Congrats on scoring that impossible-to-snag ticket. Now all you need is a winning fit to go with it. Here are our top tips for looking the part when you make it on the jumbotron.
Color Code
The easiest (and cheapest) way to show your allegiance is by shopping your own closet. Consider color coding — blue and gray for the Timberwolves and Lynx; purple and yellow for the Vikings. Or how about those patriotic pieces you bust out once a year? Give them mileage beyond the Fourth of July when supporting the U.S. national teams.
Go Retro
New season, new shirt? You don’t have to. With vintage coming for the workout wardrobe — a rejection of Lycra’s infiltration of our closets — it has also made its way into the stands. Bonus: A deep-cut, past-season piece proves you’re a real fan. Old is the new new.
Bet on Preppy
A polished yet relaxed Ivy Leaguer look is casual enough for sports yet suitably refined for post-game plans. Crisp polos, cable knits and old-school rugby shirts are safe bleachers-to-bar bets. Ralph Lauren, J.Crew and Gant all do it well.
Get Crafty
Girls just wanna have pun: Let the T-shirts worn by Taylor Swift and the Haim sisters while sitting courtside during the NBA Playoffs — “Stevie Knicks,” “Knickole Kidman,” etc. etc. — serve as a reminder that sometimes DIY merch hits best.
Dress for Mess
The best and worst part about live sports is how much it makes us feel (it’s all results dependent). Because beers and tears will likely both be spilled, now is not the time to don your pale silk pieces.
Know Your Place
The biggest faux pas of all? Looking like you’re actually going to be playing. (You might feel deeply involved, but you’re not that involved.) Skip the relic basketball shorts from your high-school heyday and instead dress up as the best version of yourself.
