You may not always think “sports fan” and “geek” in the same sentence, but Geeky Jerseys proves that sometimes it’s OK to cross the streams with their pop-culture-inspired hockey jerseys.
Run by Canadians, Rink Gear‘s founders grew up with hockey and wearing jerseys. “We wore them on the ice, to the mall (hell, I’d get married in one if my fiancee hadn’t threatened to knock my teeth out),” joked self-described “president/owner/jersey geek” Sean. (And that’s just Sean. “We like to keep it pretty relaxed, and our customers communicate with us on a first name basis,” he told me.) Having a jersey on so frequently meant they started to get obsessed with them. (And we all know that a consuming obsession is the mark of a geek!) That’s when it became a business, at first making jerseys for hockey teams. Then artists, such as Dave from davesgeekyhockey.com reached out to Rink Gear about a different kind of jersey. Or as Sean puts it, “We noticed it wasn’t only Kevin Smith that appreciated a rad-looking hockey jersey. So we split the company into two focuses: traditional hockey team jerseys and totally unique geeky jerseys.” And thus their newer site, GeekyJerseys.com, was born. Or as their About section so succinctly puts it: “Jerseys are much more than that — they’re the tuxedo of geeks… And that’s where it all started. A jock and a geek came together over an argument about the best looking jerseys, and how they could be improved.”
“We’re like mad scientists with hockey jerseys, always experimenting and trying to outdo our best designs,” Sean said. “It was important to us to have full creative flexibility when making our jerseys. The only way to do that was to make them from scratch. We are the only ones that do it, and it allows us to put our passion into each piece we produce.”
Each jersey runs for a limited time, so if you see something you like, you should get it while it’s available. I have an earlier version of the TARDIS jersey, which is now available in its 3.0 edition through December 16.
On each jersey, you get to choose the name and number you want on the back for no additional charge. “It was also important for us to offer a personalized touch, where customers could choose any name and number for their jersey at no extra cost,” Sean said. “Our goal was to deliver the highest quality jersey you can get your hands on, but at a price that feels fair.”
The jersey looks, feels, and wears just like you expect a hockey jersey to look, feel, and wear. That means the sleeves are a bit long, particularly on a short-armed girl like me, but not so long that I feel uncomfortable wearing it. (As you can see in the pictures, I still have hands!) Their size chart runs true to its measurements, ranging from an XS with a 21.7″ wide chest to a 5XL, which is 33.4″:across the chest. I chose an XS, which fits me just right, and I’m about a size 8, so if you’re a very small woman, even the smallest size might seem big. But they’re incredibly comfortable, and ever since the weather cooled off, I can’t stop wearing mine–I even took it out for a trip around the ice rink.
I love the detail that went into the TARDIS 2.0 design (look closely to see “Doctor Who” spelled out on the front, along with TARDIS, Gallifrey symbol, and Dalek), as well as many of the others I’ve seen them post. They take the design ideas from artists and put their favorites on Facebook and Twitter. The ones that get the most traction with their followers are the ones that get made. They’re available for about a month, then it takes 4-6 weeks to produce the run. “Yeah, it’s a bit of a wait,” Sean said, “but we’ve been told that it’s worth every second.”
Having watched the site for a while, I can attest that there’s a jersey for every fan, from the popular Boba Fett and Game of Thrones jerseys to zombies and Masters of the Universe. Their Voltron design impressed the show’s creators so much that they now sell those jerseys exclusively from the Voltron website.
And if you want to get in on the design previews and cheering, you can follow them on Facebook or Twitter. If you’re out holiday shopping, the current selections include TARDIS 3.0, Captain 2.0, Hill Valley Gigawatts, Dark Side, and Spartan, but note that they won’t shop up on your doorstep by December 25. (But hey, it’s never too early to start Valentine’s shopping!) Of course, if you’re not sure what to pick or just want to let your favorite geek wait for the perfect jersey, they also offer gift certificates.
Geeky Jerseys sent me the pictured jersey for review.
