Gaining Yards

Normally, I hate the question, “Who are you wearing?” It’s an outdated, often sexist question that is pretty much solely asked to women. It often boils them down to just their fashion and appearance, often overshadowing their accomplishments and intelligence. But sometimes the question is warranted, and it can even open up a conversation that is long overdue.

Don’t worry (or celebrate)—this is not going to be another post about Taylor Swift’s impact on football and fandom. But one of her last appearances at the stadium caused some commotion—and for good reason. Swift was photographed entering the tunnel wearing a one-of-a-kind jacket sporting Kelce’s number on the back. Shortly after, X (formerly, Twitter) was abuzz with people posting and reposting photos of the jacket, sharing their praises for the piece.

Turns out, the jacket was made by Kristin Juszczyk, the wife of San Francisco 49ers star Kyle Juszczyk. She designed one for Brittany Mahomes, wife of Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, and had designed one for Swift allegedly hoping she’d wear it too. Say what you want about Swift, but respect to her for wearing it when she knew all cameras would be on her. Weeks prior, Kristin also designed a puffer vest for the GOAT, Olympic Gold Medalist Simone Biles, whose husband plays for the Green Bay Packers (you can Google his name cause he’s super famous!) 

As outlets and fans continued posting, Kyle was busy commenting and making sure his wife was getting credit she rightfully deserved as the designer of the jacket. It was not only very  adorable, but important. The coverage not only gave Kristin’s talents visibility and awareness, but showed how much of an untapped market sportswear for women actually is.

If you’re a woman who wants to rep her team, your options are kind of limited. Sure, celebrities like NFL Analyst Erin Andrews and even actress Alyssa Milano have launched their own lines, but options are still few and far between. And no disrespect to Andrews or Milano, but often the options that do exist are stereotypically feminine. V-neck shirts. Pink accents. Bedazzled logos. There’s an audience for that, sure. But what about those who just want something that’s comfortable, authentic to the environments us fans are often in, and just…normal.

Men have so many options of just your standard variety. T-shirts with normal necklines. Hoodies that aren’t cropped. Logos in the team’s actual colors. They also have options that are a bit more, for lack of a better word, fun. Letterman jackets, and jerseys paying homage to legends of the game. I think that’s part of what made Kristin’s design so special. It wasn’t just functional, but it was original. It looked dope. And no one’s femininity was sacrificed because of it.

At the end of the day, more options for female spectators and fans is just good business sense. Not only is it a demographic for clothes and athleisure brands to tap into, but it could potentially increase attendance at live events as well with fans wanting to show off their looks. Obviously, we’re not all gonna get a custom made jacket to flaunt, but I think we’d all welcome the chance to literally wear our fandom proudly and normally.