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Life through the eyes of a fashion guru
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Fashion is a chameleon. The styles of the clothes that people wear vary by the environment. Gallery openings call for “artistic” clothing – berets, ponchos, etc. Funerals warrant anything black. I recently realized that my favorite fashion forum had been right under my nose for years – the football game.
The University of Washington vs. Boise State game brought 70,045 fans to Husky Stadium, resulting in a chaotic blend of blue, orange and purple. My initial thought was “ick – what a gross combo.”
But as the stadium filled I realized that the restricted use of colors showed a great amount of unity among fans rooting for the same team; even after the game BSU fans would yell “Yay Broncos!” at other blue-and-orange clad people.
Using colors to identify associations also resulted in glares and (depending on the amount of alcohol involved) rude comments between fans of opposing teams.
Case and point: the people I was stuck between.
Some creative Husky supporters sat right in front of me. One lady decided to create a purple felt top hat with sequins for the game, and one of her companions had the face of a husky dog sewn onto a purple trucker cap.
The group of people directly behind me (including the drunkest, loudest man I have ever seen/heard) were wearing bright orange. Of course, some unsavory banter broke out between the two groups, leaving me smack-dab in the middle and very, very annoyed.
Undoubtedly if they had all been obvious supporters of the same team, they probably wouldn’t have been going at each other and everyone around them would have been spared.
Unity and separation – all from color schemes. And people think that fashion is a silly waste of time.
What I love so much about the fashion at sporting events is that it is only for sporting events. In no other realm is it acceptable to wear odd, outrageous apparel and not have people question your taste.
With the exception of “game days,” it’s not likely that you’ll see someone steering a shopping cart with a big foam finger. Nor is it likely that a stranger will yell words of encouragement at you for wearing the same color they are.
Purple felt top hats aren’t usually going to be found on the runway, in department stores or magazines (they’re not exactly chic). Normally, face paint might be misconstrued as a poor choice in cosmetics. Men that usually wouldn’t buy bright purple T-shirts make exceptions if it means supporting their team.
Essentially, game days are fashion free-for-alls, and the more outrageous the outfit the more team spirit you have. Fanatical male fans even attend games shirtless, clothed only in bodypaint. The no shirt, no shoes policy is put away once the team hits the field.
The only thing that doesn’t really fly at football games is team-colored high-heels. They look ridiculous. A group of female BSU fans in four-inch heels and mini skirts left me wondering whether they were actually attending the game or going daytime clubbing, and how they would manage to climb the mountain-high cement stairs in the stadium without tumbling to the bottom. Ladies, leave the heels at home.
Sheree Whiteley