How to wear a football jersey

 

Soccer, like most Americans, is something that really only creeps into my consciousness during the World Cup once every four years or when I read an article about how dope David Beckham looks in his sweatpants. And these days, while I know it was a wild ride to the Euro 2016 soccer tournament (Iceland just upset England! It's crazy!), the nuances of what's going on are not super important to my life. But here's what I do know: jerseys for soccer are great. They could also be the best of any pro-athlete uniform in terms of pure wearability. And the best time to wear one is summer, the time of year when you need nothing but a bold shirt to make a statement.

Here's what you should know before getting kitted-out first.

1. Don't be a fan of fake soccer.

Name it football. We can't sufficiently emphasize that. If you're an American who just doesn't know anything about a sport, call it by its American name. Refer to soccer jerseys as such, as well. Only to please foreigners, don't be the stupid American who goes around leaning on the words "football" and "kit". It's going to be like when dad wants to say "on fleek."

2. Choose a shirt that looks fantastic on you.

Here's the thing: a lot of really nasty soccer jerseys are out there. The advantage of not being a fan of any team is that, only because it's the team you endorse, you really have no excuse to wear an awful jersey. Be like Drake instead and just pick one you think looks cool. (We're willing to bet that Drake isn't the biggest fan of Juventus in the world.) Hell, thanks to streetwear brands like Supreme and Palace, it doesn't even have to represent a real soccer team.

3. Buy a variant of the replica.

On-field models of uniforms appear to be exceptionally form-fitting, which is perfect if you're an eight-pack professional athlete. But with street clothes, even for those of us who are in shape, super tight tee-shirts just look weird, particularly when they're in polyester fabric like most jerseys do. Pick up the replica edition instead, which looks more like a normal T-shirt and less like a Spanx. Plus, replicas are typically less costly. So, this is also a good option to replica football jerseys online.

4. Old school, kick it.

Lots of new soccer jerseys tend to feature high-tech fabrics and corporate logos. Hit eBay for a vintage jersey, which will be less messy design-wise and might also come in less tech-y but more cozy cotton, if those aren't for you.

5. Casually wear it.

For shoes, that literally means. We love the high-low combination, but it's just weird for a soccer jersey with a pair of pants and loafers pressed together. With jeans and your cleanest white kicks, Jerseys go best (this is not a time to bust your new Yeezys out).