The Baseball Shirt: A Style Home Run
Fashion trends are born and worn in New York, and the iconic baseball uniform is no exception. Back in 1849, the New York Knickerbockers, baseball’s first organized club, donned matching getups composed of wool pants, flannel shirts, and straw hats. Their uniforms—the first in baseball history—have no doubt sparked the team spirit and sense of identification that fuels us and the players beyond field. Thankfully it’s the jersey element of the uniform that tends to be emulated in street style; we’re not quite ready for cropped pants and shin-grazing statement socks.
But like any uniform-inspired garment, actual baseball shirts worn outside of the stadium have the potential to give off classic unstylish dad vibes. In order to avoid this, there are a few things you can do.
Channel the diamond look without wearing team logos and colors. While great for the occasional street style appearance, wearing your favorite player’s jersey more than once per week can err on the side of overplayed. Save that top for special occasions, and instead wear something that’s more versatile and is inspired by the sport on the regular.
Go oversized. Though they button, baseball shirts are a far cry from professional, so embrace their sportiness. The silhouette looks particularly modern when styled up a size and worn over a slim-cut pant.
At REINGE, our Baseball Button-Down Shirt manifests traditional stitching and a full range of buttons lining the front, but we threw a real curve ball by reimagining the uniform with long-sleeves. For an original weekend look, sport the baseball shirt unbuttoned as an outerwear garment over a basic tee. It’s a solid choice for light summer layering because the Italian wool provides the breathability factor, while the athletic jersey knit blend gives serious endurance.
Whether you’re wearing a team jersey or a minimalistic jersey, it’s probably best to steer clear of khakis and shorts for the sake of not looking like a tourist. Instead, opt for either dark skinny jeans or a slim, tapered pant to contrast the unfitted top.
Make sure your accessories complement the jersey. Play up the urban, city style with sleek slide-on shoes or minimalistic sneakers. Because the baseball shirt is an overt call to the sport, avoid combining it with other sports-related gear. Though you want to stay casual, running sneakers or any pair that gives off the classic “gym-shoe” vibe might put you in dad style territory.
Unlike baseball, a fashion win doesn’t require one to steal all the bases. Just as the teams have experimented with various styles of the jerseys—eliminating collars, introducing player numbers, wearing shirts boldly proclaiming the title “World Champions” for an entire season—you too should experiment with the style of the garment. As long as you feel confident in how you wear the jersey, it’s a home run in our records.
