Another World Cup has kicked off, which means that there’s a slew of new kits to impress, amaze, and even confound audiences worldwide. The United States and Mexico are just two countries experimenting with new looks, while several other nations keep their classic look.
Though it’s a fairly simple design, the U.S. team’s jerseys have received a mixture of reactions. Some critics say that the block colors are reminiscent of a Domino’s Pizza delivery person’s uniform, while others praise the minimalistic design.
“The USA jersey feels very patriotic,” said stylist and designer Estée Stanley of Los Angeles’s Estée Stanley Design. “It’s easy to identify the country as the US”
This year’s jerseys, though, simply can’t be as bad as 1994’s kit, which tried to invoke the purest sense of Americana with a faux denim look patterned beneath randomly sized stars.
“In jersey design, simplicity is always favored. Simplicity not only creates a more attractive jersey, but it also a more economical jersey when purchasing for a team.” states Eric, President of The Shirt Printer
Mexico’s new jerseys, on the other hand, are simultaneously more subtle and more daring with the lightning bolt on the chest that invoke images of fantastic heroes.
“The jersey’s like a Power Ranger,” said Alan Gonzalez, a 28-year-old architect from Durango, Mexico. “I like it.”
“I am definitely partial to those shirts with daring superhero graphics or shirts that focus on the torso in a dynamic way,” said Tom Julian, the men’s fashion director at retail merchandising and consulting firm The Doneger Group in New York.. “Mexico, very ‘Shazam!’ with the lightning-rod effect – probably my favorite out of all.”
The nicknames of some teams have been earned simply because of their kits’ colors. France’s Les Bleus are known for their classic navy tops, while the orange kits of the Netherlands–in reference to their royal color–have earned them teh nickname of “Oranje.”
Regardless of the aesthetic direction that the teams have taken with their new jerseys, this year’s kits are quite impressive.
“In activewear, color is an important part of the story,” said Julian. “It’s great to see the brights well represented–from yellow and orange to green and red.”