Fixing NFL Uniforms
The Cleveland Browns uniform redesign in 2020 follows all of the design principles mentioned below, and looks great as a result.
It’s no secret that the attractiveness of NFL uniforms is not what it was in its golden age from the 70’s to the early 90’s. Although a recent resurgence in throwbacks calling to that time period has improved the look of the league, and we have exited the Reebok “dark ages” of the early 00’s, Nike’s new uniforms still exhibit some worrying design trends.
The good news is, with a few simple mandates, the league can once again resemble the aesthetic of the golden age:
Require primary combinations to have non-matching colored jerseys and pants (if not white)
In the early Super Bowl era, it was rare to see mono-combinations of non-white jerseys and pants. This became more and more common throughout the 2000’s, culminating in the unpopular Color Rush.
Several teams have rolled out primary home combinations that are comprised of just one color, including the Patriots, Seahawks, and Saints, among others.
Generally, mono-combinations provide much less visual intrigue than contrasting combinations, and oppose the “traditional” NFL look. Increasing the amount of mono-combinations will cheapen the aesthetic character of the league.
Since some of these mono-combinations are popular (Steelers and Chargers color rushes, for example), they should still be allowed as alternates.
Require stripes on all pants
Stripeless pants seem to be the latest minimalist trend by Nike in reaction to the cluttered and loud designs they rolled out in the 2010’s.
These also cheapen the league’s aesthetic image. What is the point of a pro sports uniform if you can buy it at a sporting equipment store? It’s boring and decreases team recognizability — leave the stripeless pants to college.
Require socks to be part of the uniform
Socks in the NFL used to have two layers, where the top layer was usually team-colored and could have some kind of stripe or pattern.
This builds more visual contrast within the uniform, especially if the socks and jerseys match, and contrast with the pants.
If the socks also have stripes that match some other design element in the uniform, it increases the harmony of the set.
Nowadays, the two main issues that happen a lot are mismatched socks between teammates, which looks very unprofessional, or plain white socks with plain white pants, creating what looks like an unfinished uniform.
With these three simple changes, the worst offenders of bad uniform design trends can be stamped out entirely, forcing teams to default to making good uniform decisions.