Football Fits: Suited Up
If you know me, even a little bit, you know that I love sports. More specifically, I love football. And, let's be real, I love the long-suffering Cincinnati Bengals.
Don’t get me wrong, I love watching baseball and I am glued to the television during March Madness like everybody else. I’m also interested in college football, which my husband follows religiously. But, on Sundays (Thursday and Monday nights, too) in the fall, you will usually find me on my couch watching professional football, as often as I can, with my 13-year-old son sitting next to me. He’s a fantasy football general manager, and I can even follow his explanations of it, and of the real life players’ contract details, too.
After watching what just happened when the Buffalo Bills played the Bengals, I wasn’t sure if I should do this series that I had been planning for months. We all watched in horror as Damar Hamlin fell to the ground, and we didn’t know what would happen. Football is a violent game. I know professional football is far from perfect, but I am not here to get into that.
As we waited for updates on Hamlin, I was watching an interview, and someone asked about football being a dangerous sport. The man being interviewed replied, “Usually the things you love the most, can hurt you the most.” This stuck with me as I wondered how I might talk my son out of playing football when he gets to high school.
I am writing this over a week later, and I think we can all say that this horrible event helped fans focus on what is most important: the players. It put a bright light on the physical sacrifices these men make, the brotherhood they form, and the amazing work many of these players do in their community and beyond. Damar Hamlin seems to be the perfect example of someone who was loved by all the players and gave back to his community.
As I sat on the couch with my son earlier this fall, we would go through players’ Instagram feeds, and watch the “fashion show” that happened before the game. It was like two of my favorite things came together as one. Fashion has always been a small part of the game. We all remember Joe Namath and his fur coat. We also can’t mention football fashion and not discuss “Neon” Deion Sanders.
Lately, fashion and football have become even more entwined, and I’m here for it. I’m always excited for the catwalk that occurs when the team gets off the plane, or when the team walks into the stadium. These guys know how to dress. If you ask me who my fashion inspiration is, I would be just as tempted to say Ja’Marr Chase, DeVonta Smith, Jalen Hurts, Will Harris, and Myles Garrett, as I would say any of the designers in our stores. Of course, I can’t leave out “my” Joe Burrow!
So, here’s my idea. How fun would it be, during the playoff weeks, to see if we could replicate my favorite “Football Fits” at The Hives. I had to enlist some of my friends to pull it off. Alicia, Ali, and Megan were totally up for the challenge, and thanks to the artistic help of Igda, I must say we pulled it off and we are having a ton of fun doing it!
The first look revolves around suits. These football guys know how to wear a suit. The tailoring, the colors, the shoes, and the jewelry are amazing. I love it all!
Look for a post every Friday of the playoffs to see our favorite fashion moments of the season. As Hank Williams Junior used to croon on Monday nights, “Are you ready for some football?”
Inspiration pictures sourced from Instagram posts by Devonta Smith, Joey Burrow, Jalen Hurts, and the Cincitatti Bengals.
