Angels VS PiNK 2011 Preview

With Opening Day just around the corner many lady Angels’ fans may be wondering what to wear to show their team pride without being stuck in a boxy player number shirt from the team store. Victoria’s Secret PiNK loves MLB line comes to the rescue again… sort of.

Last year’s launch was a great success, giving Halo (and MLB) fashionistas something to celebrate even through the team’s disappointing record. While the sizing made ordering online difficult it was nice to see MLB apparel that fit the female form properly, and was in appropriate team colors instead of the oft-used pinks or baby blues. The line provided a way for women to assert their love of the game without compromising their fashion sense, or hitting their wallet too hard (we all know how expensive jerseys get). Last year, I personally bought the blue rhinestone tank top as well as the matching pull over hoodie, and was left wanting more. 

Flash forward to early March, while browsing online I noticed that a few things had been released just in time for the Angelswin.com Spring Training Fanfest, so naturally I had to go check them out. Victoria’s Secret is smart in their marketing of the line so as to only release portions on their website, which draw fans into the stores that are currently carrying the MLB apparel, and then hit you with multiple styles that are difficult to walk away from. This wasn’t the case this year, what I saw online was what I was greeted with at the store, still I was pleasantly surprised as I was promised that more would come closer to the start of the season.

I left with the V-neck Tee, for $26.50 plus tax. Again, sizing was an issue as the shirt ran a size smaller than the normal PiNK line, so I’m glad I went into the store to try it on. I was then off to enjoy the sun of Arizona with AngelsWin, and I debuted the shirt at Angels vs. Brewers game as well as the fanfest and received multiple compliments on it. Perhaps my favorite part of the shirt is not the fit itself, but instead the fact that this years line really embraces the history of each of the teams by displaying the founding year on many of the pieces. The V-neck has a “61” patch on the right arm. Honestly, for under 30 dollars this shirt was a steal.

You can imagine my anticipation to see the rest of the line, if the first shirt had been such a great deal how could the rest go wrong. When I received the email earlier this week that there were 10 styles online, I couldn’t wait to check them out and head to the store to see what else there was. To be honest, the rest of the clothing receives mixed reviews from me.

What is available online doesn’t represent the scope of what is in store, which also include yoga pants, shorts, and a few other shirts. While much of what online is functional and cute, it is also more expensive than last year (their bling hoodie is $68 this year). Moreover, some of what looks nice online, specifically the Crew-Neck Tee looks obnoxious in person. What I originally loved about the line, the presence of the 61, turned into some a huge back piece that cannot be comfortable for sitting in stadium seats with the sun glaring down, and at 36.50 for a shirt that would cost 20 in their normal line, I think Victoria’s Secret is pricing themselves out of customers (though I understand there are naming rights that go along with producing these shirts). This years yoga pants, however, are much cuter than last years if you can get your hands on them, since they are only available in stores. They feature a basic black book cut pants with a red band mingled with white Angels’ As  and VS PiNK dogs.

While I was divided on the line as a whole- nothing grabbed my attention to the “have to have it” point outside of the initial shirt I bought, but I will probably go back- I do have one major qualm with VS this year. What was fun about last year was the ability to wear your team’s colors AND look nice. This year, a few of the pieces rely on faded out reds that do not look vintage as much as they look like a pink. VS proved has already proved that you do not need pinks to look feminine in sports apparel, and I don’t know why they felt it necessary to fade out reds that would have been fine in their vibrantly Angels’ original hue. I have no problem with  cutesy sayings such as “meet me in the dugout” “caught looking”, and last year’s “I only kiss Angels’ fans”. They are enough to get the point across- colors don’t have to be changed to do this, which is especially evident in the Padres’ and Dodgers’ lines since they embrace their blues, golds, and whites.

Overall, there are many cute pieces, but I will be staying away from all faded out colors as I wear my femininity and Angels’ red with pride to games. If at all possible, I still recommend trying pieces on at the store since they do not run the same size as the normal PiNK line. A list of stores carrying each of the MLB teams can be found here.

So until next time, this is Coral Marshall with your AngelsWin.com feature report. Check back soon for my next sports bar review.