A silly hat comes on the head, the tröte in the mouth, and the jersey is striped over: The fan is finally the twelfth man in the game and wants to show the flag. But what about before and after the 90 minutes of play? Is fan clothing also wearable in everyday life, even in the office?
The home jersey of the German national team has surprised everyone this year. It looks a little different. The main colors are still classic white-black. But now three wide stripes in different shades of red are emblazoned on the chest. “They almost look like a breastplate,” says Gerd Müller-Thomkins of the German Fashion Institute (DMI) in Cologne. “The lines are funnel-shaped and therefore have a very dynamic effect.”
But there is more hidden in the red: a thin black stripe at the top and a golden stripe at the bottom complete the German flag. With the emphasis on the red part, the national team is fully in line with the trend, says Müller-Thomkins. “That’s a super-excited color right now.”
Sports fashion in everyday life is a trend anyway. “Sporty modernity” is what the expert calls it. These include garments that are reminiscent of outfits from the gym or sports field. Nevertheless, the fashion expert advises wearing a football jersey during the World Cup only in everyday life, if the environment also participates. And the image and type consultant Anneli Eick points out that a jersey only has something to look for in the office if the department has decided, with the blessing of the boss, to celebrate football time.
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Elegant is different
Even the attempt to smuggle the jersey into the outfit only succeeds to a limited extent in style. For style consultant Bernhard Roetzel, the combination of jersey and jacket would even be a break in style. “But if casual outfits are normal in the office, I can put on a jersey instead of the polo shirt.” After all, everyone knows: “World Cup is a state of emergency. Then the elegance is back.” How conspicuously you flaunt your enthusiasm for football depends on the dress code in the office. “If I’m the managing director of a hardware store in the countryside, it’s more acceptable as a gag than as a board member of a bank.”
Visually, the German jersey is difficult to reconcile with other office clothing, says Roetzel. “White and black are plain colors. All jerseys with real colors are easier to combine.” One color, in particular, fits well: “Blue jerseys are most recommended from a fashion point of view.” Blue should also become one of the colors of the season – and is in various nuances the part of the jersey of nations such as Italy, France, or Argentina. “That’s why the Italians have it better.”
How do I show in the office that I am a football fan? The jersey is not the only way to express its attachment to round leather – and by no means the best, say experts. Gerd Müller-Thomkins advises, for example, to simply play with the typical jersey colors in the outfit: So to take black, white, and red.
Discreet accents
The best figure is made by die-hard followers with discreet fan articles. It is particularly clever when the enthusiasm for football does not immediately catch the eye, says Eick. “For the ladies, these can be artfully black-red-gold lacquered fingernails, earrings, hairbands, or bracelets in the national colors.” And the men? “They set funny accents with socks in the well-known three colors or a polo shirt with fan print, which can quickly disappear under the jacket.” Roetzel also advises discreet use of fan articles. “A tie with black, red, and gold can be relatively stylish. You could also prick a pin with the German flag on your lapel.”
Above all, however, meetings should first consider what works and what does not. “Let’s take the Chancellor as an example: she can’t go to an important international event with a fan jersey,” explains the fashion expert. “But I can certainly imagine that she will go to the cabinet with a fan scarf for fun.”
On the safe side are football enthusiasts who unpack black-red-gold only in the coffee kitchen. “Of course, the coffee from a fan cup tastes particularly good at this exciting time,” says Eick.
