Going To The Super Bowl: Flare Jeans, Taylor Swift & The Big Game

Ah, the Super Bowl. The Big Game! The biggest game. 

While I admittedly don’t follow football closely, the Super Bowl is an omnipresent pop culture event. This is largely due to the fanfare around a star halftime performance headliner, celebrity-filled ads that cost millions, and A-list attendance. Of course, there is also the Taylor (Swift) of it all in recent years, driving interest into overdrive for an entirely new fashion and pop culture audience – me included. 

Attending the actual game itself has been a longtime bucket list goal, and I was lucky enough to have the opportunity this year with the EA Madden NFL team in New Orleans, Louisiana. Since I also consult in the gaming space on fashion and beauty, it was especially cool to be a part of the group. Beyond that, my grandfather’s first-ever Super Bowl was actually in New Orleans way back in 1997 – so it felt like carrying on the torch in a very special way. 

Leading up to Super Bowl Sunday included plenty of festivities, all loaded with big ticket performers themselves. The Madden MFL team brought out hitmaker Shaboozey, of “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” fame, Jelly Roll, Chris Stapleton and perhaps most unexpectedly, Snoop Dogg behind the DJ booth. 

On Saturday before the game, I popped into the one-day-only Abercrombie House to find the perfect game-day outfit inspired by the queen herself, Taylor Swift. I opted for a vintage style varsity jacket repping my newly adopted team, the Kansas City Chiefs, along with a 90’s inspired team t-shirt and a customized pair of embroidered barrel jeans with my name. 

I finished my ensemble with a pair of black and white Chanel sneakers, an Hermès belt, Lele Sadoughi earrings and a Super Bowl LIX clear bag. As for glam, I reached for my favourite Stila glitter eye shadow, along with Merit’s foundation, blush and highlighter, finishing up with a classic Bobbi Brown red lipstick and Haus Labs mascara. 

Heading to the Caesars Super Dome was a rush of excitement, as crowds in red (for the Chiefs) and green (for the Philadelphia Eagles) made their way into the stadium for the biggest televised event of the year. While there was friendly banter amongst the competing fans, it became pretty clear that the Eagles fans were in it to win it – and I was maybe dressed for the wrong team. But hey, team Taylor – and there was still a 13-minute Kendrick Lamar concert to get to. I grabbed some hot and fresh chicken strips before taking my seat and settling in for the long haul. 

The game kick-off was filled with energy, pomp and circumstance as Jon Batiste sang the national anthem and both teams made their entrances. Shortly after, Taylor Swift was shown on-screen for the first and only time – revealing she had brought along her best pal Ice Spice. Unfortunately for Swifites, the crowd booed – mostly because she’s a Philly native who was there to cheer for her boyfriend Travis Kelce on the the opposing team.

The “Bad Blood” singer kept her game day ‘fit sparkly but neutral with a rhinestone pair of jean shorts by Monday Denim, a white Alaia body suit, a YSL blazer and over-the-knee white boots. While her look wasn’t Chiefs-heavy like last year, she added some team spirit with a small red Givenchy Red Nano Voyou Bag and the same “T” (for Travis) red ruby necklace she had sported at the Grammy Awards, designed by Lorraine Schwartz.

As the game went on, Eagles fans kept getting louder and more excited as they continued to dominate Travis Kelce and the Chiefs – understandable, since they also lost to this same team during Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime year in 2023.

It was then time for Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show, where he may have broken the internet with his Celine flare jeans (now sold out) and Drake diss on the controversial hit “Not Like Us.” The performance energy was palpable live, especially once Sza – clad in all red – popped out for duets “All The Stars” and “Luther.”

Seeing a halftime set in person versus on television for the first time was a unique experience: while the mini-concert is certainly designed for TV, that didn’t take away from the energy inside the stadium. For a brief moment, both team fans were united for a 13-minute party that felt like it wasn’t going to end – until it was time to get back to the game.

After a bunch of running around and ‘E-A-G-L-E-S’ cheers, the Chiefs fell so behind the Eagles, the winner of Super Bowl 59 was clear far before the game was over. With time still on the clock, other teammates and members of the Eagles organization rushed onto the field to celebrate the momentous win.

With no personal investment in the game, I happily cheered on the Eagles as they accepted the iconic Vince Lombardi Trophy. I inadvertently continued the celebrations at the players’ late night after party which was also attended by the likes of Pete Davidson, Miles Teller, Diplo, Bradley Cooper and others, featuring a performance by rapper Sexyy Red. I may have had to turn my jacket inside out (sorry, Chiefs!), but a great time was had.

All in all, my first Super Bowl was one for the books – a truly once-in-a-lifetime, unforgettable experience. –Cassie Gill