Let me start this with an obligatory “Go Birds!” Now that that’s out of the way, Happy Victory Monday, aka day after Super Bowl Sunday, aka day after my beloved Eagles demolished KC in a glorious 40-22 blowout. After having just lived one of the biggest days in American Sports, I think it’s an apt time to talk about an aspect of sports that is often overlooked, fashion.

Fashion is a vessel through which pop culture moments effortlessly travel. The Super Bowl, and sports in general, are strong examples of that. From game day outfits of star players, to over the top fan costumes, to the mega industry of sports merch, there are so many way that fashion infiltrates the sporting industry.

On some of the biggest days of their lives, one of the many important decisions athletes must make is what they will wear to the game. Knowing they’ll have many cameras on them, many athletes use the walk from bus to stadium as a mini red carpet to dress up for and showcase their personal style. While dressing up on game days is a mark of polished professionalism, it is also a way for athletes to boost their confidence by wearing what they feel the most confident and powerful in and mentally preparing for the game ahead.

Beyond the athletic stage, some star players have really embraced their senses of style by unabashedly diving headfirst into the fashion realm. Jayson Tatum at NYFW, Odell Beckham Jr attending the Met Gala, Roger Federer being a co-chair of the Met Gala, and Joe Burrow at Vogue World are just a few examples where we see high profile names in the sports world sauntering into high profile events in the fashion world blurring the lines between fields and red carpets entirely.

Many athletes have embraced their role in fashion by investing in brand partnerships or launching their own brands. David Beckham is a prime example as he has expanded his empire on the soccer field to the fashion universe through his plethora of partnerships, collections, and personal brands including his partnership with Tudor Watches, Adidas, Hugo Boss, and his personal eyewear brand, EYEWEAR by DAVID BECKHAM.

Even though they won’t be stepping on the field, you’ll always find fans wearing jerseys of their favorite players. While jerseys are classic and pretty tame options, many fans go the extra mile and use their outfit to represent how deep their team loyalty really runs.

When thinking about where to buy sports memorabilia, the first places you probably think of are Dick’s Sporting Goods, Fanatics, or Rally House. These are businesses that specialize in all things sports and pretty much set the standard for sports merchandise, raking in billions of dollars yearly. In recent years however, more fashion companies have capitalized on the success of sports merchandise and launched their own merch collaborations with various national sporting organizations. Abercrombie has an official collaboration with the NFL bringing football logos to cardigans, jackets, and sweaters, pieces you wouldn’t necessarily find in a typical sports shop. These collaborations make sports team merchandise more easily accessible to a new audience. People who generally shop at stores like Abercrombie may not be the same people shopping at Rally House, therefore introducing sports memorabilia that matches what they would more typically wear allows for a broader client base for sports merchandise. There has also been an increase in more one off brands who are specifically creating more fashionable and unique sports merch prioritizing the fashion and streetwear aspect more than traditional shirts and jerseys that just have a team logo. This opens the door for more people to rep their favorite team without sacrificing their sense of style.