Channel Your Inner NFL WAG With These Football-Inspired Manicures For Short Nails

NFL season means a whole new array of sports-inspired manicures. It's a playful way of showing off your allegiance and cheering on a favorite team all while sporting sensational nails. And since short nails are trending at the moment, these WAG-inspired football manicures are totally doable on shorter nails. After all, there's a ton of manicure inspiration that proves you can still have tons of fun with practical, short nails. 

The WAG life is huge right now as a source of style inspiration; Taylor Swift's marriage to Travis Kelce has made her one of the most high-profile sports wives in the world. Simone Biles is married to safety Jonathan Owens, while Hailee Steinfeld is married to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Then there's Ciara, who's married to former quarterback Russell Wilson. Each of these incredible women brings a sparkle and charm to the WAG life, proving that it's a worthwhile aesthetic, particularly for manicures. Indeed, sports can unexpectedly give a lot of inspiration for beauty. In the world of hockey and romance, there's an abundance of "Heated Rivalry"-inspired nails for an icy hot manicure. But for NFL season, the manicure focus is on football, and short nail lovers can have their fun, too. 

A multi-colored manicure on short nails is a cheerful way to share that football spirit. Combine hues of black, red, and, of course, a football-toned brown to create a festive base for the perfect WAG manicure. The short nail length keeps this manicure functional. Meanwhile, the sparkly touch of the red gives the manicure a jolt of feminine beauty, while the brown nails, complete with football art, makes the manicure very intentional during NFL season. 

A simple and natural short manicure creates an elegant base for football-inspired nail art. And since nude hues are one of the manicure colors that look best on short nails, this is a very flattering option. This is ideal for those gals who still love football but don't want an overwhelmingly-sporty manicure. The tiny football nail art makes this WAG-approved manicure extra cute and ideal for those who prefer to keep their nail length short and functional. 

Most football fans are fiercely loyal to their favorite team; this is particularly true of WAGs, as they cheer on their significant other. So harness that authentic WAG energy by leaning into your favorite team with a signature manicure. A Buffalo Bills-themed manicure gives a great example of how to do this. Lean into the team logo, their colors, and the team flag to make the manicure focused and specific. 

Since NFL season primarily takes place in the fall, combine autumnal elements with football nail art to create a gorgeous manicure. What's great about this look is that it's not overpowering on the sports themes for those who don't want to lean too heavily into football details; a sage green nail color keeps things subtle while a few nails with painted nail art combines both the season and football enthusiasm thanks to delicate drawings of falling leaves and brown footballs. 

Latte nails are a huge trend for fall. And since the latte nail trend isn't going anywhere, it can be fun to incorporate that into a football-inspired manicure. Combine tones of cream, brown, and milky coffee to create an array of nails that each have a distinct personality but come together beautifully. This manicure lends itself well to NFL designs thanks to the brown tones, so incorporate subtle touches like a player's number and the white laces on a football. 

WAG-approved manicures don't need to be complicated undertakings. Sometimes, all that's required to stay on theme is a few coats of a team's color and some nail art and nail lettering. Give a shout-out to your team and add a decorative football to show the intent of the nail art. And best of all, this festive manicure works well on short nails, so you can get into the sport spirit of things while keeping nails at a workable length.

One creative way to fully embrace the NFL manicure is to play around with creative nail art and line drawing. Allow each nail to tell a different football story. A green base with lines and numbers creates the football pitch with its white markings. Complement this detail with a favorite player's number, plus some cute footballs as added nail art. It's a festive and lively manicure that still works perfectly on shorter nails. 

Since football teams feature an array of colors, you can still get that dopamine hit with NFL-inspired manicures. While cheering on the Baltimore Ravens or Minnesota Vikings, teams that both feature purple, embrace your love of color on a short manicure by focusing on this tone specifically. Then add some fun nail art, like the checkered flag pattern used by referees. Add to the theme by incorporating the number of a favorite player and finally, it wouldn't be a football manicure without at least one football-styled nail. 

Taylor Swift is so coming for this short-gal manicure. A bubbly sparkle nail polish creates the perfect base for this nail look. Personalize this stunning base with your team's themes. In this case, the Kansas City Chiefs are the focus. A delicate "KC" flag gives the perfect nod to the team, while delicate red and white stripes bring the whole manicure together. It's a way of embracing NFL WAG style without a single football appearing on your nails. 

If a full-on football manicure is out of your comfort zone, embrace the trendy copper chrome cat eye nail effect. The metallic dimension gives nails a molten-penny finish that's absolutely perfect for fall. This look is very popular for good reason; the rich brown effect makes it a winning manicure on short nails. Plus, the brown tone lends itself well to subtle football nail art, so the manicure gives a gentle nod towards sport without being overwhelmingly football-themed.