Tuesday, December 09, 2008

death to pink and sparkly

This weekend on my quest to find a New York Giants winter hat to wear to the game on Sunday, I came across this horror:

(sorry for the picture quality all I had to record this mess was my camera phone)


And I’m not making this point because it is a Devils jersey, but because I don’t understand why the makers of women’s sports apparel don’t get that not all women want something pink and sparkly. Some women just want a player’s jersey in a size that fits them, not their boyfriend who has a good five inches and 40 pounds on them, but bigger than the stuff made for kids. (Why is it that all kids stuff just gets wider, never longer? And that long sleeve kid’s tees may fit me length wise, but are too short in the arms? Are children’s arms disproportionate to their bodies?)


So as I tried to create a list of items that are perfect for the female sports fan in your life I came to some conclusion, it’s tough to find cute stuff under $50 and that the NHL needs to step up their lady’s apparel game.


Don’t worry, there are some great items that do not contain unnecessary pink, glitter or crystals for those females like myself who like the guys stuff but want something that actually fits our bodies! Here are a couple of items I found:


Chicago Cubs Sweatshirt ($49.99)

Cute and classic, perfect for those May games in Wrigley when it's still too nippy for just a t-shirt and jeans but warm enough to get rid of the fleece.


Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 3/4 length Tee ($19.97)

A great long sleeve tee perfect for the Junior lover in your life. This shirt also comes in the Amp Energy Drink colors of green and white.


Knicks Tee ($17.97)

A basic tee which would look great paired with jeans.


Detroit Red Wings Tee ($49.99)

I happen to be a big fan of Retro Sport Apparel and have a couple of items in my closet. But admittedly, they are a bit expensive for what they are, t-shirts, thermals, sweatshirts, pants and hats. However, you can get great deals on them if you know where to look (I'll get more into that further on the page) and they tend to keep their shape, which a big deal if you plan to wear this tee all the time, like I do. (Of course, mine says Rangers, but you get where I'm going.)


Make Your Own NFL T-Shirt (Starting at $21.99)

The NFL has this awesome new t-shirt that you get to customize. Currently the long sleeve option starts at $21.99 and goes up to $25.99 depending on what you add to it.


While all of the items found above came from each individual sport’s official shops, there are a few other places to find great items at great prices. Here are couple shopping tips:


You can find great items in unexpected places

Urban Outfitters

Urban Outfitters is one of the best places to pick up inexpensive cool t-shirts including many college and professional sports tees. From my own personal experience, the shirts tend to run a little small, but the fit is great and the vintage feel is perfect for the current trend in sports apparel.


Bloomingdale’s

I’m pretty sure at this point you all think I’m crazy, but they actually carry both Retro Sport Apparel and Chip and Pepper items. Both companies make great vintage sports tees, sweatshirts and pants with Chip and Pepper specializing in colleges while Retro Sports does both. And the best part is that Bloomingdale’s has these epic sales, where you get 30-40% off original and sale prices. Add that $25 off coupon and these items (especially the Retro Sport apparel) prices come way down.


Shopbop.com

Known by fashionistas as a great place to pick up a variety of brands from Marc by Marc Jacobs and Diane von Furstenberg to James Perse and Free People, shopbop also carries Chip and Pepper. Currently, they are having a mega sale. The Notre Dame t-shirt above is just 12.97!


Amazon.com

Amazon is more than just a place to buy books and DVDs. They also sell great sports items from various vendors around the country, sometimes at better prices than on the major league’s own shop sites. But it’s not just the prices that make this a great place to check out, it’s also the variety of items they carry. I will make one small comment about the site, it’s not segrated as well as I would like. Meaning some men’s items end up in the women’s searches because it’s classified as adult apparel. So just make sure you read the descriptions of each item very carefully. And also note the seller of the item. Amazon.com offers free shipping on orders over $25, but some of the sellers do not apply.


Go to the point of origin

This means if you’re looking for NFL or NHL stuff, try the Reebok site. I didn’t find a wealth of items, but they were all pretty much discounted. The Nike site had some great college tees and even though they were not all on sale many were under $25. Majesticathletic.com had an outlet page with some great items at discounted prices as well.


So hopefully you now have a couple of great gift ideas. Happy Shopping!


(Note: Most of the items above are sold for other teams, not just those pictured.)


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