Hockey, soccer, rugby, and baseball- all popular sports worldwide, each with large and loyal groups of fans. Perhaps one of the most popular ways for these fans to show support for the teams (and players) which they love is through wearing the apparel.
Nothing says, “This is my team, and we’re going to win!” like hundreds, if not thousands, of fans all dressed exactly like the athletes that they have come to support!
Notably, the popularity of buying, wearing and even collecting pro sports jerseys amongst sports fans have increased dramatically in the last four decades. America, the international hub of sport fan culture, has been an extremely good example of this new-found trend.
In this article, we will also be looking at the history of the sport jersey and why the sports world has seen this sudden boom in the pro sports jersey industry.
The History of the Pro Sports Jersey
Sports jerseys have been around for well over 100 years and have seen a process of significant change from the simple cotton shirt to today’s high-tech sports clothes.
Conventionally, a jersey refers to a knitted item of clothing made of wool, cotton and other fabrics. These jerseys have become the preferred uniform of athletes since about 19th century as modern athletes have parted from their Greek predecessors (who famously competed in the Olympics completely nude!), preferring rather to wear clothing during competition.
Sports jerseys have seen significant change since the early 19th century, but so has the sport world in general. It is undeniable – these two cannot be separated from each other. Therefore, we will be taking a quick look at the history of professional sport and consequently, the history of the pro sports jersey.
The 19th Century Gymnastics Movement
The “gymnastics movement” begun with Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, famously known as “The Father of Gymnastics” in 1811 when he opened the first open-air gymnasium. This sparked the rapid opening of gymnastic clubs throughout Germany.
Members of these clubs originally wore grey linen clothing as uniforms but switched to wearing cotton shirts in the 19th century (around 1880). Moreso, the teams chose team crests and dyed their shirts distinctive colours.
This was important as it enabled the newly formed sports teams to be able to differentiate between the members of each respective team during competitions.
Still, however, this was quite a long way away from the traditional sports jerseys which we know of today.
The Olympic Games and the Uniform Mandate
In Athens in 1896, the world saw the reintroduction of the Olympic games, which with it, brought continued development in the sportswear industry.
Initially, there were no set uniform rules or regulations, even for members of the same teams. This changed in 1908 when the regulators of the Fourth Olympiad, at the London Games, placed uniform regulations in every participant’s locker room.
Thus introduced a new era of mandatory sports uniforms for pro sports– and more importantly – increased the popularity of the traditional sleeved jersey which carried on them distinctive numbers to identify players.
These first pro sport jerseys were all made from natural cotton or wool fibres until after the Second World War (therefore popularising the term ‘jersey’ to refer to these articles of clothing).
The Revolutionary Age of Textiles in the Sports World
True change in the materials used to makes sports clothes were not seen until the 1930s. Then the textile industry saw the development of synthetic fibres like polyester, nylon, and spandex between 1930 and 1960.
These new synthetic fabrics meant new opportunities to create more elastic, breathable, and tear resistance sports jerseys. Unfortunately, the first of these sports jerseys were noticeably uncomfortable to wear as they could be tight-fitting and even scratchy.
Therefore, over the last four decades since its introduction, textile research has focused more heavily on enhancing these fabrics for sportswear today.
Pro Sports Jerseys today
Today, jerseys are made from high-end, high-quality fabrics and boast features like comfort, moisture wicking and durability. These new, comfortable, and immensely comfortable jerseys have now firmly established themselves and irreplaceable spot in the heart of athletes and sport fans alike. The sports jersey has become synonymous with the teams themselves.
Jerseys and Patriotism:
The Popularity of the Pro Sports Jersey
Go to any sports match in any country and for any league, you will most likely encounter an ocean of fans adorning replica jerseys of their favourite teams. Sports have always been an activity which interests people and draws them together.
With the technological boom and the rise of social media, sports fanatics have been able to fully immerse themselves in fan culture. Sport jerseys became ever popular as it made easier for fans to identify each other while showing support for their favourite players by enabling them to wear these players’ numbers.
But with more fans, comes more of a demand. Luckily this was solved with the advent of mass production techniques popularised in the 1970s and 1980s which have enabled the production of millions of these shirts to be sold to fans.
Mass consumerism of sports apparel has made many companies millions, if not billions as sports jerseys are incredibly popular amongst sport fans. As we’ve seen, this is because these jerseys create a sense of community and helps supporters come together to cheer on their teams.
While it would be naïve to ignore the fact that the creation of the “fan jersey” in sports was largely due to some clever businesspeople seeing a very profitable opportunity – sports jerseys have a deep-seated place in the hearts of sports teams and fans alike.
To Summarise…
The history of the pro sport jerseys is a long one- from its humble beginnings during the gymnastics movements, to the mandatory implementation of sports jerseys in the Fourth Olympiad and all the way to today’s hugely popular fan jersey.
These pro sports jerseys are more than just clothing…they are symbols of fan culture, loyalty, and patriotism.