Over the last week, Olympic stands have filled with green and yellow: fans in Brazil’s flags and T-shirts.
We wondered: How much does it cost to become kitted as a full-fledged Brazil fan?
To find out, we went to SAARA market, one of the largest open air markets in Rio de Janeiro. Down the winding lanes of the market in the center of town, music blared from inside scores of little shops, selling everything from yellow and green wigs to baby-sized Brazilian flip-flops.
Our first stop: the T-shirt store.
Cost: R$51 (about $16)
Here, you can buy a Brazil T-shirt and get your name printed on it. It took about 30 minutes waiting in line to get my name printed on the shirt. My Brazilian colleagues reminded me that things move slowly here, it’s part of the authentic experience.
Next, a series of stores selling everything Brazil-colored. A sea of yellow and green, flags, wigs, necklaces and anything you can think of.
Flag: R$10 ($3.20)
Air horn: R$17.99 ($5.75)
Glitter hat: R$15 ($4.80)
Two wristbands: R$3.20 ($1)
Green and yellow garland: R$4.90 (1.50)
Backpack: R$2.90 ($1)
At the checkout counter, we spot some makeup and I decide to go for it. Green lipstick has to be part of the experience, right?
Green lipstick: R$10 ($3.20)
Green blush: R$15 ($4.80)
Our last stop is for flip-flops, Brazil’s famous made-in-the-country havaianas.
Cost: R$:38.90 ($12.45)
Total cost: R$168.89 ($55)
Takeaways: It’s expensive to get decked out as a real Brazil fan, but it’s fun — if you can afford it.
Along the way, I tried to keep track of where the things I was wearing were made. A handful of items, like my havaianas flip-flops, were made in Brazil. But for the most part, the swag of a true fan is made in China.