Car fanboi’ism number 2: automotive apparel
This is the second in our series of car fanboi'isms. It's also likely the one most likely to offend people. Most car guys and gals were guilty of this at one point or another. But wearing automotive themed/branded apparel is very fanboi'ish (read dbag).
Having an automotive brand emblazoned across your chest is the equivalent of rocking Abercrombie and Fitch (which is a sin) and a visor (Guido). First, you don't golf, so why do you have the BMW "golfing polo?" Second, why do you want a shirt that says BMW? Third, you drive a Focus.
But I can get past the shirts or even hats, for the most part. Here's the deal, you only wear these when you are hanging out at car meets (mall parking lots) or going on cruises (what clubs eloquently call high risk mob mentality driving). The more expensive the brand on your shirt has a direct correlation to your place on the fanboi caste system. That is, if you are wearing a Ferrari shirt (likely at Cars and Coffee meet where you drove your 14 year old clapped out Audi) you are king d bag.
Anyways, the epitome of fanboi'ism is a pair of "driving shoes." These shoes are not comfortable for walking, standing (which you do lots of in parking lots staring at other cars), running or just about anything else. Yet, you will tell anyone who will listen how comfortable they are and how incredible they feel when driving. Hey, genius, guess what, you can't heel-toe in an automatic Golf MKIV.
Again, we can get over driving shoes. But it's the BRANDED driving shoes, i.e. the Ferrari Puma driving shoes, these scream, "I drive like a jack ass in my Civic."
None of this applies if you are; 1) able to kick my ass, 2) a hot chick (a girl at my work wears a Ferrari/Puma fleece), 3) are a car dealer (you're probably already wearing pleated pants so it's a lost cause), 4) you are a factory sponsored race car driver
All this said, I rock the shit out of my Martini/Porsche racing hat that I received as a gift, from Porsche. 
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on Wednesday 3/18, 2009
Jay
Wednesday 3/18, 2009 at 4:10 pm
I’m guilty of a couple of those things. I have a Saab Aero Academy polo shirt and an Aero Academy hat, I rarely wear either. They were free. I do have a Ferrari t-shirt, it’s black, has the prancing horse on the front and Ferrari spelled out on the sleeve in small red letters. Plus I got it at the Ferrari factory in Maranello after the factory tour and I have been to a few F1 races. I wouldn’t be caught dead in anything that says Abercrombie and Fitch anywhere on it.
Jim
Wednesday 3/18, 2009 at 4:34 pm
So if I wear a Mustang shirt, or one that has the Holley carbs logo on it, have I crossed the line to fanboi?
Greg Abbott
Wednesday 3/18, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Hats are less obnoxious than shirts. I remember when we bought my wife’s CR-V, I bought a hat with “CR-V” on it — that’s about as low wattage as automotive gear gets. (I have yet to see “Yaris” or “Aveo”-wear).
We sold the CR-V but I still have the hat.
John
Wednesday 3/18, 2009 at 10:20 pm
Ever seen the guys wearing a backwards and upside-down visor? WOW. That actually happens,
PoisonBeef
Wednesday 3/18, 2009 at 10:42 pm
what about a shirt that is from a community that follows a brand (Saablink shirts?) I think that is my only automotive branded shirt.
I have an NVIDIA shirt I got free that is a work shirt now, was that fanboi of me?
Jay
Thursday 3/19, 2009 at 9:50 am
I do have a TSL sticker on my 9-3. I’d replace it with a culture garage sticker if I had one(hint, hint):-D
A friend of mine that sells for Dreyer and Reinbold BMW in Indianapolis gave me a white BMW logo t-shirt. I wear it when I cut the grass.
Adam
Thursday 3/19, 2009 at 10:22 am
So is there website “fanboi’ism” if I rock my culture garage shirt?
Chris author
Thursday 3/19, 2009 at 10:57 am
@ adam, nope, you can totally be a fanboi for a c|g, no shame there. 
Adam
Saturday 3/21, 2009 at 8:54 am
Whew! I was concerned for a half second.
Ted
Saturday 3/21, 2009 at 1:16 pm
So, I guess I should return my custom made Buick golf jacket. It went so well with the K-Swiss.
Jay
Monday 3/30, 2009 at 8:01 am
Moar fan boi’isms pleaze?
How to Get Six Pack Fast
Wednesday 4/15, 2009 at 11:41 am
Hey, nice tips. Perhaps I’ll buy a bottle of beer to the person from that forum who told me to visit your blog
Apollo Sinkevicius
Wednesday 3/18, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Agree on some points and disagree on some others. Yes, it is funny to me to see people with Ferrari pit-crew shirts, when they never seen one even in person. That is definitely d-bag move. BUT, if you do own say Dodge, Ford, Porsche, Acura, Subaru, and etc. there is nothing wrong with you wearing automotive brand apparel representing the brands you own at car meets, cruises, autocrosses, roadraces, and other events frequented by your fellow car enthusiasts. True petrolheads know who is for real. Changing the rest of the world is kind of a waste.