If you're wondering what to wear to a Saints game, the short answer is black and gold plus a clear bag. The longer answer involves tailgating in September heat and a section full of people who take their game day outfit about as seriously as their gumbo.
We've been making Saints shirts for most of our twenty years. Some of our best ideas came from football. David Carboni pitched Back in Black and Gold one night at the Bridge Lounge. When the league suspended Sean Payton, we put "Free Sean Payton" on a shirt and it flew off the shelves. So we've spent a lot of Sundays watching what people actually wear to the Dome, and here's what we've learned.
What to Wear to a Saints Game: Start With the Weather, Not the Team
Visitors get this one wrong all the time. The Caesars Superdome is climate controlled, so it's comfortable inside no matter what the calendar says. It might be the coolest room in the city on a September Sunday. Outside is a different story.
An early season game in New Orleans means tailgating in heat that feels personal. Champions Square in September is not the place for your heavy cotton hoodie. Wear something light for the hours before kickoff, and if you're the type who gets cold once you're inside, tie a long sleeve around your waist or stuff a thin layer in your bag. By December you'll want that layer for the walk back to the car, and not much else.
The other weather rule: it can rain at any moment, for any reason, and then stop. Plan accordingly. Nobody here owns a good umbrella anyway.
The Superdome Bag Policy (Read This Before You Leave the House)
This is the part that ruins more game days than a bad snap. The Superdome follows the NFL's clear bag rules, and there's no bag check on site. If security turns your purse away, you're walking it back to the car.
What's allowed, per the Caesars Superdome bag and screening policy:
- A clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bag up to 12" x 6" x 12", or a one-gallon clear zip bag
- One small clutch up to 4.5" x 6.5", with or without a strap
Clear backpacks and clear fanny packs don't make it through the gate. Neither does glitter, which is going to break a few hearts in this town. Noisemakers and mascot headwear stay home too. If your outfit depends on any of those, rethink it in the driveway, not at the gate.
We carry clear crossbody bags and belt bags by Capri Designs that meet the rules, plus a hand-beaded Dome Approved Beaded Strap we made with them, because a clear bag doesn't have to look like a lunch sack.
Saints Game Day Outfits That Locals Actually Wear
Walk the concourse and you'll see everything. Jerseys from every era. Gold sequins. Someone dressed as a saint, halo and all. Grown men in full face paint who are, the rest of the week, accountants. There's no wrong answer as long as it's black and gold, but a few things show up again and again.
A shirt that says something
The jersey is the obvious move. A design is the local move. The fans who've been going since the Dome was mostly empty tend to wear something with a joke in it, a shirt that only makes sense if you know the team's history or the city's.
Our best-selling Saints season shirt over the past year is NOLA X, and it isn't close. It's a simple mark that means home. Right behind it is There Is A House In New Orleans, which finishes the famous lyric the way it should be finished, with the Superdome and a firm suggestion that all Falcons go home.
If you're the superstitious type (and if you're a Saints fan, you are), there's Saint Victoré, the Patron Saint of Touchdowns. Pray for us. For something with a little vintage to it, In That Number is for marching in, both the song and the Dome.
A layer for later
For night games and late season, the Always A Saint, Sometimes A Sinner Long Sleeve covers the temperature and the behavior. If you want the jersey look without the jersey price, The Throwback Jersey nods to the early teams, before the Dome foam and the national TV slots.
The small stuff
A NOLA X Hat keeps the tailgate sun off your face. Our black and gold fleur de lis socks by Bonfolk are a quiet flex, and Bonfolk donates a pair for every pair sold. And a NOLA X koozie is technically an accessory if you hold it the whole time.
Dressing the Kids for the Dome
Small fans get loud too. A Black & Gold United Kids Jersey or the In That Number Kids tee will survive a spilled drink and a nap in the upper deck. Each kid can bring their own clear bag under the same rules as adults, which is good news for whoever usually ends up carrying everything.
Comfortable Shoes, Every Time
This is unglamorous and it matters most. Between parking, the tailgate, the walk up the ramps and three hours of standing, you'll cover more ground on game day than most days of the year. The people in brand-new boots are easy to spot by the third quarter. Wear what you'd wear to a long second line.
The Real Dress Code
When it comes down to it, what to wear to a Saints game barely matters, as long as you mean it. You'll see a guy in a tuxedo and a woman in a homemade crown, and both of them are right. The Dome is one of the few rooms where the whole city shows up on the same side, and the outfit is just how you say you're part of it.
If you're watching from Houston or a bar in Denver where you're the only one yelling, the same rules apply minus the bag policy. Put on the black and gold. Be a New Orleanian, wherever you are.
Browse the full Saints fan collection, or come see us on Magazine Street or Chartres Street before kickoff.
Saints Game Day FAQ
What bags are allowed in the Superdome?
Clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bags up to 12" x 6" x 12", one-gallon clear zip bags, and small clutches up to 4.5" x 6.5". Backpacks and fanny packs, clear or not, are not allowed, and there is no bag check on site. Check the Saints A to Z fan guide before you go, since policies can change.
Is the Superdome hot inside?
No. The Caesars Superdome is air conditioned, so the inside stays comfortable all season. The heat is outside at the tailgate, especially for early season games, so dress light and bring a thin layer if you run cold.
What do Saints fans wear to games?
Black and gold, in every form: jerseys, local design tees, sequins, costumes and face paint. Locals often skip the jersey for a shirt with an inside joke about the team or the city, paired with a clear bag and comfortable shoes.
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