It’s all clear now.
Back in 2016, Lesley Grosvenor was on her way to the game of the year — the Rams’ first matchup back in Los Angeles, vs. the team she’s been a lifelong fan of, the Seattle Seahawks.
Halfway to the stadium, she suddenly remembered the NFL’s frustrating clear-bag policy, which wouldn’t allow her to enter with her purse.
So, she had to hastily arrange for someone to meet her to pass off her trusty tote — leaving Grosvenor with nothing but her jean shorts for storage.
“It was like a lightbulb moment went off,” Grosvenor, 43, told The Post. “I was like, ‘Is there anyone making fashion-forward bags for women to take to these games?’”
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In 2016, the Los Angeles mom launched SheerGear — a brand of clear, chic, fashion-forward purses women can carry around without having to sacrifice style for practicality.
“At the time, nobody was doing it,” Grosvenor told The Post of her passion project, which has found a receptive audience among some of football’s most famous fans.
The gameday gear dilemma dates back to 2013, when the NFL implemented a clear bag policy for safety reasons, meaning anyone entering an arena may only carry a clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bag that does not exceed 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches.
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Some venues also allow a small clutch — no larger than 4½ inches by 6½ inches — but the rule can vary from place to place.
Since then, women have continuously struggled with figuring out how to carry their personal belongings into a concert or game while still looking fashionable — that is, until people like Grosvenor came up with a solution to this problem.
Undercover bags
Grosvenor’s collection of stadium and arena bags features 18 different size-compliant clear styles — from totes and fanny packs to crossbody bags and backpacks, with faux leather trim and changeable straps — that range in price from $20 to $92.
Since the birth of SheerGear nearly 10 years ago, other brands such as Caitie G, which launched in January 2024, have also created stadium-compliant bags — that range in price from $34 to $28 — with privacy and safety in mind.
“My family has been long-time [Indianapolis] Colts season ticket holders, and I go to a lot of concerts and games,” Caitie Gehlhausen, founder of Caitie G bags, explained to The Post. “I continued to hear the same thing from women over and over again.”
“I completely understand and respect the clear bag policy and know that it’s necessary, so we needed something that was compliant for going through security, but when it didn’t need to be clear, look like a normal purse,” she said.
Gehlhausen found that the only way to do this was to have a removable outer cover that can go on and off bags. After playing around with the design, she found that having a simple covering that attached with a simple snap and velcro was the quickest way to get it on and off, especially when in hectic crowds.
“People are very appreciative of the fact [that] there is an element of privacy so that everything doesn’t have to be on display for everyone to see,” she shared.
Haute brands up the game
In addition to these small female-founded businesses, luxe brands such as Kate Spade and Coach — which are owned by the same parent company, Tapestry, Inc., are also jumping on the clear bag bandwagon.
Coach’s Stadium Swinger Bag is a clear, size-compliant shoulder bag with a leather trim and strap that comes in four colors — blue, white, red and black — for $150.
Kate Spade also has a few options, including a Clear Phone Crossbody ($75), Clear Small Crossbody ($85), Clear Small Tote ($119) and Clear Mini Tote ($105).
Tory Burch has a Mini Clear Crossbody Bag ($295), and even Bloomingdale’s made a “Little Clear Bag” ($32) version of their iconic brown bag.
‘Girls want to look cute’
Aside from solving a nagging problem for fashionable fans, the trend is hitting it big with the wives and girlfriends of football players — who aren’t exempt from the bag policy.
Looking back at photos of WAG fashion icons like Ciara and Gisele Bündchen from the early post-rule era, it appears as though they either went to games with a really small bag or no bag at all.
In fact, most of Ciara’s top style moments on the field or in the stands supporting her quarterback hubby, Russell Wilson, show her photographed sans purse, making onlookers wonder where she puts her belongings.
These days, there’s no question that some of them are reaching for bags like those in Grosvenor’s SheerGear line.
Claire Kittle, wife of San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, has been “the most amazing supporter from so early on,” Grosvenor told The Post. “She’s so loved, people really look to her.”
“It’s become even more of a thing since we started with influencers and people wondering what these girls are wearing to the games,” she said. “Girls want to look cute. It’s just become such a part of the look.”
Many other wives and girlfriends have supported SheerGear as well, including Marissa Lawrence, wife of Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence; Melanie Wilking, wife of Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler; Allison Kucharczyk, wife of professional football defensive end Isaac Rochell; as well as former WAG and model Gisele Bündchen, back when she was still with former NFL quarterback, Tom Brady.
Similar to SheerGear, Caitie G Bags has had quite the successful run since launching, which has allowed the company to partner with the WNBA’s Indiana Fever to provide custom Fever Caitie G bags for their team store.
Unfortunately, due to the NFL’s strict licensing, neither brand can use a sports team’s official logo, but there are many creative ways to still fit your bag to your team as a new season kicks off. (Both the New York Giants and LA Rams start their regular 2025-26 schedule this Sunday, Sept. 7.)
But with or without an official logo, SheerGear and Caitie G Bags, and other similar brands, are bringing fashion and sports together in a time where more and more women are going to sports events and cheering on teams — or as Gehlhausen called it, “the Taylor Swift effect.”
“I think these big sports franchising are valuing their female fan bases now more than ever,” Gehlhausen said, “and this is just one way to support the fans, making them feel comfortable at these events.”
