I'm a Fashion Person Who Loves Sports—Here's Everything on My Holiday Wish List
In the modern world, sports aren't just about what happens on the court, field, or track. Much of the buzz around athletes actually takes place before their events—that is when they arrive at their respective venues and showcase their latest fashion creations. In basketball, that's referred to as a tunnel 'fit; in Formula One, a paddock 'fit; and so on. What athletes wear when they're not in uniform matters, especially to fans who might never get to speak to their heroes. Clothes are the perfect form of communication—a window into who your favorite athlete is and what they stand for. That's what Go Sports is all about. Yes, we care about box scores, the results of Free Practice 1 (even if it is at 3 a.m.), and RHOSLC-level rivalries, but today, sports fashion matters too. We're not ashamed to say so.
The holidays are finally just around the corner, which means that it's time to start both shopping for gifts and picking out presents you want to send subtle hints about to everyone you know. (I'm not ashamed to admit that I send out a wish list to a few people every year.) Given my low-key obsession with everything sporty and my position as a glorified fashion person, the gifts on my list tend to settle somewhere in between, like a suede bomber jacket that happens to be from a McLaren F1 x Reiss collab or anything from the just-released Polo Ralph Lauren Team USA collection for the 2026 Winter Olympics. I want something chic, yes, but also something that ties back to my favorite team, whether that's Scuderia Ferrari or the Indiana Fever.
It's a hard gifting category to shop for if you're not knee-deep in the world of both sports and fashion, which is why I thought I'd curate a list of perfect presents in the off chance that you, too, have someone in your life who's just as dedicated to looking good and watching athletes do their thing. Ahead, you'll find practical buys like portable chargers for long race weekends at the track, stadium-proof bags that are actually attractive, and extra-warm fleece-lined tights that are great for layering under jeans at a late-season NFL match-up. It's all up for grabs (for now—those Team USA pieces are flying off the shelves) below.
Sporty fashion people are losing it over Comme Si Sport. Stylist Karla Welch is obsessed.
Sporty track pants are all the rage right now. Hailey Bieber and Lila Moss, in fact, were just both spotted wearing them in Palm Springs and London, respectively.
AllSaints did the coolest thing ever—partnered up with Williams to make some seriously buy-worthy leather bomber jackets.
Some people don't know that the Speedcat sneakers were actually inspired by motorsport racing boots.
Just add classic Levi's jeans, loafers, socks, and some tiny sunglasses for a very Kendall Jenner–esque look.
Eliza Huber is an NYC-based senior fashion editor who specializes in trend reporting, brand discovery, and the intersection of sports and fashion. She joined Who What Wear in 2021 from Refinery29, the job she took after graduating with a business degree from the University of Iowa. She's launched two columns, Let's Get a Room and Ways to Wear; profiled Dakota Fanning, Diane Kruger, Katie Holmes, Gracie Abrams, and Sabrina Carpenter; and reported on everything from the relationship between Formula One and fashion to the top runway trends each season. Eliza lives on the Upper West Side and spends her free time researching F1 fashion imagery for her side Instagram accounts @thepinnacleoffashion and @f1paddockfits, watching WNBA games, and scouring The RealReal for discounted Prada.
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