How to Style an NBA Jersey

While we love to represent our favourite team at any chance we get, we know that there is a right and wrong time to show off our jerseys. If you’re looking to elevate your casual streetwear look, look no further than an NBA jersey. If you’re seeing your team in-person, supporting them from a sports bar or watching the game with friends, then that is the perfect time to bring out your jersey.

Likewise, if you’re day-to-day streetwear look is more on the athletic side, then show-off your collection with pride. However, because your jersey is a casual piece of clothing, it’s unfortunately not appropriate to wear out to restaurants, bars and other more formal gatherings.

If you plan on rocking an NBA jersey as part of your casual streetwear get-up, then let it be the main focus of your outfit—you want to let that jersey shine.

When you start planning your look, start with the jersey, which you can then base the rest of your clothes off to further complement it. Luckily for us, NBA jerseys typically feature a wide range of vibrant colours and designs, making them easy to become the focal point of any look.

Now that you’ve chosen your NBA jersey, whether it’s one from the team you love or just a cool design that you like to wear, you can begin planning your outfit around it. Here is what we wear when we want show-off our jerseys as part of our streetwear.

T-Shirt: A classic look that’s stood the test of time since the 90s, wearing a t-shirt under your jersey is a popular look. That being said, not every t-shirt will do. Graphic tees will be lost under your jersey, instead, opt for a plain t-shirt that is going to bring out the colour of the jersey. If you can’t decide on a colour, a classic white tee under most jerseys looks great.

Shirt: Depending on your chosen jersey, you can wear a casual shirt layered over the top of your jersey to complement the colours in it. However, compared to donning a tee under your jersey, this look is much harder to pull off. Choose a casual style, like a flannel with a check pattern. Ideally, the colour of the check pattern should contrast the jersey’s main colour for the best look.

Hoodie: When it gets cold outside but you still want to showcase your pride and joy, wearing your jersey over a hoodie is a comfy look. Similar to choosing a t-shirt, leave the graphic hoodies at home and stick with simple colours like white, grey or black for under your jersey. If you do plan on rocking this, you may need to go up a size with your NBA jersey to comfortably fit it over a jumper.

Jacket: Keeping your look clean and casual is an important consideration if you’re going to wear a jacket over your jersey. Formal styles such as blazers look out of place, so instead opt for casual jacket styles like denim jackets, puffers and varsity bomber jackets.

Jeans: The pants of choice to go with your jersey, jeans are a must-have streetwear staple. Most styles of jeans are going to complement your jersey, however, we love skinnier styles to give a cleaner silhouette. Ripped and distressed versions also look the piece, especially with vintage throwback swingman jerseys.

Chinos: Another option to jeans, chinos also give a clean look to complement your jersey. Chinos pair well when you layer your jersey, either with a casual shirt or jacket.

Track pants and joggers: If you’re aiming for a comfortable athleisure outfit to watch the game in, track pants or fleece joggers should be your go-to.

Shorts: If the temperature is starting to rise, shorts can work nicely alongside your NBA jersey. Choose a casual style, like denim shorts or cuffed chino shorts for your look to go out in. If you’re hitting the court, then sports shorts are a must.

Help take your look to the next level with accessories:

Hats: No look is complete without the hat to match. Whether you keep it simple with a logo cap or go all out with a printed snapback, the choice is yours. When it starts to get cold outside, swap out the cap for a vibrant beanie instead.

Shoes: No other footwear pairs better to your NBA jersey outfit than sneakers. Their casual style works to create the perfect streetwear ensemble—bonus points if you’re wearing basketball-inspired sneakers like Air Jordans or Chucks.

Looking to expand your collection? Discover all the latest throwback swingman and authentic NBA jerseys from Mitchell & Ness now.