Every element of classic football shirts is saying something to the audience. This article explores what colours, patterns and other details mean. Football fans love to interpret everything, and the ones making the shirts know that. That’s exactly why all of the elements are intentional. For fans, shirts are a reminder of all the players and games that happened before. History has greater importance than you might think. Let’s take a look at how the colour of the shirt can tell you which team is on the field.
Colour and Identity
When it comes to classic football shirts, every colour means something. Red is known to represent power, while blue is known to represent loyalty. Many football clubs date back decades or even centuries. As an example, the football club Sheffield F.C. was founded in 1857, and it is believed to be the oldest football club in the world. So, ever since clubs started being founded, they all chose their colours, or colour combinations, very carefully. Depending on what they wanted to transmit, or what part of their history they wanted to remind fans of, they chose their colours accordingly.
A certain shade of a colour can potentially remind fans of a loss or a win, because that’s how much they care about the colours they see on the shirts. And not only that. The way colours are chosen for shirts, shorts and socks has an immense impact on people. The colours are a part of the football experience! Let’s see some of the most famous football teams and the colours they are most known for:
- Manchester United – The red shirt, white shorts and black socks.
- Liverpool – They go for all red.
- Real Madrid – They are known for an all white look.
- FC Barcelona – The combination of blue and garnet makes them recognizable.
- Juventus – The black with white stripes is their staple.
The Patterns of Classic Football Shirts
There are many patterns that have been used on classic football shirts over the years. You can see stripes, hoops and a zigzag pattern. Many football shirt designers combine these patterns, especially when creating modern designs. The famous bruised banana shirt from Arsenal is a graphic shirt that combines patterns with colours. This shirt was loved by fans, and it goes down in history as one of the most famous and loved shirts. That’s why it was an inspiration for other modern kits, as the 19/20 Away kit and the 25/26 Away kit.
With the help of patterns, a team can showcase its love and dedication for football. Moreover, fans love to see a nice, eye-catching shirt on the field. Let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want their team to be the most recognizable one? Designs spark debate, they allow fans to say what they like and what they don’t. They even put the teams in the eyes of those who don’t watch football, which is always beneficial for the sport! Believe it or not, a good design could bring some new fans.
The Sponsor Matters
Let’s be honest, the sponsor can make or break the shirt. A sponsor that understands the identity of the team, and what the fans are expecting to see, can create a beautiful shirt. But a sponsor that doesn’t really care, can disappoint the fans. An article published by aists talks about sponsorship in football. This sponsorship thing is profitable for both the team and the brand. The brand gets exposure by associating itself with a football team. And the team gets a someone to design, or at least manufacture their kits.
Depending on the type of collaboration, the brand can either help with the design, or have no say in it. Brands like Adidas or Nike are kit manufactures, which means that they design the shirts, in collaboration with the club. But most times, the sponsor’s logo is just on the shirt. There were a few occasions when, even if the sponsor had no say in the design, the design needed to change because of the sponsor. Most brands cannot change the colours of their logo, and when that happened, the shirt needed to change colours!
The Other Details
The font that is used on the shirt, the shape and colour of the collar, and all of the other details present on the shirt make it what it is. For the collar, there is the classic ribbed crewneck, the V-neck, but also the polo-style one. Depending on the collar that is chosen, the shirt has a completely different style. Football shirts can go for a more elegant vibe from time to time, and that’s when the polo-style collar is used. The stitching is also an important element. Especially when combined with the correct fabric. You would be surprised to find out how many details fans didn’t like!
For those who aren’t football fans, it might be hard to believe that someone would pay that much attention to a shirt. You would think that fans only care about the game itself, but that’s just not the case. The details do matter. Football teams are a combination of players, games and football kits. That’s how fans recognize them, and that’s why fans love them. This is why football clubs put so much attention into their kits. They always want to say something with the shirts that they are wearing.
Conclusion
Classic football shirts speak to the football fans like nothing else in the world does. From the colour, to the patterns, to stitches and the shape of the collar, everything is important. Changing just one detail creates a completely different shirt. Some of the most famous football clubs have colours or patterns that they are known for. So, they use them as inspiration to create beautiful modern designs. Let’s not forget about the sponsors, as they can also influence, in one way or another, the look of the shirt. If you are a football fan, what do you think is the element that makes a shirt most recognizable?
