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What to wear to a tailgate (besides your favorite team’s jersey)

Football Tailgates are about warmth and style

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what to wear a tailgate men drinking at
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September means something different for everyone. Some people think back-to-school, some people think Labor Day, but let’s be honest, all we’re thinking about is Saturday and Sunday football. As the weather turns, we get to once again enter into a season of endless hope (even in Jacksonville) with the feeling that anything can happen. Whether you are an Eagles fan who believes this is finally your year, a Chargers fan thinking lightning just might happen, or a Chiefs fan praying for history with a three-peat, you have one thing in common…it is time to tailgate. Now, you can’t just wear anything to a tailgate; what to wear to a tailgate is an art form. And while we are fans of style, we are also suckers for a good football game and a damn good hotdog. Here is the secret to putting together great tailgate outfits.

Hint…the key can be broken down into four simple rules that make your tailgate outfit the best of the best…regardless of which team you cheer for.

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Layer for the weather

Men in winter coats
Mark Rafanell Lopez / Unsplash

Football season is unpredictable. It starts when the weather is still sweltering through half or more of the country. It goes through the ups and downs of the fall thermostat, and it finales round about the time Punxsutawney Phil is predicting the end of winter. That means you want to layer. Perfecting layering is all about thin garments that stack on top of each other to create thick ones. Start with a base layer of a t-shirt or the underrated henley. Then stack it with a lighter jacket or shirt jacket, and top it off with a thick coat. If you end up at Lambeau, where there is always a chance of Armageddon-esque snow, or Miami, where it is beach weather on Christmas, you will be prepared for anything.

Opt for waterproof

Man in pancho
Williams Basillio / Unsplash

This isn’t baseball, they don’t call the game for rain. It isn’t basketball; it isn’t played in the comfort of a heated indoor arena. No, this is football. Nothing stops these men from putting on the pads and fighting over an oblong-shaped pigskin. That means if you want to be a fan and support your chosen team, you must prepare to go through the weather with the men wearing the jerseys you cheer for. As you start choosing the items you want to wear for the game, focus on weather proofing your outfit. Whether you go with an outer layer that is waterproof or you elect a poncho, nobody wants to be the guy that runs for the car when the rain starts falling.

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Wear your team’s colors

Football team in endzone
Ludovic Delot / Pexels

This may seem a little…obvious…but one look at the parking lot during a tailgate, and you know it needs to be said out loud…wear your team colors. Nothing is more intimidating to another team than rolling into Foxborough and seeing a sea of red, white, and blue. When you trot out of the tunnel in Miami and see nothing but orange and teal staring back at you…you start hating South Florida. Football (and sports in large) are a tribal thing. We decide whether we love or hate you based on the colors of war you wear to the battlefield. How the Hell are we supposed to know whether or not we like you if you are wearing neutral colors? Draw your battle lines and sport your team’s colors…fly the flag and draw your sword as the opening whistle signals the start of the game.

Headgear is a must

Men wearing stocking caps
Cottonbro Studio / Pexels

If you are a Packers fan, we already know what your headgear of choice is…you’re called cheese heads after all. But for the fans of the other 31 teams…and for all the college team fans of the NCAA…you need to figure out what to wear on your head. The old Army manuals claimed that you lost 45% of your heat through your heads. Now, that myth was largely debunked by science back in the mid-aughts…but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t protect your head. As you sit in the parking lot and scarf hot dog after hot dog, you should be protecting your noggin with a good, warm hat. Of course, as discussed above, it should be one of the team colors…but other than that, you can go crazy. Have fun with stocking caps, beanies, or even something with ear flaps. Whatever your personality wants.

We can’t help your team beat Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the Chiefs on a quest for the first three-peat, but we can help you look great and feel comfortable while you cheer against them…or for them if you’re a fan of the Kelce-Swift romance.

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Mark McKee
Mark McKee
Contributor
Mark is a full-time freelance writer and men's coach. He spent time as a style consultant and bespoke suit salesman before…
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