Uni Watch DIY Project: Behold the Capitals JerseySuit!

BY PAUL LUKAS, ON NOVEMBER 9, 2021



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[Editor’s Note: Today we have a guest entry from John Baranowski, who’s going to tell us about his latest awesome DIY project. Enjoy! — PL]

By John Baranowski

I began wearing hockey jerseys regularly when I was in high school and never stopped. As a teacher in northern Virginia, I’ve taken to wearing them every day — and for added difficulty, I always try to choose a jersey that connects to the content I’m teaching that day. It’s gone so far that I’ve been documenting what I’m wearing and why I’m wearing it each day on Instagram, where I’m known as @hockeyjerseyguy.

Sometimes, though, I have to wear a suit. Every time I do, people comment about how they don’t recognize me without a jersey. Last year I finally combined the two and made a Pittsburgh Penguins-themed JerseySuit, which I created by hand-sewing stripes and numbers onto a suit (a process that I documented in a 2020 Uni Watch entry). It was a huge hit and I’ve worn it a handful of times now.

However, I live near Washington. I probably go to more Capitals games than Penguins games now, so I decided that I needed a Caps JerseySuit. I went back and forth on whether to base it on their classic 1980s look or their current design. Modern is always more recognizable, and the sleeve stripes would have been very easy to do. But I couldn’t, as a Penguins fan, wear anything Ovechkin-related, so I went with the vintage look. (The Caps wearing it as a third didn’t hurt.)


Next question: Whose name and number should I have on the back? I decided to go with the “Secretary of Defense,” Rod Langway. His number is retired, he still works with the Capitals, and he’s well-known for appearances in the arena — a perfect choice.

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