College Football Kickoff Style

My friend Kirsten from Sharp Dressed Fan is a baseball expert/fan and confesses to have "almost no college football knowledge," but her style IQ is off the charts. So I asked her to take her talent for putting together team-inspired outfits (which include pieces from local makers in the home team's city!) and create two ensembles for college football kickoff weekend. We're only 10 days away from the first game of the season, but don't fret — with Kirsten's tips, there's still time to gear up in style for the first college gameday of 2017!

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The sweaty summer days are gradually growing shorter, which, for me, means that baseball playoffs are just over the horizon as the MLB season ebbs. However, while the temperatures may cool shortly, the season for football fans is just about to heat up! I confess I never got much into college football as my alma mater's team, Northeastern Huskies, garnered such a poor following that it was recently disbanded (Boston - it's a hockey town.) So when The Style Ref herself asked me to guest post some outfits for college football, I admitted I was a bit unfamiliar with the territory. Lucky for me, style is a universal language, so I stepped up to the plate... er, sideline?

We narrowed down our options to Kathy's own USF Bulls, and the only team I'd actually briefly watched in the past few years (thanks to my boyfriend) the Purdue Boilermakers. As always, I included a locally-made piece for each look, as well as a small statement piece with the school's mascot that could easily be incorporated into an everyday look. Also, with kickoff weekend quickly approaching, we decided to include pieces that could be quickly attained or you might already have in your wardrobe, thanks to summer trends. A few things below even have free two-day shipping with ShopRunner, a free perk for American Express cardholders, which I find to be crucial for assembling a last-minute gameday outfit! If you find you're lacking a team-branded piece, don't fret: these looks are based on the school colors and each tee could easily be sans logos, but still make the look.

Our first ensemble is for the University of South Florida Bulls. Every girl has a pair of shorts and a tee in her wardrobe arsenal, so let's start there. I included an airy, floral kimono top to layer on top for color in USF green, of course, but a cardigan or light infinity scarf could be swapped in — use what you've got! This top is from Anthropologie, but you can readily find something similar on Amazon with two-day shipping as well. Rather than including a team hat, I opted instead to go on-trend with a captain cap and simple block heels accented in gold, the other team color. Continuing with the gold, I found a lovely necklace made by a local Tampa artisan as well as fun bull ring to reflect the team mascot. If you're curious about the bag — stadium rules require either a teeny-tiny phone-sized purse, or a see-through bag, so I tracked down this cute vinyl tote that happened to have gold script as well as a green tassel! It all comes down to the accessories— keep them in team colors, and you'll always look gameday ready.

USF Bulls Outfit:

USF Tee: Fanatics

Floral Kimono: Anthropologie

Shorts: American Eagle

Hat: H&M

Necklace: T.S. Savage (Tampa local!)

Earrings: Forever 21

Tote: Neiman Marcus Last Call

Bull Ring: Etsy

Shoes: Charlotte Russe

Now for my adopted team, the Purdue Boilermakers! First off, if you're unfamiliar with the mascot, and I certainly don't blame you, it's derived from the burly men who worked on the engines for steam trains so popular in the area. Hence, the mascot is actually a train, which I included as a necklace. The main parts of the outfit are simple and interchangeable, and based on the hugely popular vintage-tee-and-gingham-mini trend that's dominating the summer. Again, no worries if you lack the Purdue tee — a plain one is fine. I went a bit less tropical and more city-slicker for the styling on this look, choosing an updated fedora rather than a baseball cap and some fabulous crackled gold mules rather than open-toed shoes. The delicate earrings are from a local Indiana maker and I matched in a stadium-approved bag as well as some Ray-Bans in a very contemporary design. It's a wonderful way to sport your black and gold without looking like you just walked out of the campus bookstore and you'll be sure to turn some heads!

Purdue Boilermakers Outfit:

Purdue Tee: Fanatics

Skirt: Asos

Hat: Revolve

Earrings: Lisa Hopkins via Etsy (West Lafayette local!)

Train Necklace: Gold Boutique

Sunglasses: Nordstrom

Stadium Bag: Etsy

Shoes: J. Crew

Have a spectacular kickoff weekend, sports fans, and remember: accessorize in  your team colors to make sure you're styled for the win!

Seeking the best of both worlds, Kirsten is a New York girl living and working by the beach in California. She created Sharp Dressed Fan to provide stylish options for fans of all kinds, starting with her beloved baseball, and soon branching out beyond sports! You can follow her adventures on www.SharpDressedFan.com, or follow her on Instagram, Twitter,  and Pinterest @SharpDressedFan.