Honestly, if you were anywhere near a screen in January 2024, you saw it. That bright red, oversized puffer jacket. The one with 87 and KELCE plastered across the front in a way that didn't look like your typical, crunchy stadium gift shop merch. When Taylor Swift stepped out into the sub-zero temperatures of Arrowhead Stadium for the Chiefs-Dolphins wildcard game, she wasn't just staying warm. She was effectively changing the life of a fellow NFL wife overnight.
Kristin Juszczyk, wife of San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk, had been sewing her own game-day outfits for years. She was a self-taught designer working out of her home, upcycling old jerseys into corsets, vests, and suits. But the "Taylor Swift effect" is a different kind of beast. Within hours of the singer appearing in that custom jacket, Kristin’s world flipped. We're talking about a jump from roughly 100,000 followers to over a million in what felt like a blink.
It wasn't just a fluke or a lucky gift. It was a calculated, persistent hustle that met the biggest pop star on the planet at exactly the right moment.
How the Kristin Juszczyk Taylor Swift Moment Actually Happened
A lot of people think Taylor just stumbled across Kristin’s Instagram page. That’s not quite how it went down. Kristin had already been building a reputation in the "WAG" (Wives and Girlfriends) circle. She’d made pieces for Brittany Mahomes and Olympic legend Simone Biles.
The Taylor connection actually came through Brittany. Kristin sent a custom jacket to Brittany and—hoping for the best—included one for Taylor as well. She didn't even know if Taylor would see it, let alone wear it. Then, the text came. Brittany messaged Kristin asking for a video of Taylor’s jacket because they were planning to wear them together.
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"It brought me to tears," Kristin later told reporters. Seeing the most famous woman in the world wearing something you stayed up all night sewing in your living room? Yeah, that’ll do it.
The jacket itself was a masterpiece of upcycling. Kristin took two of Travis Kelce’s Nike jerseys, ripped them apart, and reconstructed them into a high-fashion puffer. It had the authentic NFL "equipment" tags, the heavy quilting, and a silhouette that actually looked like it belonged on a runway, not just a sideline.
The Business Boom: From DIY to NFL Licensing
Before the Taylor Swift moment, Kristin was technically operating in a legal gray area. She was taking official NFL jerseys, which she bought herself, and reworking them. You can do that for personal use, but selling them as a brand? That gets tricky with trademark laws.
The NFL, however, isn't stupid. They saw the 2,000% spike in searches for "custom NFL jackets" on eBay and realized Kristin was tapping into a demographic they’d been failing for decades: women who want to look cool while supporting their team. Instead of sending a cease-and-desist, they sent a contract.
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The Milestones that Followed:
- January 2024: Taylor wears the jacket. Kristin's Instagram grows by 400,000 followers in 48 hours.
- January 30, 2024: The NFL grants Kristin a rare licensing deal. This allowed her to officially use team logos and player names in her designs.
- Super Bowl LVIII: Kristin designs a custom vest for the Super Bowl, which was auctioned off for charity (it fetched over $30,000).
- January 2025: She officially launches Off Season, her own apparel brand, in partnership with Fanatics and retail mogul Emma Grede (the mastermind behind Skims and Good American).
Why This Partnership Mattered for NFL Fashion
For years, "women’s fan gear" meant taking a men’s jersey and making it pink. It was lazy. Kristin Juszczyk realized that women—especially younger fans brought in by the Swift-Kelce romance—wanted "spliced" designs, cargo styles, and corsets.
She wasn't just making clothes; she was creating a "sorority within the NFL," as she calls it. Her brand, Off Season, debuted with pieces representing five major teams: the Chiefs, 49ers, Lions, Eagles, and Bills. The prices weren't cheap—puffers retailed around $395 to $495—but they sold out almost instantly.
It's 2026 now, and the ripple effect hasn't stopped. We're seeing more "ready-to-wear" sports fashion than ever before. Kristin even expanded into the WNBA recently, proving that the demand for stylish fan gear isn't just a football trend.
What Most People Get Wrong About the "Swift Boost"
It's easy to say Taylor Swift "made" Kristin Juszczyk. And honestly, even Kristin credits her, saying Taylor "single-handedly catapulted" her career. But the talent had to be there first.
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If the jacket had been poorly made or ugly, the "Taylor effect" would have lasted 24 hours. Kristin had spent five years perfecting her craft. She started in 2014 by reworking her husband Kyle’s old jerseys because she was "sick of wearing the same three shirts in rotation." She was a self-taught sewer who learned from YouTube videos.
Taylor provided the platform, but Kristin provided the product. She’d already dressed Taylor Lautner (a huge Lions fan) and Olivia Culpo. The infrastructure was ready for the explosion.
The Actionable Side of the Story
If you’re looking at this story and wondering how to snag a piece of this history or start your own "upcycle" journey, here is the reality of the market right now:
- Official Off Season Drops: You have to follow the Off Season Brand Instagram and sign up for alerts. They don't keep stock year-round; they do "drops" that sell out in minutes.
- The DIY Route: Kristin’s success has sparked a massive DIY movement. If you’re sewing your own, the "spliced" look—combining two different jerseys or a jersey and a hoodie—is the signature style.
- Investment Value: Original "pre-licensing" Kristin Juszczyk pieces are basically museum items at this point. If you find one on a secondary market like Poshmark, expect to pay a massive premium.
The collaboration between Kristin Juszczyk and Taylor Swift wasn't just a fashion moment. It was a bridge between the old-school, male-dominated world of the NFL and a new, fashion-forward era of sports culture. Kristin didn't wait for a seat at the table; she sewed her own chair out of a repurposed jersey.
Keep an eye on the upcoming NFL season drops. Based on her recent 2025 sideline looks—like that jersey-to-midi-dress with lace detailing—she’s moving toward more "elevated" pieces that go way beyond the standard puffer.