The FIFA world cup is not coming in the United States, but disrupting life.
Work meetings end early. Schools bring TVs to the classrooms. Kickoff with bars opening at sunrise. You can be watching it in a crowded sports bar in New York City. Your living room in Dallas, or a college lounge in Los Angeles, and one thing comes out:
Americans do not simply watch FIFA world cup.
They dress for it.
Have you ever thought of your dress the day you are at the match?
The Morning the Jerseys Come Out
It’s 7:30 AM on the East Coast. Your alarm is mean, yet you recall – it is FIFA match day today.
You grab your team jersey that you have been wearing with qualifiers and friendlies, and night arguments over who plays where. One hand holds coffee, the other a scarf, and you go out into the cold morning air and all at once you see others dressed similarily.
A silent connection forms.
The strangers are already teammates even before the game begins.
This is the silent strength of FIFA fan attire in the American soccer culture that is slowly growing.
From Tailgates to Watch Parties?
In comparison with other nations where fans can meet in the city squares, Americans invent their own traditions of FIFA matches.
- Grill parties at the backyard.
- Sports bars crowded earlier than daybreak.
- International student filled college dorms and local fan bases.
- Families dressed in similar red, white, and blue.
At a tailgate during an event of watching, one man is flying a huge flag, and another one gives out face paint to children. One of the grandmothers in an old soccer FIFA World Cup Fan Outfits complains vehemently regarding tactics.
It’s chaotic. Loud. Joyful.
Which is your preferred venue in the U.S. to see a large FIFA match?
The Importance Of The Outfit More Than You Think
Fifa world cups are a statement in a country where soccer is competing with football, basketball, and baseball.
It says:
“I’m part of this moment.”
Slick jacket or a loud scarf is not merely an item of fashion but an evidence that there is also a home to the game of the world.
And the sense of weight, of pride, of almost an electrical sensation. Comes the closer to the U.S. team. Have you ever high-fived a stranger simply. Because they were wearing the same crest?
When Fashion Meets Identity?
The FIFA fandom style of America is unique because of its diversity.
Visit any World Cup event and you will find:
- Representative fans of their countries of origin.
- Two-team cheerers among the second-generation Americans.
- Friends in various colors but they are celebrating together.
One is waving a flag over the ocean and standing beside a neighbor waving the Stars and Stripes. During several hours the world is reduced to a single street. What team would you represent on your outfit, your home or your roots or both?
The Jacket That Lives Beyond The Tournament
Most of the decorations are removed when FIFA world cup is over.
But the outfits remain.
That jacket makes your winter favorite. The scarf stays in your car. On weekends off the cap is present.
Several months later, it is spotted at some grocery store or airport by a person and he says,
Hey, you also had a FIFA world cup?
And then, as you like, the memories come back.
Had The Final Been In The U.S. Tonight?
Just think of the FIFA world cup final being held in America.
Cities shinning with team colors. Fireworks ready. Whole neighbourhoods crowded round giant screens.
You open your closet.
Mjacket.com asks: Do you go for something new… or trust the outfit that has already survived every nervous tournament moment? The real fans understand it is not a trend FIFA World Cup fashion.
It is a matter of being a part of something greater than yourself, despite the country, where soccer is yet to write its history.
