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Music and Sports: Fashion Soulmates

Author: twelve12content

Category: Blog

There’s an old saying that says athletes want to be rock stars and rock stars want to be athletes. While the two professions may seem worlds apart, there are actually plenty of similarities. They’re both in the business of massive events, world stages, and performance — musicians and athletes even use the same buildings and arenas for their shows. More importantly, however, musicians and athletes are alike in that they garner more passionate fans than nearly any other profession or brand out there. 

The ties and interconnectedness between sports and music are often overlooked by consumers and brands alike. However, the two industries look to each other for inspiration in merchandising, and businesses can learn a lot from their marketing and design strategies. Here are some ways that integrating merchandising elements from one industry into the other can improve custom apparel design and, in turn, generate sales. 

Capitalize on Sports and Music Fashion in Custom Apparel Design


One of the downfalls of sports merchandise is its lack of wearability. In other words, it’s obvious when a basketball, football, or baseball game ends because sports jerseys flood the streets — and this only happens right as a game starts or ends. Rarely do people choose to wear sports jerseys day-to-day, which decreases their widespread appeal. Bringing more of a streetwear or rock & roll edge to sports merchandise makes it easier to wear on a non-game day and much more compelling for consumers. 

Likewise, athletic gear possesses a unique ability to make individuals and fans feel like they are a part of a team and community. Sports merchandise lifts spirits and brings people together in profound and nearly unmatched ways. Integrating some staples of sports apparel design into custom apparel for music businesses can help consumers feel like they are a part of a team, too. Thoughtful apparel design is the first step in recreating that close-knit sports team feel for hardcore music fans. 

Music and sports are undoubtedly fashion soulmates. Design techniques that are standard in one industry only enhance the appeal when applied to the product design of the other, in large part because these merchandising strategies cater to the mindset of fans. 

Whatever industry you’re in and whatever design challenges you face, the key is that fans are not a one-size-fits-all demographic. You can’t design one product and expect it to resonate with everyone, and custom apparel design is perhaps the only retail solution that lets you scale your ideas properly. By integrating custom branded apparel into your business model, your brand can develop products that fit in with a broader spectrum of fashion styles and reach all of your customer demographics. 

Thunderwear: Unparalleled Design Experience and Customer Service


Finding inspiration for your branded merchandise and custom apparel in other industries will make your products more versatile, widely appealing, and unique among your competitors. The Thunderwear team is here to help you incorporate different styles, genres, and motifs into your custom apparel design to make it the most compelling product for your shelves.

Whether you’re in the music industry trying to create custom apparel that makes your audience feel like part of a team or in the sports industry trying to make your products effortlessly cool and versatile like vintage rock & roll t-shirts, our design team has tangible solutions for you. If you’re in an entirely different industry? Even better. Incorporating strategies from both sports and music apparel design will elevate your custom merchandise in stellar ways. 


We’re here to take the pressure off you when it comes to designing and producing custom apparel in response to current fashion trends, consumer psychology, and brand awareness. Thunderwear has developed thousands of custom apparel solutions since we opened in the 1980s, and we have perfected our craft. 

What are you waiting for? Let’s get started