Style Scenario: The Tailgate

What are you going to wear? Sometimes it’s good to look at a few suggestions then add your own tweaks and ideas. That’s what these are for. Football season has kicked off. And that means supporting your team by standing in a parking lot and eating fatty foods off the back of a truck or SUV’s tailgate. Yes, even this type of situation is an opportunity to put some effort into your look.

The Shirt: Men Washed Striped Crewneck Long Sleeve T-Shirt – $19.90. If you don’t want to get roped into buying an expensive piece of fan gear, then go with a basic layering piece in your team’s colors that you can easily wear outside of the stadium.

The Watch: Casio 200m Diver – $40.99. You’re tailgating, then going to a crowded football game. That means people bumping into you and possibly spilling beer and/or other sticky drinks on you. Might as well wear a watch that can take the odd splash of random liquid and still continue to function. If you wanna get fancy, throw a light grey NATO style strap on it. But truth be told, the resin band that it comes with is oddly flexible and nice for the price.

The Sunglasses: A.J. Morgan Castro Round Sunglasses $12.65. Are these the least expensive sunglasses you’ll ever own? Maybe. But throw these in your jacket pocket and if the afternoon sun/glare gets to be too much, you’re covered. Plus for $12.65 if they do happen to break, or you manage to lose them, you’re not out a whole lot of money. A definite retro style here, without getting goofy. It’s the little stuff like this, say, upgrading from bulky sport shades, that might have you catching the eye of the attractive tailgate-goer in the next parking spot over.

The Jacket: Wallace & Barnes MA-1 Bomber Jacket – $178.00. Fall means cooler temperatures. If you’re hanging around a tailgate party and the sun goes down, it’ll get cool mighty quick. That’s where your bomber jacket comes in. Light enough to give you some protection from the wind, yet no so warm that you’re sweltering in just cool (but not cold) temps. Plenty versatile for every day wear.

The Pants: Gap ORIGINAL 1969 Straight Fit Jeans – $69.96. Or Levis. Or Banana Republic. Or J Crew. In essence you’re looking for a comfortable pair of jeans that will allow you eat and drink, maybe to excess, without feel restricted. Plus if you happen to get some mustard spilled on them you don’t want to be worrying about expensive dry cleaning bills that you might have with selvedge.

The Shoes: Adidas Men’s Original Gazelle Shoes – $80ish. Plenty of colors to chose from, so you’re free to pick the color of your team to show your support if that’s your thing. Alternatively, more subdued colors can be chosen for daily wear/use.

The Belt: GAP Made in the USA Roller Belt – $39.95. All leather. Made here in the States. Should go on sale from time to time with codes that don’t exclude leather accessories.

The BBQ: Blackstone Tailgater Portable Gas Grill and Griddle Combo – $179.99. You can’t tailgate without a BBQ to cook the smokies and burgers on. The Blackstone boasts two grills each putting out 30,000 BTUs of cooking heat. Small and portable, perfect for the pregame tailgating meal. Or, there’s always the classic charcoal options from Weber. Just make sure you know the rules/regs for the specific lot you’re headed to.

The All In: Sports Face Paint – assorted prices. Finally, for the fan who wants to show full team support, there’s face painting. Just be mindful of who you meet while painted up.