Trend Highlight: Sports Team Apparel

A baseball cap may turn a good hair day into a not so great one, but the wool or polyester hat can instill a sense of pride in the wearer that underscores the importance of sports in our modern society of disconnection, in which we too often absorb ourselves in screens and lose touch with our surroundings. When purchasing a new baseball hat, the first step must be to bend the brim so that it fits one’s head naturally and loses its stiffness; this shaping process captures the essence of wearing team oriented sportswear: to achieve a feeling of localization in which one imbeds themselves in a larger community to convey a sense of identity.

At a Phillies game in 2008 during the brisk cold of October, my father and brother witnessed an extraordinary playoff game. My father hugged the guys next to him after a double hit by Jimmy Rollins, which prompted my brother to ask, “hey dad, do you know that person?” He had never met that person before, but the shared the experience of the ballpark and love for the team served as a bond that could bring two strangers together as if they had grown up playing in each others’ backyard together. At that rate, it’s no surprise my dad tends to nonchalantly share his cracker jacks with the fellow fans next to him.  

2019’s Patriot’s Victory Parade in Boston

While so many Patriots fans are not even from Boston, the Patriots Super Bowl LIII win connected thousands, even millions of people together for a moment of celebration and happiness. A moment of pure effervescence as people cheer over a guy running a certain distance with a ball in his hand. It’s quite silly if you think about it, yet very powerful how physical acts foster national identity and fond memories.

The social psychology theory basking in reflected glory explains how our self-concept derives from our evaluation of the social groups we belong to. We tend to measure out worth based on the perceived worth of the groups we associate with. Thus, the win of your city’s sports team adds to a positive self concept. Wearing a team’s hat, sweatshirt, or jersey further allows you to identify yourself, proclaiming an allegiance to a city or player and their achievements.

Weinberg sophomore Sadie Kraft happened to be wearing a gray Patriots, Super Bowl LIII shirt during a discussion over the relevance of Boston sports gear in her life. Kraft says that wearing sports gear is “a nice commonality to have between two people and [that it] bonds you with your hometown.” She often finds she instantly connects with other people who she sees in a Patriots sweatshirt or hat.

“Even if you’re not from there [the city of the team], you obviously have similar reasons for loving the team and the game to people from that city,” Kraft said. “The thing about sports is that it’s so unifying. There’s a sense of a shared experience because of the passion rooted in fan culture. It actually makes it cooler if you’re not from the same place as the team you are repping because you find a new connection to somewhere and other people.”

As a Patriots fan from Florida, Jillian Rochelle agrees with Kraft about how supporting a team not from her hometown allows her to form bonds with people over her love for Tom Brady. While some people refer to her as “a fake fan,” normally wearing her patriots fan-gear is a topic for her to get to know others since it leads to the question of why she supports the Pats.

Beyond these lateral associations with present fans, sports apparel allows one to link themselves to the past; sports and thus sportswear are timeless. A jersey or sweatshirt can serve as a tangible memory that captures the spirit of the game.

Recently, Kraft’s dad gave her his Patriots letterman jacket from the 90s. She recalls seeing pictures of her dad in the jacket at games from before she was born. Now having the jacket, she feels closer to her dad’s experience with the Patriots.

“People think a lot of sports gear isn't that valuable of clothing but its cool to have the jacket from my dad that he’s experienced such great memories in. And now, I have that as well and build off of his experiences in the jacket with my own,” Kraft said.

For Kraft, the jacket works as a time capsule that communicates the history of the Patriots. While wearing it she embodies the spirit of her father and adds new meaning to it with her own love for the game.

While sports do not exist in a perfect world having their own share of problems and scandals; as a whole, they offer escapism. The simple act of wearing one’s favorite or hometown team’s logo on clothing not only instills a sense of pride but also reflects one’s allegiance to mysticism, the foundation of all sports. Like Kraft’s fathers jacket which transports Kraft to the 90s, sports games are an alternate universe where strangers share cracker jacks and people cheer over a ball going through a hoop.

Sports team clothing finds its value not only in the strong feeling of community sparked by the established logo, but also in the moments experienced while wearing them at games. As long as sports continue to exist, your baseball hat will always be in style.

But, here’s the catch— one doesn’t have to be an ESPN avid watcher or even watch sports that much to partake in its beauty. While I don’t recommend wearing a Yankees hat sold at Brandy Melville when you’re neither from New York nor have watched the Yankees, I encourage finding a connection through a friend, like Rochelle, or family member that allows you to form a connection to the team.

The Travel Day

A road trip or plane ride offers the perfect moment to wear a baseball hat. It adds to your outfit while also protecting your hair from dirty cushions. A crewneck sweatshirt with ripped jeans also works well for the occasions since it’s comfortable and relaxed look.

Walking your Dog

Whether actually going out to walk your golden retriever or just going on a stroll on the lakefill, throw on a t-shirt for your favorite team overtop a waffle long sleeve (layers are a must in Evanston weather). The shirt is the authentic version of the overpriced graphic tees at Urban Outfitters. Why buy the imitation when the original has much more personality?

Errands

A baseball hat is the perfect accessory to wear when off to do errands because it hides your face just enough that if someone you know sees you, he or she may not say “hi” since its not totally clear if it’s you or your look-alike; who wants to make small talk when your in CVS picking choosing which multivitamins to buy? It also makes it easier to leave your apartment or dorm without brushing your hair.

Breakfast

I am not referring to ~brunch~ here, but to morning coffee and bagel runs and casual diner omelettes with your friends on Saturday mornings. Whether wearing your team hat, sweatshirt, long sleeve or t-shirt, you should match it with a pair of boyfriend jeans and a belt for a “I got up this morning to be productive and look good but also want to balance a laid-back vibe” look.