"Not even just college-aged women, but older women as well," says Schmeichel.įor Kerr too, the difference in gameday attire was striking. "It was far beyond the scope of what I had even been led to believe about how dressed up people were, and how many people were involved in that practice." She quickly realized how drastically she had underestimated the both the football culture and the dedication to its fabled dress code. "I had heard about the dressing up phenomenon in the south, but I guess I had kind of written it off as something a small group of women did, or that maybe it was just something in the Greek system," says Schmeichel. "I had heard about the dressing up phenomenon in the south, but I guess I had kind of written it off as something a small group of women did." Stacey Kerr both came from undergraduate campuses where football was a Big Deal, (Nebraska and Miami, respectively) before heading to the UGA for their doctoral programs. Nevertheless, in the surrounding 10 mile radius of any SEC stadium, thousands of women at tailgates, at sorority houses, and at sports bars fit this dolled-up description to a T.Įven for football fans hailing from big schools in other conferences, the pervasiveness and extent of this practice in the SEC can be jarring.
CUTE WHITE OUT FOOTBALL GAME OUTFIT FULL
Why women elect to sit in the September southern sun, baking in the convection oven that is a metal-bleachered stadium, all while wearing a sundress, wedges, a full face of makeup, and very-done hair, is beyond the comprehension of some sports fans. That SEC football fans dress up for gameday is a practice that’s widely known and well documented, but less understood. This tradition has truly given life to its own, not-so-little sphere of the fast-fashion industry. While they’re mostly focused on SEC schools now, some, like Twelve Saturdays, plan to add other conferences too. Online-only stores, like First & 10, The Tailored Socialite, Twelve Saturdays, and The Mint Julep, have sprung up as well. In Athens alone, Cheeky Peach and Red Dress Boutique section off parts of their stores for red and black garb in fall months. But it isn’t the only store catering to these SEC girls. "The entire back of our store during gameday season is devoted to red and black." At other locations, the inventory is similarly tailored to reflect the team’s colors.įor now Entourage exists exclusively in southern college towns, although there are plans to move into other, more metropolitan areas in the future. "In all southern college towns, football is a huge part of that culture," says Hoover. In 2008, Katie Nichols, a University of Georgia graduate, opened up Entourage in Athens, after identifying a need for a store where college girls could shop for unique but affordable clothes. Football at the 14 universities that comprise the Southeastern Conference is, for many, a religious experience, to be regarded as and dressed for as such. While the colorized merchandising might be perplexing to an out-of-towner, any native Georgian will immediately recognize that Bulldawg red as a symbol of imminent deliverance - it’s almost Saturday in Athens.ĭuring college football season, many people who live below the Mason-Dixon line go to church twice a week - once on Sundays for regular church, and once on Saturdays for the game. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
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