What a Girl Wants: Ferrari Fashions

Yesterday, as I was browsing through my inbox, I happened to come across the latest email from the Ferrari store. “The Wait is Over-F1 is Back-Order Your Ferrari Official Teamwear Today” it exclaimed and I opened it excitedly to see if there was anything new that caught my eye. Not surprisingly once I clicked on the link provided I was seriously underwhelmed by the selection on offer. While there were a lot of different options for men, the women’s section of the site was uninspiring and honestly kind of ugly. As a female Formula 1 fan, this is a problem that I experience frequently.

In the world of fashion it is usually women who seem to have a bountiful selection of clothing available for purchase and nine out of ten of my female friends have wardrobes that are fully stocked with the latest trends. In contrast, many of my male acquaintances seem to purchase clothing only when it is absolutely necessary. To them clothing is about functionality as opposed to fashion and I’m sure that many men all over the world begin their day by scooping a t-shirt up off the ground and smelling its armpits to see if it is wearable or not. I don’t want to generalise here, I know that there are also many men who are both well-dressed without going overboard and hygienic, my boyfriend included but overall I would say that most men couldn’t care less about fashion.

If fashion is usually considered to be a female passion and plenty of men go shopping only a handful of times a year then why is it so hard to find fabulous Formula 1 merchandise as a woman? Perhaps it is because Formula 1 is usually associated with male fans and the women who are pictured attending Grand Prix are often scantily-clad models who clearly have no appreciation for the sport itself. As a result of this many of the teams, Ferrari included, sell women’s clothing that is mainly tight, revealing and sometimes poorly-made. As a female Formula 1 fanatic, this is a constant source of frustration. I’ll admit, in my wardrobe there are a few skimpy Ferrari tank tops and I have even contemplated purchasing a Ferrari bikini but overall and especially when I am attending a race I want to be wearing an item of Ferrari clothing that is comfortable, functional and will not expose my assets to the thousands of male spectators around me! On the other hand I do not want to wear something that resembles a sack and makes me feel frumpy. I still want to look good at a Grand Prix but I also want to be respected as a genuine fan and not some sort of an airhead groupie.

Okay, okay perhaps I am being a little bit harsh on Ferrari merchandise, after all they do make a few items that are winners in my book. My ultimate favourite item for wearing to attend Grand Prix is Ferrari’s piquet polo shirt.* This polo shirt is a decent length, made from elasticised cotton which really breathes really well in the heat of a race weekend and buttons all the way up. The miniature Italian flag, which is embroidered on the shirt’s right sleeve, is a cute detail that I also love. My piquet polo shirt has been through the laundry countless times and still looks as good as the day that I bought it more than two years ago. I will definitely buy myself several more of them when I next encounter the model because they are seriously that good.

The other item of Ferrari merchandise that I find myself wearing again and again is a Ferrari team polo shirt that I am embarrassed to admit is from Ferrari’s children’s range of clothing! Although it was made to fit a pre-pubescent boy, I find that it actually hugs my curves reasonably well. Still, I would prefer something that is tailored to fit my body and long for the day when Ferrari decide to include team polo shirts that are designed specifically for women in their clothing range!

In my opinion the teams are missing out on a huge market when they don’t provide women with the same number of options that the men get. Think about it. It you are male, there is no doubt that you have looked inside your wife or girlfriend’s closet on multiple occasions and wondered why she has the need for fifty plus pairs of shoes and a handbag for every day of the week. You have listened and perhaps drifted off as she attempted to explain to you the difference between shorts and Capris and you shake your head in disbelief when she exclaims that despite having more that twice as many clothes as you do, she still has nothing to wear! Even though there may be fewer women than men who are passionate about motorsports, women would likely purchase more clothing than their male counterparts do and they would probably spend money on official merchandise several times a year.

As I mentioned above, I am hoping that Ferrari add more items to their women’s clothing line in the near future. The combination of both Formula 1 and shopping would surely prove too much for me to resist and I would likely drop hundreds of dollars a season on new clothing. On second thought, maybe it is a good thing that their range is so limited at least where my bank account is concerned!

*Ferrari make several different types of polo shirts for women, so make sure that when you are purchasing your shirt that you specify that you want the piquet polo. I mistakenly purchased the red polo shirt that is pictured below at the Italian Grand Prix last year thinking that it was a piquet polo shirt. When I tried it on, the material was so thin that I needed to wear a tank top underneath it and it has become deformed and horrible after only several washes. Not a good buy!