ACM Ambassador: AC Milan Beanie Hat & Scarf
By Enrique Madrona Jr.
Among the pools of products available from brands for particular clubs and teams, there are items that seem pretty clever, and then occasionally, things that make you wonder who would ever buy them. Fortunately, MMSports always has the good stuff in stock, and today, I am happy to review a couple products that go hand in hand. If you face harsh winters, or even just seasonal cold weather, you’ll be pleased with what I have to review today.
I will be revealing my reviews on a pair of products today: the AC Milan Beanie Hat, and the AC Milan 2011/2012 Scarf. They are both seasonal products; with sales usually dependent upon when they would be most suitable for their use. Clearly MMSports is psychic, for they’ve sent me these two great products just as an ominous winter appears fast approaching, and the signs of snow are just around the corner. I’ll be taking a look at each product one at a time, so here we go!
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The Look
I must say that the beanie hat caught me by surprise. I had assumed that if Adidas and Milan were to produce a beanie hat, it would have been red and black alone. However, in coordination with efforts to increase the use of white on many new Milan merchandise, they opted to go with a red design with white horizontal stripes. It turned out to be really nice looking, with the only black on the base design being a thin trim along the bottom edge of the hat. The stripes circle all around, and do make you look a little like you walked out of the “Where’s Waldo” series, but I’m fond of any looks that grab attention, and in comparison to the usual, neutral gray beanie hats of today’s fashion, this one looks great!
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On the front of the beanie hat, like most AC Milan merchandise, resides the always-stylish crest of the renowned club. Surprisingly, the emblem is of very high quality and quite thin, meaning that it does not impede on the design, weight, or material of the beanie hat at all. I applaud Adidas for this, because most hats of any kind with a representational emblem have a tendency of making the logo/image very big and hindering to the overall look. In general, I think the beanie hat looks really nice, but there’s only one little thing that is just a bit questionable. On the left side of the beanie hat, Adidas decided to put a very small black tag, just a couple inches long and less than half an inch thick. The tag Reads “AC MILAN” and has the recognized Adidas logo; it’s cool, but it seems a little out of place, almost like you’re wearing the hat inside out because of the way it sticks out. In the end, it’s a very small thing to worry about and honestly, I don’t think it will affect anyone’s opinion on the hat. If it ever became a real bother, it could easily be snipped of with scissors, or even sewn into the hat.
The AC Milan scarf is a whole other world. You won’t find invasive amounts of white here, this is a more classic, black and red Milanista design. It’s typical, but that doesn’t mean it’s not very fitting for the team any given day. The AC Milan scarf is very held back, and I mean that in a positive light; it’s got a nice and simple design. On one side of the scarf, what you could consider the primary side, the look is split into two halves; on the left side, the scarf is the common Milan red that all football fans have come to memorize, and upon it there are three dark red stripes. As an Adidas product, I already knew there would be those sporty stripes that are undoubtedly connected to the brand. The right side of the scarf is all black, but it has the dark gray text, “AC MILAN”, running along it. The text gives life to what would otherwise be just dull darkness, and along with the other half’s stripes, make this side of the scarf look very regal and stylish. Fortunately, there’s one more feature which is what makes a Milan fan such as myself like this scarf so much more. At the far end of the black half of the scarf, Adidas have gone ahead and embroidered a large AC Milan crest into the design. It’s a bit larger than that which you would find on one of their jerseys. I thought it was a great touch to the scarf, adding an identifiable image to an already well known color scheme. The last thing viewable on this side of the scarf is the thin line splitting the two halves, and appropriately, it is colored in white and green, finishing the color set of the Italian national flag. It’s quite unique actually because Milan typically does not ever use green in their products and I see it as a great touch here.
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The other side of the scarf, though it’s supposed to just be the less attentive side, actually comes off as a much more scarf friendly design. It’s composed of black and dark gray stripes, and it’s an orthodox scarf pattern, but in a darker, more Milan palette. The siding of the scarf on this side is designed with the colors of the Italian flag once again. I’m a big fan of the use of national colors and images on team designs and this is no exception. The Adidas logo can be found on this side too! Conclusively, the look of the scarf is very nice, but I will admit, in comparison to the eye-catching contrasts of the beanie hat, the scarf’s design could be a little bit brighter and with more variety. At the end of the day, it looks a lot to me like what they were going for here was a scarf that would go well with other Milan products, and when I flipped it on as I wore an AC Milan jersey, I saw just where the heart of the scarf idea was. It’s the perfect complimentary product for any Milan clothing.
The Purpose and Build
When you look at the AC Milan beanie hat and accompanying scarf, it’s easy to see what they are meant for; cold fashion. If you want to show the Rossoneri inside you, these are great clothing accessories for the winter season, and I can already see I’ll be using them a lot where I am. These are not cheap side products, they work just as well, if not better, then more common and well known hat and scarf brands. They are very fitting and well made.
The beanie hat is just perfect; the material is a nice and comfortable, it feels great on my head and is fortunately very flexible, so you can pretty much choose just how much you want it on and be confident you won’t overstretch or distort the material. The scarf is much, much thicker, but then again, that’s the point. Scarves are great ways to keep your neck and upper chest warm, as well as to cover up any clothing areas exposed to the cold. The scarf is a little rough, but of very good quality. I applaud Adidas again for keeping their premium standards even in spin-off products.
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The Final Word
When you look at these two products, you may start thinking about whether they are right for you. Does it even get cold where you live, or would you put these on while you watch a match, or do you even go outside into cold weather? As a reviewer, I have to balance between the purpose of the scarf and its underlying meaning. They are both great gifts to any AC Milan fan, and MMSports has them at great prices. If you ask me, the AC Milan beanie hat and AC Milan scarf are ideal products to help yourself or any Milan fan you know, especially with winter looming around the corner. They go great with any Milan jerseys or shirts, and are great for sitting down at home, getting cozy, and enjoying an AC Milan match in the cold season. These products surely get my vote, and I hope that others can enjoy them as I do! If you have any questions or comments, let me know below, and thank you MMSports for this chance to review products from my favorite football club. Forza Milan!