By Leah Binkovitz
Just as the rain returns to ruin the start of baseball season and cancel perfectly good weekend Twins games, NBA playoffs sweep in to keep us cozy inside. Sadly, our beloved Timberwolves will not be making a playoff appearance this year, but there’s still plenty of teams worth cheering for. Harder than figuring out who to support, however, is the whole game day wardrobe thing. At this point, you’re probably not going to be appearing courtside (if you are, we really don’t want to hear about it) but you may be headed to a sports bar or neighborhood party. Lucky for us, certain teams (Lakers, Knicks) draw the stars out, giving us lots of dos and don’ts for sporty style.
Let’s start with the classic, fanatical, I bleed-insert-colors-here, look perfected by the rabid Knicks fan, Spike Lee. This man loves New York so much, even after suffering an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Miami in the opening game, you can bet Lee will be in the stands, decked out head to toe in Knicks gear. Since NBA duds are expensive and you may not be as monogamous as Lee, this look is best suited for the die-hards.
Moving on, we come to the look we’re calling NBA-Bey after Beyonce, whose appearances alongside husband Jay-Z are always fashion forward. The couple-coordinating they sometimes partake in may be a bit much for some, but you can’t go wrong with an elegant yet laidback blouse paired with skinny jeans and a colorful heel. She’s also been spotted in bright blazers. Pops of color are totally game-day appropriate when everyone will be wearing their brightest, loudest, neonest fan gear anyway. For those of us who aren’t celebrities, colorful flats work just fine.
We’ve created our own lineup here of no-fail essentials. If you’re looking for a local Joe’s retailer, try Parc Boutique in Nordeast. And if leopard seems too trendy for a large investment, Target offers a great knockoff. Add your own team flair where desired.
(The High Water jean in leopard ($165), by Joe’s Jeans; Fergie Top in Poppy ($62), by BB Dakota, from Covered, Blazer, ($49.95), from H&M)
