Super Bowl Gear Guide

A look at the best apparel for fans of the Patriots and Falcons, everything from officially licensed team gear to T-shirts featuring Chris Hogan and Julio Jones to hoodies honoring heavily bearded defensive coordinators

How much impact does a team making a Super Bowl have on its merchandise sales? I was curious because in the case of Super Bowl 51, you have two distinctly different teams—the Patriots are a dynasty and a national brand; the Falcons are relatively new to success and much more regional.

As it turns out, according to Fanatics, the online retailer that powers the official NFL store, Atlanta actually has been the top-selling NFL team in January. Contrast that to December, when Atlanta wasn’t among the top 10 teams in terms of sales. And the brand ’47, which makes officially licensed NFL headwear and apparel, reports that they’ve sold on their ecommerce site nearly double the amount of Falcons gear in the first few weeks of 2017 than they sold in all of 2016.

• THE BEST TEE FOR EVERY TEAM: To kick off the 2016 season, we compiled a list of the top T-shirts for all 32 NFL franchises

New England sales also are up, according to Fanatics, compared to its last Super Bowl run in 2015. I get that much of this is forehead-slappingly obvious—Yeah, Dom. Sales go up when a team wins; big shocker—but it’s a good reminder just how impactful a run like Atlanta’s can be well beyond the field.

To that end, I’ve compiled some of my favorite apparel for the Falcons and Patriots from massive retailers like Fanatics as well as more independent, local entities. Enjoy the list, let me know what I missed and good luck to your teams in Houston. Here we go...

Atlanta Falcons Gear

The MMQB Illustration

1. Homage Brotherhood A-Town T-Shirt($32) || 2. Junk Food Women’s Falcons Fleece ($75) || 3. 500 Level NFLPA Licensed Products(from $19) || 4. Aviate ATL Hat($35) || 5. ’47 Falcons Calgary Cuff Beanie Hat ($24) || ​​6. Word of Mouth Air Julio T-Shirt($20) || 7. Wilson Falcons Junior Football($19).

• Notes on the Above: Homage, an MMQB fave, produced two new shirts for Super Bowl 51 (one Atlanta, one New England) and I like the non-traditional Falcon design. ... Local Atlanta brand Word of Mouth has a winner with its Julio Jones-Michael Jordan mashup, but if Matt Ryan is more your guy, 500 Level has you covered. ... And if you like Aviate’s ATL hat, but would prefer a different city, you’re in luck—they make them for dozens of other airport codes.

• More Falcons Apparel From ... Nike | Nordstrom | Fanatics | Amazon

New England Patriots Gear

The MMQB Illustration

1. Junk Food Women’s Patriots Fleece($75) || 2. Barstool Sports Hoganmania T-Shirt($25) || 3. Homage Business As Usual T-Shirt($32) || 4. I Love Boston Sports Kiss My Ass T-Shirt($22) || 5. New Era 2Tone Striped Cuff Knit Hat($21) || 6. Patriots Game Time Football($39) || 7. Pats Propaganda Malcolm Go! Mug($15) || 8. ’47 Patriots Franchise Fitted Hat($30) || 9. ILBS Patricia Militia Hoodie($44).

• Notes on the Above: Chris Hogan has been the breakout star for the Pats this postseason, and Barstool Sports is capitalizing on it with a nod to another famous Hogan. ... Pats fans can wear their Deflategate bitterness with pride thanks to this, uh, cheeky design from I Love Boston Sports. ... Maybe Super Bowl 51 will feature another game-defining play like Malcolm Butler’s interception in Super Bowl 49, which Pats Propaganda commemorated with a coffee mug. ... The Patricia hoodie—which honors defensive coordinator Matt Patricia—got a big boost when LeGarrette Blount was seen wearing it in the locker room last Sunday.

• More Patriots Apparel From ... Nike | Nordstrom | Fanatics | Amazon

More Super Bowl Gear

• Nike has a robust line of specific Super Bowl product. I’m partial to these full-zip jackets($150) because of their simplicity. Too often, special event gear gets way too busy with the design.

• That said, I have always liked the Super Bowl helmet-vs.-helmet shirts that date back to when I was growing up in the 1980s. This one from Fanatics($27) is a wearable keepsake. And this raglan from Junk Food($39) is perfect for the female fans.

• WHERE DID THE HOODIE GO? In November, Dominic Bonvissuto examined the incomparable sideline style of Bill Belichick

• The amount of independent places making bootleg Patriots gear is pretty impressive. Chowdaheadz is another one and they've got you covered with Super Bowl specific shirts($22) and also ones with bottle openers built into the hem($29).

• Earlier this season, I featured TownieMade shirts. For Atlanta fans wanting something non-traditional, they offer two different designs($24) for both men and women.

• And finally, what’s a gear roundup without a good sale. Junk Food is offering 40% off all NFL items and free shipping. Use code 1STDOWN.

The MMQB Football Lifestyle column is a curated list of links to what’s catching Dom’s eye off the field. The MMQB has affiliate deals with some of the brands featured and receives commission on certain purchases. Have an item for consideration? Share it.