NFL Merch That Says "I Watch Sports, But I Also Do Fashion"

Sports fandom and high fashion are far from mutually exclusive: Consider tennis skirts, Chuck Taylors, that Yankees hat you bought at the MoMa gift shop. Street style has been a product of sportswear — and vice versa — for time immemorial (and at bottom, what is a football field but a runway for athletes? What is a uniform but an outfit?).

With that in mind, as global Fashion Weeks come to a close, it seems only fair that we treat the impending football season as one more excuse to flex our style sensibilities. Which is why we’re culling together the most runway appropriate, official NFL merch on offer right now. Whether you choose to show yours off at a tailgate, a Super Bowl party, or perhaps the club, is up to you — but let it be known that all of the above are appropriate.

Retro is always in style, so try a classic 59FIFTY fitted hat rather than its contemporary counterparts. For one, it’ll help underscore the fact that your love for your team runs generations deep, and for two, someone on the street will undoubtably ask you if the “49ers” is an up-and-coming designer.

It’s your classic team crew — but with some added flair. Sewn as a fusion of two different styles of your team’s traditional apparel, it gives the haute couture, Bode-esque patchwork effect trending in high fashion right now.

As practical as it is *chic,* a beanie is one of those garments you’ll never survive winter without. So come December, when your other merch is tucked away beneath your tailored, double-breasted wool coat, how else will you make your fandom clear to the public??

You need not be a sports fan to understand the enduring appeal of hyper localized merch. Whether we’re talking about restaurant pens, museum tote bags, or, say, a Nashville Hot Chicken T-shirt, garments like these Hometown Homage Tees are about as reliably, eternally hip as a good pair of Levi’s.

Your basic hoodie has never been more de rigeur than it is right now. At present, there’s nothing sloppy or frumpy about boasting a sweatshirt: Instead, it’s a nod to fashion and irony at once. Which is to say, however traditional, this is the sort of layer you might consider pairing with your Gucci loafers and a martini.

For those winter tailgates when a hoodie alone is too thin, might we suggest this quarter-zip pullover jacket? As a play on apres-ski style, it’s the sort of vintage-inspired fandom apparel you might see on the likes of Frank Ocean. But fear not: It’ll still make your team associations flagrantly clear.

It would be sacreligious to round up sports apparel without including a jersey in the mix. So we’d suggest going the reliable route and opting for a Nike x NFL top that’ll feel equally apt at your local football stadium, and in your latest TikTok dance video.

If you’re in the market for an item that’s part going out top, part sports merch, you’ll hardly do better than this cropped NFL hoodie from Wild Collective. It’s salacious, flattering, and emblazoned with the name of your favorite football team. Or…a football team.

For the scumbros among us, this tie dye fleece is the perfect accompaniment to a sock-sandal moment. It says, “I’m on trend, but I haven’t changed my clothes in three days” — a detail that’s far more forgivable when you consider the fact that the fleece is a token of your sports fandom.

These throwback pull-over crewneck rugby shirts are the perfect amalgam of vintage charm and team pride. They’ve giving “someone’s boyfriend’s college varsity sweater.” And frankly, whether or not you can even name one of the Chiefs’ songs — we mean players — these will make for perfect transitional season outerwear.