u/iveLovedBefore

I’m old (28). Old enough to see jerseys that were somewhat disliked in their time come back as throwbacks that everyone loves (Kachina coyotes, gradient Rays). When this happens, the jerseys usually have a few characteristics:
- LOUD designs
- Design elements that are very ‘of their time’
- Very different design to the current look
- Nostalgic moments
- Worn in the childhood of fans aged 25-40 (so, currently, 1994-2009)

Here are some looks I think fit the criteria- not great, disliked even within the uni community at the time, but likely to come back as beloved alts some day soon.

- Swoosh Broncos: Worn during multiple Super Bowls, unique design, THE prototype for late 90s-2000s football jerseys
- Greatest Show on Turf Rams: Iconic teams, sleek design, very distinct from their bright current look
- Nuggets Melo: Fun, colorful look worn by entertaining teams
- Linsanity Knicks: Linsanity memories, a bit more happening than their current look
- Neon Zebra Arsenal: Unique, bright, unforgettable, worn in a lot of big games

Drop your predictions in the comments!

To make this clear- all of the throwbacks in the pictures are good. I am NOT saying we shouldn’t have throwbacks. My points here are just about throwbacks as alternates- not them returning full time. But I wanted to share some thoughts I have had about the increasing prevalence of throwbacks across sports, and the unintended effects they could have on the ‘uni-verse’.

Extending the shelf life of bad ‘base’ uni sets (See: Timberwolves, Minnesota)
The Timberwolves have had some of the worst home and away sets in the NBA for about 20 years now. Their current home look is particularly uninspired, but has somehow been around for 10 years. I believe a major reason for this is that several times over the past 5 years, the Timberwolves have had AWESOME throwback jerseys, or heavily throwback-inspired jerseys, that they have worn in nearly all their big games. When you think of this year’s playoff run, for example, surely you think of Anthony Edwards in the black throwback jersey.
In the microcosm, thats probably a good thing. However, if they didn’t have the option of wearing that much better throwback jersey for games on national TV (and selling boat loads every year as a result), they likely would have given serious thought to changing their base home and away jerseys MUCH sooner.
Other, similar cases: Atlanta Falcons (before this season), Jacksonville Jaguars, early Rams in LA, Utah Jazz (before this season), Denver Broncos

Creating confusion around major moments (See: Sabers, Buffalo)
In the NBA and increasingly in the NHL, teams have decided to wear throwbacks (and other alternates) in major playoff games. It has popped up in the NFL too. This creates a strange effect where the most memorable moments of a team’s season happen in jerseys they got rid of 20 years before, and won’t wear again for years after- creating an anachronism of memories with these big moments.
That may be ok when the throwbacks are much better, and the teams are moving back to them (or a similar look) shortly- see the Penguins in 2016. But it can also mean, with the Sabers tonight (edit: NEVERMIND), or with the 76ers this season, that perfectly good ‘base’ jerseys are having their defining moments taken by throwback jerseys.
See also: 76ers in the 2026 playoffs

Drying up the well of creativity, and leaving eras without a defining ‘look’ (See: La Liga throwback weekend)
This may be the most controversial point here. Part of what I love about this hobby is seeing how the aesthetic of sports, and leagues, changes over time. It’s fun to look back and see the good 90s jerseys- and the awful ones too. A game from 2010 looks totally different to one from 2000… for better or for worse.
One thing that’s starting to happen in soccer, with teams releasing jerseys so frequently, and often referencing past jerseys as they do so, is that the current era lacks a defining aesthetic. What truly says “2026” when so many teams are trying to look like it’s 1986, or 1996? This also leads to fans embracing those familiar aesthetics and completely opposing newer ideas which could have become classic in time.
The beloved TeamGeist adidas soccer template from 2006 looked completely new at the time. Would a similarly novel look be so beloved now, when fans are often just looking for teams to bring back the TeamGeist look (as Adidas has done 2-3x)
Other cases: Block fonts in the NFL, extreme minimalism in College Football

Long post, I know- curious for your thoughts!

Back again! Rough batch of kits in recent days.

🇬🇧 Chelsea Home - B-
This should work. It’s simple, the blue and yellow are classic Chelsea colors, the base design is kind of cool. The design is quite derivative of the Italian national team’s kits in the 90s (not a problem in itself), but those shirts had great, simple collar trim. For some reason, the collars of these new Nike shirts look flimsy and cheap. The piping also does nothing to help this one.

🇬🇧 Newcastle Home - C-
Maybe I’m being harsh. Maybe it will look better on field. The stripes are a swing and a miss for me, but this would still be fine if not for the massive, blocky blue adidas stripes which completely ruin the balance of the shirt. It’s their worst look in a long time.

🇬🇧 Arsenal Third - B
This one is a victim of the number of shirts clubs release these days. It’s quite nice, and also, it’s extremely similar to a shirt from 2021-22, with a lightning pattern we’ve seen a few times. It’ll look nice on field, and Arsenal in yellow is always welcome.

🇪🇸 Real Madrid Away - C+
The color is nice, but that’s where the positives stop. The base design, whatever it’s meant to represent, looks awful- beginners cross stitch vibes. They also use the worst collar for the new adidas shirts. Not worthy of the club.

🇪🇸 Atletico Madrid Away - B-
Atletico Madrid with a heartfelt tribute to the Dennis Schroeder era Atlanta Hawks here… it’s sleek, it will look nice on field, but nothing about it feels special, or more importantly, fitting for Atletico Madrid.

🇮🇹 Inter Milan - B+
A pretty classic Inter shirt after a few years of misfires. The yellow accents are nice and the stripes look good. The issue here is the odd Nike template in the shoulders, and that flimsy collar that bedeviled Chelsea’s shirt. The scudetto patch should elevate this.

🇮🇹 Cagliari - D
A train wreck, but an interesting one. Cagliari have decided to pay tribute, for some reason, to American football (maybe their Sicilian cousins in Jersey were giving them ideas). That’s how you get the collar and the inflated Northwestern stripes on the arms. The collar actually looks cool, and the stripes would be too if they were smaller. Too bad Cagliari is stuck with the most rancid sponsors in Serie A, totally ruining the look.

Let me know what you think in the comments!

What are your favorite ‘fictional’ (meaning, not belonging to real teams) jerseys from movies, TV, music?

Starting with a few of mine in the comments

There’s always an absurd number of new releases these weeks. Im showing a mix of bigger and smaller teams today. Let me know which I missed.

🇫🇷** Paris St Germaine **Home - B+
The wider red stripe and the lighter blue call back to the 90s, which could have been really cool. However, a couple of things are poorly executed, from the collar, to the side piping (which I don’t usually hate but looks out of place here) to the weirdly small front sponsor. I do think this will look great on field, where the colors and stripes will pop and the smaller design missteps won’t be as visible.

🇫🇷** Stade Rennais Ho**me - B+
The simple template, colors, and collar really make the base pattern work. The base pattern reflects the exteriors of local houses, and looks awesome. The window pattern in the very center reflects design elements from the team crest, which is sick. The huge central sponsor, and the number of smaller ones, drags this one down a bit from an A.

🇬🇧** Arsenal **Away - A
This is essentially an NHL-style ‘reverse retro’ of Arsenal’s infamous early 90s ‘bruised banana’ kits. I actually think the design looks better in tone on tone navy, and the three colors pop and are immediately Arsenal. The retro adidas logo, normal size sleeve stripes, and retro cannon logo for Arsenal all look great. Loses just a few points for being a fauxback rather than something truly original.

🇬🇧** Manchester United Aw**ay - B+
Blue is, oddly, a traditional look for the ‘Red Devils’. The collar and cuffs, much like on Arsenal’s, are executed well. It’s generally quite nice but I’m not convinced by the color balance and the wavy lines on the base.

🇬🇧** Leeds United Ho**me - B+
Does a nice job of showcasing the club’s colors in a simple, classic design. Just missing out on that extra touch to make it a classic. Will look a bit worse when the Red Bull logo is added on the middle.

🇩🇪** Borussia Monchengladbach **Away - A-
Non-soccer fans on here, try saying that team name… After a few years of really loud, intricate designs I’m seeing more teams go for simple looks that let the colors speak for themselves. This is a great example. Gladbach’s classic green and black really pop, while the bronze details integrate smoothly and give it something special. A very cool, unique look.

🇧🇷** Corinthians **Away - A-
Brazilian clubs sell retail jerseys without sponsors- then turn around and throw about 50 sponsors onto their game jerseys. Judging them is therefore difficult- but without sponsors, this looks awesome. Classic thin stripes, classic collar, classic crest. The crest is an old school version of their current badge, which I consider the best in world football, but this one is a nice change of pace too. The Nike template isn’t too distracting here.

Drop your grades in the comments!

I’m on a one man crusade to get soccer represented on here. All leaks and release images from Footy Headlines.

Arsenal- B+
Simple look with maroon details on the sleeve and on the collar and cuffs with a subtle lightning motif. I think this looks perfectly solid, if a bit forgettable. The maroon has shown up before on Arsenal kits, most famously in 2006, and livens things up. My one critique is that the lightning (referencing Arsenal’s 90s kits, made by Nike) is overstaying its welcome a bit given how often it’s showed up recently.

Liverpool- D
I get it- this throws back to a legendary 1980s Liverpool look. But the old school, movie theatre seat pattern looks awful and arbitrary on modern materials, with modern lighting, without the glow of nostalgia. Feels like a serious misstep.

Manchester United- A
Not sure why this isn’t getting more love- it’s one of their best shirts in a decade. The white-black-white pattern is very Manchester United, and shows up in just the right places. Otherwise, I like how simple they kept this- the badge really pops. The slightly weird middle part of the collar is my only criticism

Real Madrid- C-
I could rock with a green-accented Real Madrid shirt. I could (maybe) get down with a pink accented Real Madrid shirt. But them together makes this not look very Real Madrid at all, and isn’t aesthetically pleasing even in a vacuum. Look how awkwardly the badge stands out there… There is some nice collar and cuff detailing.

Barcelona- C
The stripes are not the problem at all. I actually like the tonal approach. I however hate how the sleeves cut on the shoulders, which makes the whole thing look very awkward. I also don’t like the asymmetrical application of the stripes. It’s a shame, because on a normal shirt template, this design could have been pretty cool.

Borussia Dortmund- A+
Puma gets a bad name, and they haven’t helped themselves with some of their Dortmund kits. This one is excellent. The white accents are a great change of pace which really pop and make this stand out. The architectural detail in the base adds cool texture without being distracting or overthought. I think this is a classic.

Celtic- B-
Out of context, it looks fine. They keep it simple, the colors look nice, and the hoops are a good width, though they look a bit awkward on this template. But in context, it’s a 60th anniversary shirt to a time they won a trophy, which it feels like they’ve celebrated with other shirts about 5x now. Gold accents are also rapidly getting played out. It’s their best home shirt in a few years, but that’s not saying much.

Drop your ratings! And let me know what shirts I missed.

Many teams with iconic jerseys have had the same look forever- think the Yankees, the Red Wings. I’m not talking about them today. I’m asking for the teams that have changed their jerseys all the time, and looked great in most of them.

Pictures are my nominations. Explanations in the comments. Let me know your nominations!

It’s pretty wild that it’s been 8+ years since we’ve had a respectable purple Lakers jersey, when in theory it should be a staple look.

- The newest iteration for me is the worst. The lack of gold makes them look like they belong to a different, much blander team.

- The one before was an overload of unneeded black trim, which didn’t pop at all. The striping and trim (as with the newer one) ALSO doesn’t look very Lakers

- The first misstep was this jersey, which could have been respectable with gold, or purple side panels (or no side panels). Instead, they went with black, which looks completely out of place. That’s a sophomore Lonzo Ball in the background. That’s how long it’s been…

Some causes of this include that purple is technically an alternate, so Nike has to change it every 3 years because of their own self-imposed rules. Yellow and white also bleed together, so it can be hard to make this look work… but come on…

Thought it would be cool to share concepts for two hypothetical teams (who will soon not be so hypothetical) at the midpoint of this series. As a reminder, teams get 4 jerseys- A home, a home alt (both light) and an away and an away alt (both dark). 1 of the alts is a retro refresh, bringing back a throwback with a twist in the new color scheme. More FAQs at the bottom.

Seattle SuperSonics: The Sonics had a lot of iterations on a classic, unique look, and I tried to pull different threads I liked together. The shade of green splits the difference between the Kelly green they wore initially, and the dark forest green they wore later on. The font simplifies the 2000s look. A yellow alt comes in, along with a remix of their first ever jerseys as an away alternate.

Las Vegas Serpents: this started with a concept for the logo, but I actually think the name could be cool for them. ‘Serpents’ gets at Vegas as a desert city, while winking at the ‘sin city’ thing without embracing gambling imagery in a moment when the NBA probably wants to avoid it. It also has good consonance with the ‘S’ in ‘Las’ and ‘Vegas’. I know the colors are familiar, but I think they work for Vegas, and tie in with the other the teams in the city while staying distinctive. The home and away have unique diamond trim, which is applied in a bit of a different twist on the alt. The home alternate is a fauxback to Vegas’s last (semi pro) team, the Silver Bandits, who wore some funky, distinctive silver jerseys in the early 2000s.

Let me know what you think! And which division from the west you wanna see next.

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FAQs:

Why Under Armour? I wanted something different, and liked Under Armour's college basketball designs.

XXX doesn't play for the team anymore- why his number? Some numbers and sponsors are out of date- I worked on this series last year a lot.

Why this throwback? I liked that the NHL reverse retro program, on which this is based, didn't just take the team's best, most iconic jerseys- it brought back some weird, forgotten ones too, and made them look new. That's what I'm aiming for here.

What's with the stars above the NBA logo? Pulling from soccer here- 1 silver star for 1-4 championships. 1 gold star for 5+. 2 gold stars for 10+. 3 gold stars for 15+. Stars change color if they match the base jersey too closely.

DISCUSSION: We talk a lot on here about modern, flashy designs that don’t work. But what are the designs that do follow classic sports design rules- solid colors, stripes, block fonts, no crazy details- yet don’t really land for you? Those jerseys that have the hallmarks of a ‘classic’, but aren’t one.

I’ll go first:

I can’t stand the early 80s Eagles. Maybe it’s the cameras of that era, but the colors are dreary, there are so many competing stripes, and it’s just a mess. Bonus points for the insanity of a barefoot kicker haha.

Another is the 90s Rockets. This could be their best look ever, but it’s so damn bland. Even the logo (which is the only detail of any kind on the jersey) is an abstract mess which does nothing to evoke Houston, rockets, or really anything.

Lastly, from the soccer world, the Real Madrid centenary kit. This is as old school as it gets, and they won a trophy in it so it’s classic. But no adornment of any kind, no accent colors, and that big flappy collar means this one falls flat for me.