What to wear to watch the World Cup
Any true FIFA World Cup fan knows that the competition isn’t only on the field.
As hundreds of millions of viewers tune in to watch the world’s most widely viewed sporting event, they’ll be competing to rep their favorites. Here’s a guide for planning the perfect outfit and gaining a sartorial leg up on your friends while you cheer your team.
The jersey: Wearing a jersey in a stadium or even in your own living room arena can be a disastrous call at worst -- if, say, you’re wearing the logo of Uruguay and find yourself surrounded by Costa Rica partisans. On the other hand, it can be boring if you’re lost in a sea of red, white and blue, with the whole room chanting “USA, USA, USA.†Thankfully, Lacoste has come up with jersey alternatives just for the World Cup.
The clothing company recently premiered its Rio Collection — a set of polos, shirts, shorts and tank tops featuring the green and yellow colors of Brazil, the host country. It’s a nice alternative to the jersey look, and you’ll look like you’re always rooting for the home team. Prices in the collection range from $45 to $120.
The footwear: An often neglected portion of a complete fan outfit: the shoes. We know you won’t be wearing cleats, but there are items on the market that match a World Cup theme without having to go that extra distance.
Probably the boldest look available is the Del Toro footwear from Pepsi’s Live for Now Capsule Collection. The soccer-inspired assortment, launched just this month, features items inspired by street artists from around the world. Pepsi worked with artists to come up with a global theme for the collection, adapting their individual styles to designer clothing. The footwear features boldly painted lines that are laser-printed on white chukkas and slippers. The shoes sell for about $365.
The head wear: If you’re an American at an international sporting event, you know you have to top things off with a baseball cap.
For a last-minute Father’s Day sale, Fanatics has come out with a FIFA World Cup cap featuring the event’s logo. But just to make sure everyone knows you’re the American in the room, there’s large “USA†lettering next to red, white, and blue coloring on the bill. The cap is part of Fanatics’ larger World Cup collection, items from which have been sold to more than 30 countries during the last week. The hat goes for about $25.
The wrist wear: Referees aren’t the only ones who get to wear big watches.
Flex, a company that earmarks a portion of its sales revenue to feed children in need, has come out with one-of-a-kind bold silicon watches that portray the home colors and symbols of the World Cup’s most high-profile teams. Each watch has the home flag of its country encased in the face and a thick, often brightly colored band. They are priced around $35.
For a more official look, there’s the Hublot Big Bang Unico Bi-Retrograde Chronograph watch. The Swiss watchmaker is the official timekeeper for the World Cup and came out with the watch specifically for the event. Available in king gold or black ceramic, the watch is detailed in Brazil’s green and yellow national colors and designed to time a soccer match’s 45 minute halves (along with 15 minutes left over for stoppage time). Hublot’s watches don’t come cheap. The gold version costs about $42,000 and the ceramic one goes for around $26,000.
The underwear: Finally, if you’re a real fan — not merely a fan at the superficial level — you need to go down a layer. Although your friends may never be able see how deeply you love your team, you’ll know you’re a true fan underneath it all.
J.C. Penney recently began selling soccer team-themed Jam men’s underwear. Each item features the national colors of the home country, along with the team’s name printed in bold letters on the behind. The tight-fitting boxer-briefs are selling for $15.
