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 versus 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,” Grosvenor, 43, told The Post. “I was like, ‘Is there anyone making fashion-forward bags for women to take to these games?’”
RELATED: Best stadium bags
That same year, the Los Angeles mom launched SheerGear — a brand of clear, chic purses women can carry around without having to sacrifice style for practicality.
“At the time, nobody was doing it,” Grosvenor said of her passion project, which has found a receptive audience among some of football’s most famous fans.
The game day gear dilemma dates back to 2013, when the NFL implemented a clear-bag policy for safety reasons, which requires any bag toted into a stadium to be made of clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and to be smaller than 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches.
RELATED: Best belt bags and fanny packs, per shopping editors
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-friendly bags features 18 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, Caitie G launched in January 2024 with a line of stadium-compliant bags that go for about $38.
“My family has been longtime [Indianapolis] Colts season ticket holders, and I go to a lot of concerts and games,” Caitie Gehlhausen, the brand’s founder, 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, [would] look like a normal purse,” she said.
Searching for a removable outer cover, Gehlhausen played around with the design and found that simple snap and Velcro attachments made for the quickest way to get a panel on and off, especially when in hectic crowds.
“People are very appreciative of the fact [that] there is an element of privacy …. 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 company, Tapestry — 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 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 Bloomingdale’s even 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 days of the rule era, it appears they 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 said. “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 former NFLer Isaac Rochell; as well as Bündchen, when she was still with Tom Brady.
Similar to SheerGear, Caitie G 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.
Due to the NFL’s strict licensing rules, neither brand can use a football team’s official logo, but there are many creative ways to rep your team on your bag as the new season kicks off. (Both the New York Giants and LA Rams start Sunday.)
With or without an official logo, SheerGear, Caitie G 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 — as Gehlhausen called it, “the Taylor Swift effect.”
“I think these big sports franchises 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.”
