The long-teased 2021 alternate kit is here! The electric new kit was designed with the help of a coalition of Union fans. This is a huge step up in terms of the creativity put into a jersey. Here’s a first look at the new shirt.
Electric New Kit
After years of white t-shirt style secondary kits, the Union is going back to the roots of their team and Philadelphia for their secondary jersey. The return to a lighter blue with yellow accents mimics the Philadelphia flag. The lightning bolts; as well as flag and key accents found on the back of the neck, and words “Energy and Persistence Conquer All” show a clear Ben Franklin theme. This is a unique jersey, that pays homage to Philadelphia, while also being bold.
Being Bold
Philadelphia is moving away from the white away shirt, which seemed to be mandatory across MLS. Couple that with the generally shocking color contrast and design uniqueness, and you get something that is truly special. It may not be everyone’s favorite shirt from the first look.
It may seem to resemble a shirt the NFL team Los Angeles Chargers would wear. Be that as it may, the fact that a group of Union fans came together with their club to create something that wasn’t just another “clean white shirt” template should be celebrated. Speaking of that, let’s dive deeper into the fans that helped create this jersey.
By U
This kit is being branded as the “By U” kit. This was because the Union included fans in to design this jersey. The process stems all the way back to 2019. 30 fans were part of the council to design the jersey. The process went so deep that those fans had to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to keep this under wraps. All in all, the club and fans should be proud of the effort they put into making this kit.
This is truly an excellent way for the club to include fans in the creative process. Many fans voiced their complaints about the MLS alternate jerseys over the years, and the club was likely looking for ways to bring in those fans to gauge what they wanted to see. This type of innovation is something that other clubs in MLS need to do, and the Union should continue to set that trend of club-fan collaborations. Now that we have seen the shirt, many fans are wondering what the full kit will look like!
Full Kit Predictions
The light blue with yellow accents shirt is out, which means fans have to find other things to speculate about! Now the focus shifts to the color of the shorts and socks that will go with this jersey.
Could we see light blue shorts to create a clean single color look? or will they be that bright yellow color to show contrast like previously when the Union wore different color shorts? Will the socks be a solid color or will they be a combination of this blue and gold?
Obviously, there are many questions fans will ask! Without a doubt, this kit will be bold and the colors crips. We’ll have to wait and see, but it is definitely a fun time to be a Union fan as this electric new kit has come out!
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