Hot Or Not: We rate our teams’ 2020/21 kits
Don’t you just hate it when your fiercest rival or another club with the same kit designer has a better kit than yours? It’s so frustrating when the kits drop one by one – home, away, third, training – admiring the design aesthetically, disliking the club association, and realising that as great as it is, it will never, ever touch your body. But you might add it to your collection later. And you’re stuck with your club’s kits which are just a bit ‘meh’.
I’ve been in this position before as a Chelsea fan, football scarves, hats, and upcycled scrunchies replace kits I’m not that into, but it doesn’t dampen the anticipation. I’m always excited to see how the designers have managed to remix club colours, crests, and thread through moments from their illustrious histories yet again to create kits that supporters will have to wear to emulate their team on the pitch. An interesting dynamic, especially when you factor in the fact that these kits are designed a couple of seasons in advance. You can’t help but question why they made the decisions and innovations they did at the time. Are they still relevant now? Also will these kits be flattering on all shapes, sizes, boobs, and skin tones?
Technically, we’re still in the 2019/20 season, thanks to the Covid-19 induced delay, but certain 2020/21 kits have already been leaked, confirmed, officially announced, and worn for games as the season has extended beyond July. Chelsea have been wearing their new ‘3’ sponsored kit for weeks, and meme-makers have run riot given their recent streak of scoring or conceding three goals, while Arsenal wore their 1930s Art Deco chevron-covered kit for their FA Cup final win. We’ve seen Man City’s ice blue mosaic pattern, Inter Milan wavy zigzag stripes, newly-crowned champions Liverpool’s first Nike kit, and many more. But let’s be honest, these kits look and feel very different in real life when not outfitting a chiseled athlete.
Rather than rate all the 20/21 kits we’ve seen, there have been duds and bangers, we decided to focus on the home, away, and third kits from the clubs we are personally affiliated to. Inter Milan, Manchester United, West Ham, Chelsea and Liverpool (in lieu of Cardiff City which hasn’t been announced yet). Ultimately these are the ones we care about the most, the ones we’re most likely to buy then cheer, cry, and swear in after styling them up.
FC Inter: Naomi Accardi, Editor-at-Large
HOME
After a few seasons of not-so-revolutionary design, FC Inter and Nike came through with the best kit trio I have seen the club release in a while. The home kit pays tribute to and puts a spin on the iconic black and blue stripes. The inspiration comes from the pioneering work of Milanese designers in the 1980s and the zig-zag chevron pattern is reminiscent of the snake, a symbol of the team. HOT!
AWAY
Inter’s white base kit has always been my favourite, not sure why but I guess it’s the brightness against the pitch. This season, rather than using a standard blank white canvas, the designers picked a grid system that brings in all of the colours of the team, reflecting the famous experimental design collective Super Studio. The reformed stripe system is something that I’d sport during Milan’s Design Week. HOT!
THIRD (as seen on Footy Headlines)
The club’s third kit is really what sold me the whole pack! A remake of a vintage kit from the Ronaldo (the real Ronaldo) Era, the grey and black striped jersey with blue and yellow accents reminds me of a time when Inter was at the top. A time when Italian football was at its best and legends kicked ball at San Siro. Call me nostalgic but anything that recalls vintage kit design is automatically a buy for me. HOT!
Manchester United: Sian Rowe, Partnerships Director
HOME
Like the Chelsea kit’s herringbone ‘texture’, which looks better when it’s on a body moving, maybe I need to see this in action because everything about the home kit (from these initial images) feels a little rushed. Last year’s but with a half-doodle or a semi-scribble over it. Even the stripes, despite being an Adidas design classic feel a little, ’will this do’ in context. NOT!
AWAY (as seen on Footy Headlines)
This black on black away shirt continues the trend for a technical shimmer (see: last year’s popular gold textures, the spongy pink) and is a lot bolder than the home. Will feel like Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures tearing around a wet Monday night in Burnley. HOT!
THIRD (as seen on Footy Headlines)
This was rumoured to be ‘dazzle camo’, a direct reference to the pattern painted on ships in WW1. It was right for ships but not shirts so thankfully the eventual previews look like a loser interpretation, with wider diagonal stripes and a red badge making for something I'd wear with futuristic joggers and slides on Sunday mornings. HOT!
West Ham: Georgina Hunt, Fashion Director
HOME
It’s been a season full of ups and downs for my complicated team West Ham United. On the other side of lockdown, we are currently on the up and finally took some points home. I was hoping to see this energy continue to next season, however after seeing the new 2020-21 kit I am not so convinced.
The West Ham home kit celebrates the club’s 125th anniversary with a new embroidery badge to mark the occasion. The Umbro team has taken a clean approach to the kit – cut and sew construction, a melange claret body, and solid blue sleeves. For me, this kit lacks strength, a little too simple perhaps? My first impressions were a little on the low side, for a celebratory kit is this really special enough? I’m not too convinced maybe this will be a grower in time. NOT!
AWAY
The away kit is definitely a bit more of my cup of tea. It references a period in the 1960s when we were FA Cup and European Cup champions, a nice touch. However, It’s nothing that we haven’t seen before from West Ham and Umbro. They have modernised the shirt, giving it the shirt more technicality, and let’s hope more performance on the pitch when we are playing away.
I’m a huge fan of Umbro – their training kits, in particular, have a sleek appearance and their colours are always on point. They have without a doubt done some classics for the club like the 2015 Boleyn shirt, but is it time to switch it up? New season, new kit, top 6 finish perhaps? We’ll see… HOT!
Chelsea: Felicia Pennant, Editor-in-chief
HOME
Not gonna lie, when I first saw the minimal, herringbone-flecked 20/21 jersey, after the bold, graphic black pattern covering the 19/20 kit which I loved, I was underwhelmed. Yes it was inspired by Saville Row but the ‘3’ sponsor logo was far too big, and bit cursed given some of our post-lockdown results, and I wasn’t sure about the round neck either. However having seen it in person and tried it on, (thanks again Nike) it’s definitely grown on me and I’m sure we’re going to win trophies in it. We’ll bounce back hard, and with some new signings, after that hideous FA Cup final defeat . HOT!
AWAY
This is just the same as the home kit with a different colourway right? I prefer this v-neckline, the pale blue and blackened blue pairing is fine but I’m intrigued to see what this will look like styled up (with a high-waisted midi skirt, tucked in or possibly knotted at the waist, with some gold jewellery in my case). I do like the way the textured pattern is accented in a darker colour - makes the whole thing stand out more, a bit bolder. The ‘3’ doesn’t seem so big on this either. People have called it a bit Man City-like but I don’t think that is the case. HOT!
THIRD (as seen on Footy Headlines)
I loved last season’s black and orange kit so much I wore it to work at least once a month (I work in fashion/beauty and naturally wear a lot of black) and I’m really not feeling this. Chelsea in red is just wrong to me and this is too Crystal Palace, incorporating their home colours. I don’t associate Chelsea with stripes either so those are a bit jarring even with the gradient. NOT!
Liverpool: Kelsey Lee Jones, Editor-at-Large
HOME
I’m stepping in to rate Liverpool’s kit. Not my first and beloved club Cardiff City, but one I do have a huge soft spot for! This is the first we’ve seen of the new Liverpool and Nike partnership, and it doesn't disappoint. White and teal complimenting the traditional Liverpool red, is a colourway true to the original crest, and reminiscent of kits from the ‘80s and ‘90s. Not too retro though, the trim and collar make for a fresh design. I really like it. Looking forward to seeing it on the pitch – with the 2019/20 champions badge on! Until then, I’m enjoying Henderson styled in the jersey with Nike cargo-style trackies. HOT!
Words Felicia Pennant