Come on, be a good Sport…
Living in the United States I have never experienced the gear-up for summer sports in the same way I am experiencing it now in London. With Royal Ascot last week, and Henley, Cartier Polo, and Wimbledon all coming up, not to mention the World Cup raging on (with England playing on the TV as I write this), it is tough not to feel immersed in the world of sport.
Now, while I would like to believe that most people reading this are not wandering the streets of their respective metropoli and other home cities in football jerseys and gym shorts, that doesn’t mean sport can’t play a role in how we dress. If you think about it, they key to a sporting uniform is usually colour, pattern, and certain markers unique to each team and sport.
For example, if you support England in the world cup, you could choose to wear a red tie with lion motif, or a cheeky pair of red and white socks. These don’t need to be football socks to make the same statement – classic men’s style is mostly about understating your point, and this is an easy way to do so.
While I did not have the privilege of attending Royal Ascot (anyone want to take me next year?), and think I would get funny stares if I walked into work in a morning coat and topper, an odd waistcoat feels just right. Not the frilly, glitzy numbers donned by the rich and famous tasteless, but a simple creme or light blue with some linen trousers and a blazer. Sporty, fun, and the closest I’ll be getting to the track this year.
Some of these inspirations are easier than others. A boating blazer is an obvious option, but not a particularly easy one to pull off. I found one particularly inexpensively in the sales at the end of last summer and to date have only worn it to one “garden party,” that was explicitly themed as such. Bold stripes with such an understood nod to an afternoon on the banks with champagne and strawberries (or rowing, if you’re of a more sporting character than I) are difficult to wear in the city without looking, and more importantly feeling, out of place.
So when you are getting dressed and feel like supporting your team, just remember you don’t have to go for the jersey or the cap. Colour and a little creativity will suffice for me, but if you want to be more obvious then do what you will. Unless boxing is your sport, then please…for all of us.
