The soccer jersey: From past to present

At the present, soccer jerseys are light, being made of a dry technology material that does not start getting wet when there is heavy running involved and does not cling to the body of the person wearing it. The soccer jersey has undergone a historical transformation from the boring dull colors of its past to the modern colorful designs you see on the jerseys today. Not only have they changed in the way they are designed and manufactured, but have also changed their look, making them a huge hit amongst soccer fans the world over. These jerseys are so fashionable that one can wear them even when it is not soccer season. It can be worn as a stylish T-shirt over jeans or trousers.

The jerseys of the past were usually made of cotton. Thus they were very thick and would induce the players to sweat profusely when running. The jersey would soak up the sweat making the jersey heavier and would also cling to the body of the player, preventing him from playing at his optimum level. The old soccer jerseys were of a much different design. They had a polo neck collar having laces and buttons around them. They usually came in only two colors. Either a dark shade or white. Thus they were not at all very appealing to the fans as they are today. It was a like more of a uniform.

Selling jerseys with the names of famous soccer stars has always been a huge hit. Jerseys with the names of players like Kaka, Ronaldo and Bekham are always in demand and fans pay a lot of money to have these T-shirts. The soccer clubs employ various marketing schemes to get customers to buy more of their merchandise and thus increase their sales manifold. Usually they release what are known as “special edition” jerseys, which have special designs and tags on them which come out very rarely sporting the names of famous soccer players on the back. The jerseys also have the names of big companies on them. The jerseys of national teams are also very famous amongst the fans. Soccer shirts of countries like France, Italy, Spain etc. are amongst the most wanted.

Today the soccer jersey is very much a part of the game, playing the role of marketing and supporting force for the sport. Fans identify themselves with the teams they support via the soccer jersey. Clubs and teams earn huge revenue by selling the jerseys. They are comfortable, stylish and good looking making them a huge hit with soccer fans and otherwise.