It’s that time of year again.
Time for my Twitter mentions to clog up with complaints, accusations of blindness and suggestions that I have a bias towards certain clubs.
As it turns out, the below 20 shirts were judged completely on their stand-alone aesthetic beauty, believe it or not.
12 months ago, we attempted to rank all Premier League home shirts and it got you lot riled up so much that we thought we’d do it again.
Enjoy. And relax, they’re pieces of fabric.
20 – Everton
What a fall from grace that was. The change from Chang to SportPesa is not easy on the eyes and the addition of navy to the sleeve just looks random. Not for us.
19 – West Brom
Tony Pulis is about as concerned with beautiful kits as he is with champagne football. It’s just your bog standard West Brom jersey but takes a hit because of the messy sponsor spreading across the navy and white stripes.
18 – Southampton
We admire the tribute to the style of the early 1980s but they’ve just not managed to pull it off. All looks a bit thrown together and this is very much an example of risks not paying off in the design department. Tough break.
17 – Crystal Palace
An example of a sponsor design letting the shirt down. It looks like three brand logos crammed into one and there is no wonder that there’s no sponsor on the version modelled by Wilfried Zaha in the promotional shots.
16 – Brighton
Not yet released for sale, Brighton’s effort for their debut season in the Premier League is fine. That’s the most we can say about it, to be honest. Just your run of the mill striped jersey. Would arguably be easier on the eye if the sleeves were the same colour as the stripes but who knows? Let’s not fall out about it.
15 – Stoke
Identical placing as last year, I may as well just paste in what I wrote 12 months ago – “Robust enough to last on those famous cold, windy nights at the Britannia but it’s remarkably unremarkable. There’s nothing offensive enough to send it to the jersey Championship but nothing that stands out enough to rate it anywhere near the top 10.”
14 -Huddersfield
This would actually crack the top ten with a more considered design of sponsor but, as it stands, it looks like a sticker has been hurriedly slapped on to the centre of an otherwise tasteful shirt in order to meet the launch deadline. Shame, that.
13 – Bournemouth
Changed manufacturer from JD to Umbro, which we have no issue with, but added to the clunkiness of the sponsor logo. Plenty of room for improvement.
12 – Leicester
Huge bonus points go to the fact that the Foxes were brazen enough to stick with the gold trim in spite of the fact that they’re no longer champions but not a great deal to write home about other than that. You wouldn’t throw it in the bin if you found it under the Christmas tree but neutrals are not going to rush to the shop to buy it either.
11 – Watford
As noted last year, yellow is difficult but this is definitely a step in the right diretion and red Adidas stripes definitely suit Watford’s shirt better than the bold effort that Dryworld tried last time around.
10 – Manchester City
Nike just typed baby blue into their colour template machine and hit print. It’s fine but very plain.
9 – West Ham
Completely a taste issue but not the biggest fan of the two-tone claret and feel that this would appeal more to the purists if the Hammers had stuck with last year’s beauty.
8 – Newcastle
BRING BACK NEWCASTLE BROWN ALE! Love the Magpies’ classic black-and-white design, less gone on the explosive baby blue sponsor.
7 – Chelsea
Basically the France jersey and we have no issue with the France jersey. Dropped off a bit from last term but entirely inoffensive, with a nod to the past in the form of an emblazoned ‘EST. 1905’ on the sleeve.
6 – Burnley
What a difference a change of collar makes. Last year, we had Burnley floundering in 17th just because their baby blue collar was oversized and flopped a little too much. Well it flops no more because they’ve got rid for this season and added a subtle design over the shoulder to significantly improve the overall aesthetic. It’s fairytale stuff from the Clarets.
5 – Manchester United
No, we wouldn’t be mean enough to put Manchester United 6th. Would have been a decent joke but, in reality, they’ve got the fifth-best kit for the upcoming season. It’s a small detail but may have been ranked a place or two higher if not for the black-and-white combination on the sleeve. The black looks a bit incongruous considering the lines on the shoulders and the Chevrolet font are both in white but overall, it’s a solid jersey.
4 – Swansea
Last season’s kit champions have to settle for top four here, just due to the addition of yellow to the new sponsor. Yellow, as well as blue, on the white canvas is a bit much but, other than that, we find it difficult to fault. We’re also rather partial to a white jersey, we must admit.
3 – Arsenal
Arsenal rarely fail to bring it when it comes to kit launches and this summer saw yet another triumph arrive. They didn’t take any risks and why should they? Simple – red and white, with a sophisticated collar.
2 – Spurs
Nike’s kits have a tendency to be quite samey but it has to be said that they’ve absolutely nailed it with Spurs’ effort for the upcoming campaign. The border surrounding the famous Tottenham cockerel makes all the difference, bringing an air of throwback to kits of old, while its simplicity must be applauded.
1 – Liverpool
Hard to find a flaw here. It’s understated but classy and an homage to the golden years at Anfield with a darker shade of red than last season and a golden Liver Bird to mark the club’s 125th anniversary. Absolutely love it.
*Not actually definitive
