How NFL Merch Is Getting the Designer Treatment
Officially licensed NFL merch, to put it lightly, has not been highly regarded for its sartorial virtues. But just as figures on and off the field have upped their style game—think of Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker in a glen plaid double-breasted from the made-to-measure tailor he co-founded, Shepherd’s, or Tom Brady commentating in a peak-lapeled two-piece straight off of a Tom Ford runway—the market is hungry for better team gear.
One particularly strong play has come from Todd Snyder, who teamed up with the mega sports merchandiser Fanatics to deliver a collection of NFL-licensed kit. As opposed to the expected mesh jerseys or cotton caps, the limited-edition capsule trades in more rarefied fabrics appliquéd with retro team graphics.
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“This collection is a natural extension of my love for blurring the lines between luxury and sport,” said the designer in a press release. “We’ve taken classic fan gear and reinvented it with luxe materials and modern tailoring, from Italian cashmere rugby shirts to coaches’ jackets made in the USA by Golden Bear. It’s about celebrating team spirit with a sense of refinement.”
However, it’s not just the household names that are earning the NFL’s blessing. Philadelphia men’s shop Junior’s—an indie haberdasher described by its founder Glenn Au as having “one-and-a-half employees,” including himself—became the league’s most unexpected partner this past December, when it unveiled a tight edit of Scottish-made lambswool sweaters and cashmere scarves discreetly marked by old-school Eagles graphics.
“When it comes to sports merchandise, I’m a big vintage sweatshirt, vintage T-shirt, vintage cap guy, which I think has its own look” he tells Robb Report. “I think there is a missing space for having a luxury item that isn’t loud and attention calling. We wanted something a little more refined, and that was the goal with what I had in mind.”
Au’s preference for vintage Eagles visuals—including a circa 1970s “flying eagle” logo pulled from the team’s archives for the sweater, and an even older helmet logo sourced from the collection of his friend and Oxford Pennant founder Brett Mikoll for the scarves—speaks both to his shop’s Ivy style aesthetic, as well as what he views as a powerful force in sports fandom.
“It’s the nostalgia factor,” he continues. “I think of those days when I was watching games with my grandfather, and you kind of connect older logos with that.”
Another indie label on a nostalgia trip is Florida’s Duvin, a beachwear brand whose “creamsicle capsule” pays tribute to the orange-and-cream coloring of the 1970’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers through crewneck sweatshirts, stripey cotton rugby polos, zipped work jackets and more.
“I think there is just a different level of authentic craftsmanship with some of these original logos and designs,” says Duvin CEO and co-founder Austin Duvall, when asked of their appeal to a new generation. “They represent the inception and pillars of these franchises, and while branding and logos improve and evolve over time, the retro aesthetics are just “old school cool” and have this made-by-hand whimsy to them… That nostalgia from the ‘70s-90s has become a sort of culture movement that younger generations have really embraced.”
With the first kickoff of the playoffs just days away, it’s still anyone’s guess as to who will end up in Super Bowl LIX. But as the 2024-2025 season draws to a close, it would appear that fans with a rooting interest in style are its biggest winners.
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