Sports are coming back but fans are not – at least not yet in the grandstands of most stadiums and arenas. Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and the National Hockey League all are returning to play after shutting down in March, but the continuing COVID-19 pandemic prevents fans from attending those games.
Fans undoubtedly long for the day they can again, in person, voice their love for their favorite teams. Until then, whenever they can get out and safely social distance, fans will be likely to show their team spirit in their attire and fashion accessories, just as they proudly did before the pandemic at stadiums, restaurants, bars and shopping malls. Perhaps now, given the enforced silence of stadiums and arenas, their team colors worn in public will speak even louder, adding to the human connection sports often provide.
These days, avid sports fans literally can be covered from head to toe with their favorite team’s outfitting. But a few years ago, Deni Sciano, an entrepreneur and sports fan, noticed something was missing from women’s game-day apparel.
Attending a Dallas Mavericks-San Antonio Spurs NBA game, she was stuck in the long security line as every handbag was searched. Like many, she missed the start of the game.
“Then it hit me,” Sciano says. “An idea to manufacture clear bags, which could be checked quicker by security officials than traditional-style purses or handbags.
“At the same time, a clear bag could also be a fashion statement and a sign of team loyalty, as well as a convenient way to help move along the security line.”
The result of Sciano’s “A-ha!” moment is SCORE!: The Official Game Day Bag (www.scoregamedaybag.com). Sciano, whose product line is sold in all 50 states, has designed 12 styles with up to 44 color options. The purses feature six stadium-compliant styles, machine stitching, rhinestone bling and durable metal hardware.
More than ever, women are making their sports passion part of their fashion. Studies show that over 40% of the fan base for the National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association and NASCAR are women. As a result, the leagues are making more team apparel and related items for women.
Sciano wanted fashionable designer quality, style, and vibrant colors to reflect the team spirit so synonymous with sports. And her innovation turned out to be ahead of the game; in recent years, many sports stadiums/arenas have enacted clear-bag policies, as have movie theatres, concert venues, golf resorts, theme parks, and many workplace environments and other entities. Sciano expanded her product line to include totes, satchels and backpacks.
“Many women wear their team colors proudly at work, when shopping or dining, travelling, or running errands,” she says. “While times are different now and we don’t know when fans can safely be back in the stands at higher capacities, one thing about sports fans and loyalty hasn’t changed: fashion and team passion go hand-in-hand.”
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