since they changed. The Titans outfits are awful. So what I’m trying to say is my appreciation of unis possibly makes it more difficult to suit up in an awful jersey than the average fan and I don’t wear fan swag that has team names on the chest because I don’t like looking like a walking ad. So I’m the weirdo who doesnt often dress in proper attire at a game. I would love it if The Titans switch to something more classic when they get that new space age stadium experience going..
I universally wear a ball cap when I’m walking my dog (which is frequent since he’s a herding dog). And it’s typically a Boston team in season. Since I’m in the DC area, which is notoriously transient, I don’t go a week without someone passing by and saying something like “Go Sox!” or “Are you from Boston?” I love that it’s a way to instantly know that you’ve got a connection with another human. Or to start a convo with my neighbors about how are various teams are doing.
I generally wear a team-related cap to the game, that’s about it. If I wear a team-related shirt, it’s usually a t-shirt that’s more like your “I’m Calling It Shea” shirt, something that’s related to the team but not obvious team gear. In fact, I wear those t-shirts as part of my regular daily rotation. Things like RotoWear shirts like “That’s Baseball, Suzyn” or a shirt with the 1973 Yankee Stadium 50th Anniversary patch on it, rather than a straightforward Yankees shirt or shirsey with a number and name on the back (I don’t have any of those, anyway).
I tend to wear polos of my favorite teams (Orioles/Steelers/Sixers/Caps/Ipswich Town FC).
I have jerseys that I mostly wear when work has “jersey day.” One exception is on Steelers game days I will wear my Jack Lambert jersey. I used to have a home and away and would wear the one the team was wearing. I recently upgraded to the M&N 1976 Lambert jersey and sold the others. If M&N made an away Lambert jersey I might consider buying it.
I wear my ITFC jersey on some game days but not a lot.
We attend one Caps game a year for my wife and her BFF’s birthday. I recently bought a Caps hoodie for those. Last game we attended they gave a way t-shirts so that will be worn going forward also.
In winter, my go to hat is an O’s replica 1966 cap. I have a couple O’s and Steelers fashion hats that I wear off and on.
For Mets games, I go t-shirt (usually a related one – one of my first was I’m Calling It Shea) and a Mets hat in team colors. I also have a great Levi’s denim jacket with Mets patches for cooler games. The t-shirts are generally for games only, but the hats I wear frequently. I also have some not in team colors – the hat explosion over the last few years has been fun. I own a couple of jerseys but they just never felt comfortable to me.
I also have some St. John’s, Nets and Giants shirts for the occasional games I hit for those teams.
Great topic! I root for the Mets, NFL Giants, Notre Dame, Milwaukee Bucks and NY Rangers but that has not stopped me from buying lots of (fan) stuff from other pro/ college teams. I am a fan of American sports in general and yes: as a Giants fan I sometimes wear an Eagles or Cowboys hat, as a Bucks fan I have a lot of Bulls gear and rooting for the Mets has not stopped me from buying some Yankees hats. And I wear all that stuff as well in the street on a daily basis. As I am unable to attend games on a regular basis (I live in the Netherlands) I would wear any home team item I like at that moment but, more probably, I would wear a brand new item that I just bought at the team store.
I do attend games of my favorite pro soccer team Sparta Rotterdam occasionally and I do the same thing: bring a scarf and hat I already have and probably buy a new one and wear that during the game.