Bring Back Shoulder Stripes!

[andrewharrington]

So, with the sleeve all but gone from the new Reebok football uniform, classic stripes now amount to nothing more than rectangular graphics on the 'sleeve' or shoulder of the uniforms. I feel like there must be a better way to treat the stripes, even on this new jersey, which is likely going to be the direction football uniforms are heading in the future. I'm going to focus on shoulder stripes, because the Colts who wear this uniform seem to be the unluckiest as far as how the stripes translated to the new jersey. I used classic Colts' photos as inspiration, and I've come up with one possible solution by adjusting the shoulder seams and wedging the stripes in against the seam (but without adjusting it too drastically; if you compare, it's really not all that different from the actual construction).

I think what I've come up with closely mimics the look of the full loop stripes as shown below on Unitas, It's a pretty nice representation of the way the fabric bunched underneath the arm and the stripes converged together as they got closer to the armpit. Surely it must be better than just cutting the stripes short, no? If anyone else has any ideas about how to better execute sleeve and especially shoulder stripes on the new football uniform(s), feel free to post them here.

Side note: In the above pic, Joseph Addai is wearing the 'sleeved' version of the new jersey, which, you can see, actually has little sleeves on it. It also has a seam that runs across the shoulder area between the stripes and the TV numerals. My mockup shows the standard cut of the new jersey, which is basically sleeveless and does not have that seam running between the stripes and the TV numerals. Addai has worn both cuts of the jersey, which is mostly worn by Giants players, but also has been worn by a few Jaguars and Colts, as well as a handful of Packers and Bengals over the past year and a half. Here he is in the standard cut (no 'sleeves,' just armholes, and no shoulder seam):

[Brave-Bird 08]

woa, I really like that template.

Here is my problem with that rendering. The stripes cut off, and it creates the illusion (well, not really an illusion) that the stripes are angled and stylized. It's the same thing thats going on with the 49ers sleeve stripes. They tried to return to the past...and screwed it up, making it look weird.

the thing is, the new template simply is shortening the shoulder stripes. and, a few smart teams (Bears, Giants, etc) miraculously still have sleeve stripes! (well, the Giants screwed that up on the new template as well)

on the older template there is still room for beautimus stripes on uniforms, in my opinion. but the new templates really make everything look awful

[andrewharrington]

woa, I really like that template.

Here is my problem with that rendering. The stripes cut off, and it creates the illusion (well, not really an illusion) that the stripes are angled and stylized. It's the same thing thats going on with the 49ers sleeve stripes. They tried to return to the past...and screwed it up, making it look weird.

the thing is, the new template simply is shortening the shoulder stripes. and, a few smart teams (Bears, Giants, etc) miraculously still have sleeve stripes! (well, the Giants screwed that up on the new template as well)

on the older template there is still room for beautimus stripes on uniforms, in my opinion. but the new templates really make everything look awful

Which is why I'm trying to get some ideas out there on how to make stripes look good on the new jerseys. I see your point, and I don't think the 49ers' solution is all that great. The stripes are so low, they get lost in the wrinkles of the sleeves too easily. On top of that, they don't replicate any sort of look, they're cut off I guess so they appear more horizontal, but it just doesn't work all that great. As you said, it ends up looking like a stylized design element (especially on replica jerseys), which is kind of strange.

I don't necessarily agree with it looking as much like a design element here (I think it captures the look of the stripes on the old jersey pretty well), but to each his own. Or maybe having stylized stripes is a good look? I'm sure there will be some more innovative ideas thrown around here.

[hockey week]

you know, I've always liked the Colts' truncated stripes, ditto for the Jets. I don't think it always works out well (the New York Titans throwbacks would have been better with sleeves the whole way around), but I think truncated shoulder stripes are a viable design. The new template, makes them look really bad.

Honestly, I don't know if there IS a simple solution, short of stitching the stripes on top of the entire thing, over seams (because matching it up on two separate fabrics is something reebok doesn't like to do, like the changes made in the NHL's edge switchover). I seem to agree with Paul Lukas that football will have a gigantic entire uniform redesign in the next 20 years and everything will be markedly different, it just seems inevitable with evolving pads and uniforms

[leopard88]

you know, I've always liked the Colts' truncated stripes, ditto for the Jets.

I am asking this in all seriousness (and not to be a wise@$$) -- Why? What about that look is appealing to you?

Andrew, I like what you've done on this template. Not being a designer myself, I'm not in a good position to make suggestions. However, it looks like you've come up with a good solution in light of the constraints of the new jersey design.

[BBTV]

The Panthers were somehow able to maintain a "loop" on their shoulder stripes. Haven't seen any of their games this year, have they gone to the new template, or are they still able to manage a full stripe?

[tBBP]

The Panthers were somehow able to maintain a "loop" on their shoulder stripes. Haven't seen any of their games this year, have they gone to the new template, or are they still able to manage a full stripe?

It depends on how the platers get their jerseys tailored.

maybe it's just because he's so small, but Steve Smith's shoulder swooshes go all the way around (probably because his jersey has actual sleeves, however small); whereas DeAngelo Williams' shoulder swooshes are cut off at the armhole cuff.

In my mind (and I'm saying this because at work I can't see many of the images posted on this website, including Andrew's template here), I really only see three ways around this issue:

1.) Reebok can take a page from Nike's Pro Combat uniforms and either actually tailor actual sleeves onto their current jerseys, or go the route of the undersleeves (I think someone brought up that same idea a while ago in this forum), if t3eams still wish to preserve the traditional sleeve striping--though I don't see that helping with shoulder loops a la Colts and Jets.

2) The outcome of that American Needle case opens up uniform manufacturing to whatever company a team chooses, like it used to be, thus ending the exclusive contract NFL Properties has with Reebok. If nothing else, at least every team's jerseys won't look the same (which, in some cases, they look like certified ass). Competition is a good thing; maybe that might help?

3.) The NFL can actually start enforcing its uniform rules and guidelines on jerseys themselves. I think that's the biggest issue--there's a giant-ass poster in every locker room that states these things; the NFL fines players for wearing the wrong-color chinstraps, rainbow-tited visors, or socks without enough white showing, yet lets these jerseys with gaping-wide armholes run free--and in the case of some D-lineman, half their pecs and all of their armpits are in plain sight. I understand players like their jerseys tailored for comfort, but if Brian Urlacher can still do all of what he does with actual sleeves on his jersey (as well as a good many other Bears players), I see no reason why some of these other players who play in what basically amounts to a wife-beater over shoulder pads can't do the same.

[BrandMooreArt]

this is a nice project youve got here Andrew. ive loved the fit of this jersey since it came out. it takes out all the sloppyness of the uniform and makes it look tight and clean. i just hate how Reebok screwed up the NOB and numbers so much but on to the issue at hand. . .

i agree with Bravebird, that you've managed to get the look from that Unitas photo very well. but i have an issue with that particular jersey and think the stripes should come over the top of the shoulder a bit more, and not so much outlining the edge of the pads. that would also leave more room for the numbers on the side. look at the photos below to get a better idea of what im talking about

this may help as well

if it helps any, heres a picture of the Panthers jersey stripes being cut off on the "current" jersey template

[Lights Out]

Here's my quick, 5-minute solution to the Colts' shoulder stripe problem (modified from the Colts road uniform on the main site):

This adds a modern element to the Colts' uniforms while still maintaining tradition and removing the ugly abrupt truncation of the current stripes.

[bohob]

Here's a perfectly reasonable question: Why don't the Titans wear the Jospeh Addai jerseys? The template looks to be made perfectly for them. I think the biggest issue is Reebok's lack of imagination. Why on earth should every team use the same template, or templates that don't work for the team?

As for your template change, the construction looks a little boxy, like it wouldn't be as smooth on the player. Imagine the seam on the player's right shoulder (our left) on the current template is a lower case r. (Geometrically, it mirrors the shape.) Rotate that r 180º. The creases the shoulder pads make already mirror that curve anyway. Why not accentuate it?

[ESTONES6]

I don't think it would be AS BAD of a problem if they just carried the stripes all the way down. Since it pretty much is just cosmetic at this point, they should be able to continue the stripe down.

Another thing I noticed is that the shoulder pads seem to have changed. Even on the older uniforms, when the various stripe patterns fit better, there seems to be more than just the jersey effecting the look of the stripes.

[dmhtfld]

Here's a perfectly reasonable question: Why don't the Titans wear the Jospeh Addai jerseys? The template looks to be made perfectly for them. I think the biggest issue is Reebok's lack of imagination. Why on earth should every team use the same template, or templates that don't work for the team?

As for your template change, the construction looks a little boxy, like it wouldn't be as smooth on the player. Imagine the seam on the player's right shoulder (our left) on the current template is a lower case r. (Geometrically, it mirrors the shape.) Rotate that r 180º. The creases the shoulder pads make already mirror that curve anyway. Why not accentuate it?

Ive always wondered that also, it would make perfect sense for them to wear it.

[gueman]

Am I seeing something here or is that a blue face mask on that helmet?

As for how you fixed the shoulder stripes, it is as good as I have seen on here at trying to keep the look while the cut of the jersey evolves. I think that eventually the outer jersey will have capped sleeves and there will be a team undershirt that will have striping or logos printed on them.

[andrewharrington]

2) The outcome of that American Needle case opens up uniform manufacturing to whatever company a team chooses, like it used to be, thus ending the exclusive contract NFL Properties has with Reebok. If nothing else, at least every team's jerseys won't look the same (which, in some cases, they look like certified ass). Competition is a good thing; maybe that might help?

Just so people are aware of what this is: American Needle filed suit against the NFL's antitrust exemption. They won, which just allows them (and probably other companies in their situation) to sue the NFL for shutting them out of licensing deals. They didn't actually 'win' anything by filing suit against the exemption; they won the right to actually sue the NFL for their monopoly-esque behavior. So they have one more battle to fight before they actually 'win' anything.

[andrewharrington]

Another note: I'm curious what people think of Nebraska's new technique. Previously, they had their sleeve stripes lower on the sleeve with the TV numbers above the stripes, but still on the sleeve area. This season, they've gone to this hybrid-look where the stripes are sort of in between a sleeve and shoulder loop, and the TV numbers have been moved up to the shoulder. I think a look like this could be successful for teams like the Colts and Panthers. I think it's an improvement over the truncated stripes at the very least.

Shouldn't all TV numbers be on the shoulders at this point anyway? Is there really room for them on the sleeve of any jersey, besides the ones with no sleeve stripes?

[Ted Cunningham]

Another note: I'm curious what people think of Nebraska's new technique. Previously, they had their sleeve stripes lower on the sleeve with the TV numbers above the stripes, but still on the sleeve area. This season, they've gone to this hybrid-look where the stripes are sort of in between a sleeve and shoulder loop, and the TV numbers have been moved up to the shoulder. I think a look like this could be successful for teams like the Colts and Panthers. I think it's an improvement over the truncated stripes at the very least.

Shouldn't all TV numbers be on the shoulders at this point anyway? Is there really room for them on the sleeve of any jersey, besides the ones with no sleeve stripes?

I think the look of Nebraska's sleeve stripes is just laziness on the part of Adidas. A really good comparison of the way different companies show 'sleeve stripes' on jerseys now was last night's game on ESPN. Kansas State has Nike jerseys and Nebraska has Adidas:

As far as I'm concerned, I'd rather see horizontal sleeve stripes square with the cut of the jersey rather than the tapered look that Nebraska has. Adidas's templates have translated worse for traditional horizontal stripes than Nike's has lately. Wisconsin had those awful uniforms the past few years with the rounded panels on the ends of the shoulders/sleeves and the double stripes (which seem really small to me, have they always been that small?) get distorted and pulled up in the center and don't look like their supposed to be horizontal anymore. (See no. 20 below.)

I realize that you're not talking about horizontal stripes, but I think that what Adidas is doing certainly isn't the answer for the Colts. I think your initial idea of changing the template a bit would work better. I'd rather the shoulder-loops be truncated than tapered. Tapered stripes are a different animal. Shoulder-loops should be the same width all the way around, truncated or not. Hell, even in the 60s when shoulder-loops were all the rage, they were truncated. There are several photos of people like Unitas throwing or catching with their arms up, and the armpit of the jersey can be seen. The loops don't connect. Granted, they went further around, but in a lot of cases, they didn't come together.

[BrandMooreArt]

gueman - yes that is a blue face mask

as for Nebraska i do like what they did with the stripes. it rolls over the shoulder area very nicely with the stripes being arched, not straight across the "sleeve". its definitely better than what the Colts/Jets currently have, but i still would like to see those stripes going over the top of the shoulder.

[Jimmy!]

Personally, I'd love to see these stripes make a return.

[The Impaler]

Not sure how I feel about the Nebraska stripes yet. I like the move of the numerals to the shoulder though. To me, the Adidas uniform cut just doesn't look as nice as the Nike. Something weird with how the pants meet the jerseys

[BoomerKeith]

I've always liked the truncated stripes on college uniforms, however I think to make it work there needs to be two colors (e.g. LSU, Iowa State). When it comes to a one color "short stripe", it just looks unfinished to me.

I like the change up andrew!

edit: Iowa State's away jersy (the home jersey is a single color)