Sports and Fashion – Lessons for the West

Sports brands as fashion seems odd in the West, but it doesn’t have to be.

The domestic convergence between professional sports franchises and Western fashion labels have rarely been released to mass appeal.

However, that’s not to say that they never can or never will.

As Asia has proven, bridging the gap between these two worlds creates a cultural synergy that North America could benefit from.

Right now both professional sports and streetwear are experiencing some headwinds.

It might be time to take some risks.

Fashionable in sports – look good, feel good, play good

Back in my baseball days — 2018 — I used to tell my teammates every gameday: “Look good, feel good, play good.”

I believed that uniforming ourselves with the latest and greatest gear was the true key to success. No, not the hard work like Coach wanted us to think.

Most guys bought into what I was saying, which for better or worse quickly translated off the field. 

Long after my playing days, “look good, feel good, play good” remains integrated in every aspect of my life.

Honestly, it’s the reason I pursued a career in the streetwear industry.

As I’ve now immersed myself within this environment, I’ve seen that athletics and fashion actually compliment each other quite well.

I’m just not seeing it here in North America.

When fashion and sports are referenced together domestically, most people envision the athletes who’ve crossed over into the fashion world.

Less discussion is on how fashion-forward branding could affect a franchise or even an entire league’s identity.

In terms of appealing to a broader audience, giving the masses both a reason to be interested, and the ability to be interested, should be at the forefront of every professional sports league.

How they currently convey each of their unique identities — from design to the actual act of getting goods into people’s hands — comes off as, well…stale and unambitious. 

Fashion in sports – look at the East

If you’ve ever shopped for sports merchandise in North America, then you know that it’s anything but glamorous.

Honestly, I’m grateful whenever I’m able to receive my loose-threaded, crooked-logo jersey within four-to-six weeks.

And don’t even get me started on my completely crushed Dodger hat.

Now what if I told you though that the exact opposite experience is happening right now in Asia?

That one of the most popular and well-regarded streetwear staples is a completely MLB licensed fashion label.

Established in 1997, MLB Korea is credited as the pioneers of introducing professional sports to the masses through contemporary fashion.

Their meteoric success has been no accident, and offers many insights into how apparel merchandising and branding can catalyze cultural adoptions of sport.

It is certainly not the sole reason for baseball’s increasing popularity across Asia. But, it would be unfair to not examine how MLB’s practices overseas could potentially remedy professional sports’ ailing popularity right here in North America. 

Make sports cool again through fashion

The 90s were truly a magical time for Major League Baseball (MLB).

Records were smashed, global young stars were rising, and the on-field uniforms actually looked cool.

With more international eyes on the game than ever, this decade marked the first real opportunity for MLB to define their global perception given the newfound popularity.

And at least in Asia, they’ve knocked it out of the park, especially of late.

Fast forward to the present, and MLB Korea has demonstrated many concentrated efforts in developing their franchise insignias into mainstream fashion adaptations in hopes to grow overall recognition and interest amongst the younger generations.

By recruiting the likes of the K-Pop group Twice, and Chinese actress and singer Esther Yu, it’s not uncommon to see Boston Red Sox, or Los Angeles Dodgers logos when you venture around.

And it’s not just hats — we’re talking everything from embroidered puffer jackets to chunky Dad shoes. 

How the West failed

It’s here that I believe we find MLB’s biggest overseas success. MLB Korea allows their precious game to be transformed from “America’s Pastime” into an Eastern interpretation of sportswear. This is legitimate enough to allow people a new avenue in personal expression in the overall fashion ecosystem.

It’s clearly worked well in getting people to be ambassadors for sport in other parts of the globe. Why have these trends not made their way stateside? 

Baseball has historically been a traditionalist game, and therefore stagnant in nature. With its pique in the 1990s, waning interest was self-induced.

The League cracked down on all the aforementioned aspects that made the game so great, ultimately boiling it down to just that — a game.

While they worked tirelessly to build up this “cool” image overseas, they neglected the very people who platformed them in the first place.

Over time, they distanced much of their fanbase while also dissuading a younger generation from ever getting involved.

Sport is more than just a game

Beyond just baseball, leagues like the National Basketball Association — despite their cultural stronghold and juxtaposition with high fashion — have also strayed away from fully integrating the two industries.

This is despite Basketball has tremendous popularity and features stars who garner international recognition akin to only European footballers.

If The League chose to utilize these to their advantage, they could mimic the success of MLB Korea.

The League can flagship their logos into desirable and accessible street fashion — both domestically and internationally. They can perhaps even supersede the lore of the iconic New York Yankees logo through innovative collaboration.   

We’re now at this sort of crossroads where professional sports must decide if they want to once again elevate their sport into more than just a game.

Accessibility has become more difficult than ever, though fashion is proving to be a way to mend the gaps. Across Asia, their eyes are not necessarily glued to watching action on the diamond or on the court, people do care about donning their “NYs” and “LAs” as a cultural entity.

While what “NY” and “LA” may mean will vary depending on who you ask, the commonality is that they mean something. Here in North America, it could just be a symbol of childhood nostalgia.

Or, perhaps more so it represents the city one’s family first immigrated to.

Whatever it is, I hope that sports further explores the impact of giving people a reason to wear these simple letters.

In doing so it helps give a new generation reasons to be proud.