Welcome to Feature Friday. I’m taking a break from the Euros kit reviews to take a deep dive into the history of one team’s kits. We’ll talk about some amazing stories, game-changing shirts and of course some absolute stinkers! For this first Friday let’s feature a team who have had some iconic shirts over the years, Arsenal.
First kits
Arsenal started life as Dial Square in 1886 when workers from the Woolwich Arsenal Armament Factory decided to start a football team. The name didn’t stick for long however and they soon became known as Royal Arsenal.
There is some dispute over where they got their original red shirts from but Arsenal.com claims that a number of players joined the club from Nottingham Forest. They say:
The group approached their former club, who had been formed some 20 years earlier, for spare kit.
How they ended up wearing red may be up for debate but that hasn’t stopped them turning out in it every season since.
Introduction of white sleeves
Herbert Chapman’s arrival in 1925 brought about a change that helped make football in North London what it is today. Again, there is a lot of dispute over the inspiration for the change but the one thing all the stories have in common is that the design started out as a red sleeveless sweater worn over a white shirt. Chapman is also credited with introducing striped socks as he believed it would help the players see each other better.
And thus, one of the most instantly recognisable kits was born. It’s been that way ever since. They have only returned to all red on three occasions since; in 1965 when Frank McLintock suggested that a change of kit might trigger a change in the club’s fortunes, in 2005 for their last season at Highbury (read on for more on this one), and in 2008 for no apparent reason other than to cause a stir.
Bruised banana
The infamous 1991–93 Adidas ‘bruised banana’ away kit has become something of a cult classic nowadays but it was universally hated by Gunners’ fans when it first came out.
Arsenal and Adidas even re-released a version of this shirt last year which crashed their website when it went on sale!
I personally still can’t see the appeal but it’s undoubtedly one of the most iconic Premier League kits of all time.
Maroon Highbury kit
To commemorate their last season at Highbury Arsenal wore a maroon shirt with gold detailing, harking back to the first kits they wore in the stadium. I’m a big fan of commemorative/anniversary kits when they’re done right and Arsenal said goodbye to Highbury in style.
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This was only the second time since 1933 that the Gunners’ shirts didn’t feature white sleeves but this was definitely worth the break from tradition. I’m a big fan of this kit and although it’s simple it really stands out from the crowd.
Purple stripes
Oh boy, this was not good! Nike tried to do something a bit different with their penultimate Arsenal away kit and it didn’t work at all.
Purple and black stripes wasn’t a great idea but combine that with different size stripes on the sleeves and red trim and you’ve got a disaster on your hands!
For a team with so many classic looks, this is one that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
Shirt sleeve tradition
Arsenal have always been seen as a club of tradition, throughout the years they have rarely deviated from their red shirts with white sleeves. And it’s those white sleeves that were part of another longstanding Arsenal tradition.
For many years the club captain would decide whether the players would wear long or short sleeves for each game, admittedly often after discussing with the rest of the team. If you want to read more about this tradition and its origins then be sure to get yourself a copy of The Arsenal Kit. (I promise they aren’t paying me!)
There are a couple players who have rebelled against it in the past however. In 2013 Mathieu Flamini cut the long sleeves that he was expected to wear on multiple occasions before someone at the club had words with him.
And in 2017 Theo Walcott chose to wear short sleeves despite the rest of the team wearing long ones. This seemed to trigger the end of the tradition, at least for a while, with the kit man at the time Vic Akers claiming it had all but gone.
Today’s shirts
Arsenal are back with Adidas this season and are turning out in some very smart strips. They’re a massive upgrade on Puma’s recent efforts and some of the better looking designs in the Premier League this season.
The home shirt has classic written all over it. It’s tidy and refined and the navy accents in the trim are a great touch. Away from home they will be wearing yellow and blue. Adidas have revived the bruised banana pattern, albeit in a much more understated way, and it looks great!
So there you have it, from sleeveless sweaters to cutting the sleeves of shirts, Arsenal have had a long and storied kit history. Sure they’ve made mistakes along the way, but who hasn’t? They will still always have one of the most iconic shirt designs in English football.
Who do you want me to feature in the next Feature Friday? Your favourite team? Your home nation? Or maybe even a designer? Let me know in the comments or on twitter @KitChatOfficial
