As perhaps one of the most recognizable women in sports broadcasting, breaking down barriers is nothing new for Erin Andrews. So when she set out to launch her female-focused sports apparel brand, Wear by Erin Andrews, she wasn't going to let few roadblocks stand in her way.
"It's a male-dominated industry, right?" Andrews tells Shop TODAY. "Obviously, sports and team apparel is as well. And we got a lot of closed doors in our faces.," she says. However, this didn't stop her. "We got a lot of nos, we got close a lot of times and then people were like, 'ehh you know what, we need it, but I don't know if it's gonna work out.' So I mean, it was a lot of tears, a lot of [saying] 'please trust us.'"
In fall 2019, the brand found a home with Fanatics and soft launched with a woman's NFL collection, which she says, "completely crushed," proving a need for sports apparel designed specifically for female fans.
In the time since, Wear by Erin Andrews has expanded, creating collections with the NBA, NHL and more. This year, in particular, has been a big one for the brand. Just last month, Wear teamed up with the internet-loved accessories brand Baublebar for a collection of NFL-themed jewelry and Andrews announced on TODAY that the brand will be releasing a baby line with Fanatics.
Andrews and Wear also made headlines recently when one of the company's windbreakers was spotted on none other than Taylor Swift at a Kansas City Chiefs game.
After Swift attended one of the Chiefs games in Sept., Andrews had her team send the singer a box with some apparel. "But you never think that it's gonna get to her, you never think that she's going to actually put it on," Andrews says.
So when she was scrolling on Instagram during the Chiefs' game against the Denver Broncos, she couldn't believe when she saw what Swift was wearing. "I was like, 'oh my God, I think this is our jacket.' You know when you see something, but you want it to happen, so maybe you make it up in your mind," Andrews says. To verity that it was the jacket Swift was wearing, "I called four different people on my management team and on my crew just to make sure that I wasn't seeing something. Finally, when we realized it was happening, I screamed so loud in my office. I started crying."
Because when Swift wears something, her legion of loyal fans are practically guaranteed to sell it out — and that's exactly what happened. "It sold out, we restocked it, it sold out again."
The moment seemed particularly meaningful, since Andrews had also been deemed a matchmaker of sorts for the rumored couple. She and her co-host encouraged Swift to "go on a date" with Kelce on their podcast, “Calm Down” back in Aug..
While she says that their comments were all "very tongue-in-cheek" — "Did we really set them up? No" — she's excited for the tight end. “I think the one thing about Travis that I love ... Travis is leaning into this. I mean, he made the guest appearance on 'Saturday Night Live,' he was here for a date. You know, it’s adorable. He’s just such a good dude, we’re so excited for him.”
With football season in full swing, we asked Andrews to share some of her current must-haves with us as part of our Shopping Diaries series. From her go-to game day hair product to the sold-out windbreaker that the internet can't stop talking about, here are some of her favorites.
Shopping Diaries: Erin Andrews
WEAR by Erin Andrews Buffalo Bills Throwback Windbreaker Full-Zip Jacket
The jacket that Swift wore during the Chiefs game is sold out, but you can still order one of the many other team options (like the one above). Andrews says the stylish windbreaker is one of her current most-worn items from the brand.
Editor's Note: Sizing and team stock is currently very limited.
WEAR by Erin Andrews Los Angeles Rams Clear Stadium Fanny Pack
Another one of Andrews' current favorites is the Wear by EA clear stadium bags. "We have a backpack, we have a fanny pack, which people can take into the stadiums and not worry about security taking their bags," she shares.
Listerine Ready! Tabs
One thing that Andrews keeps on her at all time (even for her TODAY appearance): "I always have breath tablets, the Listerine breath tablets."
Crest 3D Whitestrips
"'I'm always doing [Crest White Strips], because I'm a coffee drinker and wine drinker."
HotHands Hand & Toe Warmers
In her many years reporting from the sidelines, Andrews has mastered the art of keeping warm when the temperatures start to turn. "I always do a thin layer of thermal underwear, I'm a thick sock kind of gal. I also do the hand warmers, they're always in my coat ... I put them in my pant pockets, too. And I love the ones that go actually on your heels and on your toes. I put them in my shoes, on my toes to just stay warm. I'm out there on that field for four to five hours, so it's a lot."
111Skin Cryo De-Puffing Eye Mask
"I love a little eye patch in the morning to help me before I have to do makeup when I'm on the field," she says. "111Skin is really good. I'll throw them in my minibar at the hotel and then put them on my face."
R+Co Dart Pomade Stick
Ever wonder how Andrews' hair always looks flawless, even on windy days on the field? Well, this handy little stick is part of her secret. She says she is "obsessed" with pocket-sized stick from R+Co. "It's my favorite for flyaways."
Nanit Sound and Light Machine
Andrews and her husband, retired NHL player Jarret Stoll welcomed their son, Mack, this past summer and she says this sound machine is one of the things that she's found to be most helpful in the early months of motherhood.
"You can charge it and take it off. We put it outside if he's sleeping on the patio with us or we put it in the kitchen if he's in the living room or something, just to have. And you can pick different noises and stuff like that, so that's really cool."
Lovery Play Kit
"Lovery is really cool because they send you a box every few months," Andrews says. "They send you a box for his age [with] age-appropriate things to keep them active."
