Capitals arrive at Stadium Series game in custom varsity jackets - The Washington Post
In keeping with recent NHL tradition, the Washington Capitals arrived at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, N.C., ahead of Saturday's outdoor showdown with the Carolina Hurricanes in coordinated pregame outfits. Players wore white leather varsity jackets — a nod to the football venue in which they would take the ice under the lights — over white T-shirts and blue jeans, a snazzy and laid-back departure from their standard pregame suits and ties.
"It's kind of expected nowadays that teams do something a little bit different for the outdoor games," Capitals forward Tom Wilson said Friday. "Over the last couple months, guys were throwing around different ideas, and we ultimately landed on the varsity jackets. It's clean, it's simple, and it has the football theme."
The jackets were designed by DC Proper, a spinoff lifestyle brand of A Life Well Dressed Company, which was co-founded by D.C. native Michael Warren and his wife, Christian, in 2018. The Warrens' relationship with Monumental Sports & Entertainment from previous collaborations with the Wizards on apparel collections made them an obvious choice to create the Capitals' pregame look.
"I took a lot of inspiration from their [Stadium Series] jerseys," Michael Warren, 37, said of the all-leather, predominantly white jackets the Capitals debuted in Raleigh. "Because they're playing in a football stadium, we wanted to create that 'Varsity Blues'-type vibe. With the red piping, it looks like their jersey, but it looks like a varsity jacket at the same time. They added their own touches, so it's a really meaningful collaboration."
The Capitals' jackets feature the D.C. flag on the left breast and each player's number on the right breast. The back features the team's secondary "Weagle" logo, which appears in oversized form on the front of their Stadium Series jerseys.
DC Proper created a limited retail version of the jackets, which will be available at the Capital One Arena team store when the Capitals wear their Stadium Series uniforms against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday. A select number of autographed jackets will be included in future fundraisers.
Warren, who collaborated with the Washington Commanders on a collection of hoodies and jackets last year and is preparing to open DC Proper's latest retail location at Reagan National Airport on March 1, received feedback and direction from Capitals players during the design process. One of the additions the players requested was the option to stitch the names of their children or other family members on the right sleeve.
"We're such a family-oriented team, and guys are excited to involve their kids," Wilson said. "There's little nods to different things, like the D.C. flag's on there, which we haven't really used much as a team. I think they'll look really good, and it'll be something we can use for years after the game."
The same probably can't be said for the all-denim "Canadian tuxedos" and 10-gallon hats the Tampa Bay Lightning wore to last year's outdoor game in Nashville. The Predators arrived for that game in custom Music City Outlaws leather jackets and trucker hats designed by Travis Austin.
"We had some ideas that were crazy and out there and would've created some buzz, for sure, but we decided to keep it simple," Wilson said with a laugh. "I think DC Proper did an amazing job, and hopefully we'll look sharp. It'll be nice to get out of the suit for a game."
For Warren, who worked as a food runner on the suite level of what was then known as MCI Center for Capitals and Wizards games during his junior year at Dunbar High, it was a thrill to partner with another one of his hometown teams. He said he felt like a fanboy when he met a few players at the team's practice rink for a recent fitting.
"It was like, 'Wow,' " said Warren, who planned to attend Saturday's game with his wife as guests of the Capitals. "These guys are global superstars from different countries who happen to work in the nation's capital and represent the city. … They might be the most stylish in the league once they hop off the buses."
Capitals arrive at Stadium Series game in custom varsity jackets - The Washington Post
Comments
Post a Comment