Bennett, hey.
Thanks for writing in… and for coming back every year! We've only done two of these (2023, 2021) but I love the idea of making it an annual tradition. After all, there's new stuff in team colors every fall to play around with.
You did leave out one critical piece of info: WHICH UT you're rooting for. Tennessee or Texas? Not all oranges are created equal. (One of my daughters was a Longhorn, but I like them both, color-wise.) But no problem… there are enough shades of orange on the floor to go around. We'll do 'em both!
My advice is the same as it is every year:
- Err on the side of dressing up vs. dressing down. (This means a shirt with a collar and long pants.)
- Lean into colors vs. logos… high-quality clothing in natural fibers with accents of your team's color are going to give you a lot more mileage than licensed apparel.
So with those very loose guiding principles — which, now that I think about it, apply to more than just football tailgates — here are a few outfits we pulled together.
And of course, you don't have to have a ticket to the game to put these into action. These outfits apply whether you're watching from your friend's couch, or your local sports bar… or if you never actually make it into the stadium. Gotta be honest, I haven't been to a college football game in awhile, as you might be able to tell from the photo. (Then again, the French picnic like we tailgate, so... same idea. I think Napoleon would have been a punt returner.) But the idea of being true to your school (♫ just like you would to your girl or guy ♫) is way bigger than what's on the screen or even whether you're watching at all!
How'd we do, Bennett? Hope your bases are covered whether you're a Volunteer or a Longhorn. You did say you were an equal-opportunity fan. Thank you again for your question, and for the idea to make this an annual tradition.
See you back here next year? Same time?
