In many sports, fashion plays an integral role in how the sport is viewed by the public. Some sports go so far as to implement a dress code for both players and fans alike. With summer just around the corner, there are many major sporting events that correspond to fan fashion. Whether you’re heading to Kentucky for the Derby or to Indianapolis for the 500, it is important to know what you should wear and what you should avoid. Use this list of dos and don’ts so you can avoid embarrassing yourself, or worse yet, being denied entry altogether.
The Masters
The Augusta National Golf Club is a renowned for their strict dress code. Augusta holds the honors of hosting the most important golf tournament in the United States, so of course they want to convey an image of high-class society. Not only do they have the reputation of their course and club to uphold but they also need to consider respecting the sport of golf; here’s a list of do’s and don’ts that will help you, as a fan, do just that:
Do:
• Wear collared polo shirts: You can wear a button down as well if it pleases you. In fact, it is encouraged. You can even add a little personal flair with a bright accent here and there. Just remember, your shirt should be as loud as you are when a golfer is teeing off.
• Wear a blazer: Blazers have long been a staple for country club sports and golf is no exception. Try to keep it in the color range of charcoal and navy.
• Wear slacks: As a country club sport, it is okay to wear shorts, but this is the Masters people. Try to bump up your fan fashion for this one and put on nice pair khakis.
Don’t:
• Wear black slacks with a white shirt: Unless a caddy is following you around, someone will probably mistake you for a waiter and ask what the hors d’oeuvres are for the remainder of the tournament. Avoid this color combination altogether to avoid this embarrassing situation.
• Wear a green blazer: As I mentioned before, keep the blazer color in the spectrum of charcoal and navy. Green blazers are too close to green jackets, a traditional prize for winning at that Masters. Unless you earned that green blazer, save it for another date at the country club
• Wear denim: I should not need to explain this. This is golf. Please no riff-raff. This is the Masters people. If you show up in any kind of denim at the Masters, they will politely ask you to return to your shanty.
• Extensively quote Caddy Shack or Happy Gilmore: I love Rodney Dangerfield and Shooter McGavin just as much as the next guy, but no one wants to hear you toting off Bill Murray’s “Cinderella Story” monologue on the 18th fairway. Keep those double pistols to yourself Shooter.
The Indianapolis 500
Easily recognized and promoted as the “greatest spectacle in racing.” The fan fashions of the Indy 500 are less subtle than
most sports. Motor sports are traditionally considered blue collar, so this is a kind of event where just about anything goes. You could still catch some flack for wearing the wrong kind of attire at this event so be careful to follow these guidelines:
Do:
• Wear denim: Quite the opposite of the Masters in almost every way. This is the place to dust off that old, denim, White Snake jacket, and slip into some ripped up jeans. Not the fashionable kind of ripped jeans, the kind with holes in places that there should not be holes in. Also, don’t be afraid to break out the jorts (short for jean shorts). The golden rule for wearing jorts at the 500 is, “the higher above the knee, the better,” and that goes for guys and girls.
• Accessorize with the American flag: As someone who has gone to the Indianapolis 500 every year for almost all my life, I can say that the American flag can and should be worn in a multitude of ways at the race. You can use it as a bandanna, a skirt, a dress, a toga, but the most popular use is fashioning it into a cape. The theme with the American flag is to be creative with it, and if you turn yourself into a makeshift Captain America while doing it, then you’re doing it right.
• Wear work boots: I know this may sound like a pain ladies, but it is going to be hot in Gasoline Alley and the Snakepit. That heat is going to turn the dirt into shifty, sticky, wet mud and you could potentially ruin your camping flats with just one misstep.
Don’t:
• Tarnish the American flag: I know I said to use it as a creative accessory, but you’ll catch plenty of dirty looks and unwanted confrontations if you’re using our nation’s symbol of freedom as a makeshift diaper.
• Wear nice clothing/shoes: I can’t stress enough how hot this event is. You will sweat and you will get dirty. This is not the place for boat shoes and button ups. Wear clothes that you would wear on a camping trip. They should be loose, comfortable, and have some sort of racing or American theme to them if you are looking for bonus points.
The Kentucky Derby
As one of the most important and arguably most popular horseracing cup in America, the Kentucky Derby attracts a wide array of fans. What these fans have in common, other than a love of watching little men ride horses around a track, is a sense of southern fashion that is not matched in any other sporting event in the world. Here’s how to dress to impress at the Derby, as well as attire that could gain sneers and jeers:
Do:
• Wear seersucker: If there is ever a time to break out your seersucker suit that’s been collecting dust in the back of your closet, now is the time. Seersucker embodies southern fashion and that fashion is extremely prevalent at the Kentucky Derby. So much so, you may feel out of place without any on.
• Wear sundresses: Summer is indeed the season for sundresses. In the boiling heat of the Kentucky sun, you’ll feel comfortable and look fashionable without ever having to break a sweat.
• Have fun with your accessories: A chic pair sunglasses is never out of place at an outside sporting event such as the Derby. For men, be sure to wear a vibrantly colored tie that goes well with your seersucker or plaid slacks. For women, the hat is what will make your outfit. Ladies, whether your hat is made of straw, has a feather in it, is quaintly small, or has a wide enough brim to shade the entire track, be sure that your hat sticks out among the crowd. It will not go unnoticed, in a good way.
Don’t:
• Wear athletic apparel: This is a Kentucky Derby fashion fan no-no. The Derby is meant to exude the high quality of southern fashion and wearing basketball shorts with an undershirt tarnishes this sacred tradition of the track. I know it is hot, and you want to stay cool, but respect the event. Avoid clothing brands like Nike and Under Armor and switch them out for more suitable brands like Vineyard Vines or Southern Tide.
• Wear denim: Horse racing and golf fan fashion share the similarity of wanting their patrons to dress as if they were spending the day at a country club. If I have not stressed this enough already, denim is not acceptable at these forums. Derby fan fashion differs from golf fan fashion in the sense that shorts are not acceptable and vibrant colors are encouraged.
• Wear tennis shoes: You may be excited that you just got a fresh new pair of all white Air Force Ones and kudos to you, it is a good looking shoe. But wearing anything less than boat shoes and wingtips will garner some unwanted stares that can easily be avoided by simply putting on a pair of penny loafers.
Many of these fan fashion rules should go without saying, but if you are attending one of these events for the first time this summer then this list should help you sift through your wardrobe. While each individual event will have their own dress code, whether it be mandated or unspoken, you can be sure to look your best while still maintaining the fashion traditions that make these events so great.
Related articles across the web
More stories you might like
