One of the things that set sports teams apart from each other is the colors and kits in which they play. There is a home and away kit in Premier League football, and over the years, these have become popular with fans. From the iconic NFL kit to rugby shirts and basketball jerseys, there is nothing more important to a team’s supporters than a sense of belonging. Merchandising is also massive business, so each time a new kit is released, a replica is sold for fans to get their hands on. You might not think that sports kits are exceptionally fashionable. Still, some have certainly been more memorable over the years than others, and the fact that thousands of people wear them definitely sets them up as a fashion trend.
Manchester United
In the UK, Manchester United is one of the most popular football teams, and they sell a lot of their football jerseys. For example, in the 2018 to 2019 series, the black and white striped shirts of that season sold 3.25 million. Adults weren’t only buying it for themselves; they were also buying it for their babies. You may not find these jerseys on the catwalks of Milan, but the vast number of people willing to part with their cash to look like they belong to their favorite team makes this one of the most critical selling fashion items ever. Classic shirts are also incredibly popular, and sticking with Manchester United as an example, the 1994/95 home shirt, which was red and worn by the legend that is Eric Cantona, is one of the most in-demand classic offerings you can get. It was produced by the company Umbro, and the color is blood red. It also features black accents, the club logo as well as the sharp logo who were the sponsors at the time, and it was launched the same year that Premier League first screened right around the globe. There is no wonder this is such a hotly contested look, and second-hand shirts can sell for considerable amounts of money on sites like eBay.
For those with an inclination towards rugby, the desire to shop for England rugby shirts reflects not just support for the team but also a taste for classic and impactful sportswear designs. These shirts, embodying the rich history and the spirited essence of the game, have become symbols of pride and fashion statements outside the stadiums as well.
NFL
In the NFL, there are several iconic shirts that remain in demand even though the seasons have passed, and the teams no longer wear them. Of course, NFL teams don’t change their colors as much, and the New Orleans Saints Jersey, which is black and gold, has been a popular choice for many years. Although they have given the shirt an uplift over the years, it still remains the iconic black and gold colors, which are the same colors they wore the first time they ever played in 1967. The Washington Redskins Jersey couldn’t really be anything but red. It’s classed as burgundy, but it’s highlighted with yellow or gold and first came to light in 1979 when they began playing. Again, unlike the Premier League football teams, the NFL teams do not change their shirt colors often, and this has stayed pretty consistent over the years. The Cleveland Browns are also an easy team to spot and as their name suggests, they play in Brown and orange. This might not seem to be a particularly fashionable color combination, but fans are certainly more than happy to don this combination out of respect to their team. In the early 80s, their Jersey was actually almost wholly brown, and they teamed it with orange pants, but since then, it has been rebranded a few times to feature more orange.
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Color combinations
It’s a bit of a blow if you support a team but cannot stand the colors they play in, and Barcelona’s home shirt from the 1982 to 1989 seasons is one that proved a little contentious. It was a strange mix of blue and burgundy, and it was designed by Meyba, a Spanish brand that was actually more famous for swimwear. Of course, the longer a team has a shirt in play, the more popular it can become because each year, new fans come along and want to join in on the trend.
The 1996 home shirt worn by Sporting Kansas City is entirely unique and somewhat off-trend. It featured a blue and white shirt with stripes of gold and red woven into it. It was designed by Adidas and had a strange Chinese collar with a single button. At the time, Major League Soccer had a ruling that sponsor logos were not allowed on the shirts, so instead, it featured the player’s number on the bottom corner and the club’s name written across the shirt. It certainly wasn’t a particularly appealing look for fans.
Another classic shirt that remains very much in demand is the 1989/90 home shirt worn by the Liverpool Football Club players. Again, Adidas produced this and was red with white highlights, including stripes down the shoulders and around the neck. At the time, the team was sponsored by Candy, and this was emblazoned across the front as well as the team logo. The red background is patterned with white triangle shapes, although they are not as bold as the rest of the white highlighting. In 1985 Hummel who is a Danish sportswear company, took on the production of the kit for Tottenham hotspurs and created another iconic offering that was white wave chevrons and diagonal lines across the top half. This team was sponsored by Halston, the German beer maker at the time, and this too was emblazoned across the shirt.
There are many other stylish sports kits that could be added to the list – we can rapidly think of a few. Which are your favorites?
Fraquoh and Franchomme
Further reading:
A Guide to Printing Team T-Shirts
The Evolution of Athletic Attire at a Glance
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