Style Tribe: Football Femmes
Photo: Amy Lombard
The smell of searing meat and the sound of Bruce Springsteen wafted through the air on a bright Sunday morning in East Rutherford. Rows of sport utility vehicles faced each other tail-first in the shadow of the gargantuan MetLife Stadium. The New York Giants intended to reclaim their World Champions’ glory after an embarrassing season opener, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just wanted to hang on. American, Giants, and Yankees flags flew — in that order — above tour busses, idling Bentleys, and fans dressed in red, white, and blue, swigging Champagne.
The Cut sent photographer Amy Lombard and reporter Katie Van Syckle to the tailgate to document the bedazzled jerseys, team-themed tube tops, and— in one case — five-inch, sports-themed peep-toe heels of the NFL’s most ornately attired fans. Today, as the Giants prepare to play the Carolina Panthers, click to see our slideshow and meet the football femmes.
Shannon Sowa, 22, NBA Scheduling Assistant, Clifton, New Jersey When I was growing, up I always had to wear my dad’s shirt or some man’s, but now...
Shannon Sowa, 22, NBA Scheduling Assistant, Clifton, New Jersey When I was growing, up I always had to wear my dad’s shirt or some man’s, but now sports clothing has become cuter. Alyssa Milano has her own sports line of clothing for women now, and I really like that. Victoria's Secret has their own line, too.
Photo: Amy Lombard
Colleen Grodotke, 23, EMT, Rocky Point, New York Tell me about your hat. Actually, it's my sister’s. I don’t even know where she got it. It'...
Colleen Grodotke, 23, EMT, Rocky Point, New York Tell me about your hat. Actually, it's my sister’s. I don’t even know where she got it. It's the weather-helmet hat. She got it a couple of weeks ago and I stole it for the game.
How many Giants games do you come to? This is my first one ever. I am so pumped. It's a lot of money, so I never get to come much.
Photo: Amy Lombard
Maria Degrusso, 29, Pharmaceutical Sales, Staten Island, New York How did you pick out your outfit? I'm not really a jersey person; I'm more of a...
Maria Degrusso, 29, Pharmaceutical Sales, Staten Island, New York How did you pick out your outfit? I'm not really a jersey person; I'm more of a girly girl. Someone actually gave me these shoes.
Photo: Amy Lombard
They custom-made them for the Super Bowl last year. And I have gotten some good use out of them; everyone has been taking pictures. I'm completel...
They custom-made them for the Super Bowl last year. And I have gotten some good use out of them; everyone has been taking pictures. I'm completely covered, but I've had a 100 people take pictures of my feet. I'm the only one in the Giants heels. They're dyed, hand-painted, suede, peep toe, and about five-inch heels. They say Giants, and my left foot says New York. They're going to be all over the Internet, I think.
Photo: Amy Lombard
Patti Ceparrulo, 50, Elementary School Teacher, Scotch Plains, New Jersey I wore this T-shirt when they won the Super Bowl last year, so it's luc...
Patti Ceparrulo, 50, Elementary School Teacher, Scotch Plains, New Jersey I wore this T-shirt when they won the Super Bowl last year, so it's lucky. When I put on my boots, I think it's a little about ass-kicking, which is what we are going to do. Kick some ass, have some fun, celebrate. Opened up Champagne before the game started because we know they're going to win.
Photo: Amy Lombard
Photo: Amy Lombard
Marcie Dupas, 36, Caretaker, Little Falls, New Jersey Tell me about your outfit. I made this top, and my girlfriend’s tank top. I did the letters...
Marcie Dupas, 36, Caretaker, Little Falls, New Jersey Tell me about your outfit. I made this top, and my girlfriend’s tank top. I did the letters and then put the flag on her jeans. This is my first pair of jeans I did, with the flag and the stones and the rhinestones in the back.
Will you make a new outfit for your next Giants game? Absolutely. I was going to bring shirts to sell because I did so many. I've done painting on shirts, all different kinds of things.
Photo: Amy Lombard
Tracie Leisher, 21, Pharmacy Technician, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania How did you become a Bucs fans? Kind of through association, I guess. My boyf...
Tracie Leisher, 21, Pharmacy Technician, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania How did you become a Bucs fans? Kind of through association, I guess. My boyfriend is the bigger Bucs fan, and my family is all different. My dad is Washington, my mom is Eagles, and my brother-in-law is Steelers.
Photo: Amy Lombard
Amaya, 13, Ninth Grader, Montclair, New Jersey What is the highlight of your outfit? I think the “pop” is the paint.
Tell me about the paint. I ...
Amaya, 13, Ninth Grader, Montclair, New Jersey What is the highlight of your outfit? I think the “pop” is the paint.
Tell me about the paint. I took a class at school and I just decided that I needed to be all decked out in my Giants gear, so I just thought, Hey, why don’t I do some facepainting?
You took a facepainting class in school? Yes. Photo: Amy Lombard
Cheryl Seragusa, 49, Owns a Truck Repair Facility, Apollo Beach, Florida What are you wearing today? The Buccaneers shirt, identical to my h...
Cheryl Seragusa, 49, Owns a Truck Repair Facility, Apollo Beach, Florida What are you wearing today? The Buccaneers shirt, identical to my husband’s, is actually a man’s shirt but I liked it. I have Buccaneers earrings, a Buccaneers necklace, Buccaneers shoes. Buccaneers underwear, but I am not going to show you.
Photo: Amy Lombard
I have about six different kinds of Buccaneers earrings, but I'm wearing these because we won last week at home, so I feel like this year, these ...
I have about six different kinds of Buccaneers earrings, but I'm wearing these because we won last week at home, so I feel like this year, these might be our good luck earrings.
Photo: Amy Lombard
Dana Gasior, 29, Customer Service, Westfield, New Jersey Which Giant would you want to go out with? Cruz. I think he's hot.
What’s your dream da...
Dana Gasior, 29, Customer Service, Westfield, New Jersey Which Giant would you want to go out with? Cruz. I think he's hot.
What’s your dream date? Probably somewhere in the Caribbean, do the salsa dance. Teach me how. Because I'm Polish and we don’t do that. Photo: Amy Lombard
Lachelle Hall, 33, Computer Programmer, Easton, Pennsylvania You're wearing a pirate hat. I have a pirate costume, too, but my fiancé wasn...
Lachelle Hall, 33, Computer Programmer, Easton, Pennsylvania You're wearing a pirate hat. I have a pirate costume, too, but my fiancé wasn't going to be seen with me. So I took it off and put on my jersey. He bought me these tickets because I like the Bucs. They have a boat at their cotton-pickin' stadium! They're pirates. Who doesn't love a pirate?
Photo: Amy Lombard
Tara Stanley, 27, Middle School Math Teacher, Rocky Point, New York Tell me about your earrings. My sister and I made earrings, over one of ...
Tara Stanley, 27, Middle School Math Teacher, Rocky Point, New York Tell me about your earrings. My sister and I made earrings, over one of my winter breaks. We were putting together Mets earrings, Giants earrings — all different sports. This is the first time I'm wearing them.
Mary Beth Morgan, 47, Veterinarian, Clark, New Jersey How many games do you attend a year? All of them. I was friends with Phil McConkie. We used...
Mary Beth Morgan, 47, Veterinarian, Clark, New Jersey How many games do you attend a year? All of them. I was friends with Phil McConkie. We used to tailgate in the parking lot.
Tell me about your outfit today. I have my Super Bowl 42 jersey, a specially made jersey. "Spider" is my martial arts nickname. Tae Kwon Do. They call me the spider because of my long legs.
What do you usually wear to a Giants game? Jeans, my jersey, blue toe-nail polish, specific jewelry. I have a friend who was a Giants fan and she passed away, so her husband gave me her earrings and I wear those to every game. I have lucky underwear, too. Wear the same blue pair, washed of course.
Photo: Amy Lombard
Barbara Ann Costenbader, "39," Music Teacher, Colonia, New Jersey What football player would you want to date? If I could date someone,...
Barbara Ann Costenbader, "39," Music Teacher, Colonia, New Jersey What football player would you want to date? If I could date someone, I would date Phil Simms, Carl Banks. I can’t do McConkie; she [referring to daughter Mary Beth, previous slide] would have killed me.
She had dibs on him? He had dibs on her, too. Yeah, he did. Photo: Amy Lombard
Jo Ann Riley, 37, School Administrator, Edison, New Jersey Men fantasize about a woman in a jersey. I think it's kind of sexy. First, pick your p...
Jo Ann Riley, 37, School Administrator, Edison, New Jersey Men fantasize about a woman in a jersey. I think it's kind of sexy. First, pick your player. You always pick an attractive one, the one who is popular, the one who most guys like. You also have to know a little bit of the stats of the person you are wearing, so if someone makes conversation with you, you know what you're talking about. They'll use anything they can get to try and talk to you, so you drop a little bit of history about the team, how long you've been a fan. And you hook 'em.
Photo: Amy Lombard
Denise Wood, 43, Stay-at-Home Mom, Monroe, New Jersey What did you think when you got dressed this morning? Had to have Giants, had to have jeans...
Denise Wood, 43, Stay-at-Home Mom, Monroe, New Jersey What did you think when you got dressed this morning? Had to have Giants, had to have jeans, and had to be in flip-flops because I take them off when I go in and out of the RV.
What do you do in the winter? Then you do your slip-on Uggs. We call it "white trash with cash." We really do. You know, you can look one way or this way, but this is how I am comfortable no matter what I have. We are in a $250,000 RV, but I am comfortable, no makeup, no hair. No matter how much money our husbands make, this is who we are.
Photo: Amy Lombard
Maria Cerullo, 47, Administrative Assistant, Parsippany, New Jersey Why did you choose a pink jersey? Because I love pink. It's better than blue....
Maria Cerullo, 47, Administrative Assistant, Parsippany, New Jersey Why did you choose a pink jersey? Because I love pink. It's better than blue. It's fitted, it came from Japan, and I bought it during the Super Bowl. I needed something — my husband had all the shirts — and I was like, "I want the pink one."
Photo: Amy Lombard
Jessie, 13, Eighth Grader What were you thinking when you got dressed this morning? How much red and blue and white I could wear.
How many did y...
Jessie, 13, Eighth Grader What were you thinking when you got dressed this morning? How much red and blue and white I could wear.
How many did you get? Five things.
How long have you been coming to games? Since I was like 6.
Do you watch the game and know what's going on? Yeah.
Photo: Amy Lombard
Terina Sebunas, 37, School Administrator, South Plainfield, New Jersey How long have you been a Bucs fan? I have been a Bucs fan since I was a ki...
Terina Sebunas, 37, School Administrator, South Plainfield, New Jersey How long have you been a Bucs fan? I have been a Bucs fan since I was a kid, back in the Orange and White days. I'm originally from Jersey but have been a Bucs fan my whole life.
What were you thinking when you got dressed this morning? To me, today is like the Super Bowl, the Bucs versus the Giants. I've been looking forward to this for years. Photo: Amy Lombard
Kloe Trent, 13 Month With Ron Trent, a Nutley, New Jersey, Restaurateur Who picked her outfit? I picked it out. Who doesn’t like cheerleader...
Kloe Trent, 13 Month With Ron Trent, a Nutley, New Jersey, Restaurateur Who picked her outfit? I picked it out. Who doesn’t like cheerleaders?
Did she get into the outfit enthusiastically? She woke up from her nap, so she wasn’t too happy. Now she's showing it off. Photo: Amy Lombard
Nancy Mulcahy, 51, Substitute Teacher, Middleton, New Jersey What are you wearing? These clothes? These are from Talbots.
But I notice you...
Nancy Mulcahy, 51, Substitute Teacher, Middleton, New Jersey What are you wearing? These clothes? These are from Talbots.
But I notice you put a bit of shimmer on. Yes, this is my tanning lotion. Yes, I am trying to get my bronze on. Photo: Amy Lombard
Marina Lavallo, 27, Customer Service, Jersey City, New Jersey I like your sneaks, where did they come from? They're from Jersey Store Outlets and...
Marina Lavallo, 27, Customer Service, Jersey City, New Jersey I like your sneaks, where did they come from? They're from Jersey Store Outlets and they were very cost efficient. They were only $40, if you want to know. And I did buy them because they were Giants colors. I totally color coordinated everything for Giants.
And those are capri jeggings? They are capri jeggings. Photo: Amy Lombard
Audrey Belitz, 40, Mother and Lice Picker, South Brunswick, New Jersey You pick lice for a living? What does that mean? How did that come about? ...
Audrey Belitz, 40, Mother and Lice Picker, South Brunswick, New Jersey You pick lice for a living? What does that mean? How did that come about? My kids had lice. I have a 12-year-old and a 13-year-old. When they were 5 and 7, they got lice. So, pick and comb. The town I live in has a lot of foreigners, so we got it five times, and eventually I got really good at it. So people started calling me and saying, "I heard you are really good at this, my kid has lice, are you free?" And then it became your cousin’s friend’s son. And then I started my business. Everyone is good at something and I can pick your nits. I know what the eggs look like. I pick bugs for a living. [Friend interjects: She makes a lot of money. It's called Total Lice Scan.] And I clean your house and your head. When I leave, you have nothing left.
Photo: Amy Lombard
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