First and Ten Gameday Dresses would like to thank The State Newspaper of Columbia, S.C. and Amanda Coyne for the following article and interview. Please enjoy the article and read some of Ms. Coyne's other articles at TheState.com . Enjoy the article and keep bringing your fashion, style and excitement to your home Football Stadium!
acoyne@thestate.comAugust 27, 2014
Forget your Sunday best – when football season comes around in Columbia, it’s all about your gameday best.
While jerseys and T-shirts may be common attire at most American football games, in the South, gameday is an occasion to dress for. Women regularly wear black and garnet cocktail dresses with cowboy boots while tailgating around Williams-Brice Stadium, while men often choose polos and chinos, or sometimes even Gamecock-themed bow ties.
Dressing up for football games is a ritual that dates back to the 1920s, but it has seen a revival among Southern fans in the past five years, according to Cindy Terry, co-owner of First and Ten Gameday Dresses, which sells women’s apparel tailored to the styles of 23 different colleges, including the University of South Carolina.
“There has been a resurgence of ladies – young women, current students and alumni – putting on the dress, because these are live social events with tailgating and all the festivities,” Terry said.
Columbia retailers have taken advantage of the growing popularity of gameday fashion. Five Points and Devine Street boutiques like My-Kim Collection, Wish and Britton’s dedicate significant rack space to unique garnet and black attire that can be worn on those seven special Saturdays each fall.
Much of the style revolves around the key gameday accessory of cowboy boots. Fans can’t turn their head in Williams-Brice stadium without seeing a pair of boots.
“It’s mainly finding something that goes with boots,” said Mary Kathryn Gatlin, manager of My-Kim Collection and a Gamecocks fan.
Jack Rogers’ iconic Navajo sandal is also a fan favorite for the first few games, which are often too hot for boots. The sandal comes in a garnet and black color combination for the shoe designer’s College Colors line, and it is also available in more versatile colors, including black, silver, white and gold.
Many popular styles are classic pieces that fans can wear year after year, Gatlin said. Solid black dresses dominate female fans’ wardrobes, though the increasing availability of dresses in the perfect shade of garnet has brought more variety to Williams-Brice’s stands.
In recent seasons, chevron stripe patterns have grown in popularity. This year, Terry expects there to be a higher demand for tribal prints, plaid and lace in gameday colors.
“Trends are influencing gameday, but gameday is also influencing trends,” Terry said. “Dress manufacturers are taking note of gameday colors and styles. The gameday lady knows what looks good, what’s fun and knows her fashion.”
But football fashion isn’t just reserved for female fans; men often seek out special attire to wear to tailgates and games as well. Perry Lancaster, manager of Britton’s, said male customers especially like the store’s chino shorts and trousers embroidered with gamecocks for festive gameday wear. The store’s Gamecock-themed ties and bow ties are also hot ticket items during football season.
New this season is a collection of hand-crafted needlepoint belts, flasks and wallets with SEC and Gamecocks logos. Another new offering is a long-sleeve rouched top with an overlying drape – a custom piece for Britton’s, at 2818 Devine St.
