The New England Kit – All White on the Night
Senior Designer David Blanch tells journalist Chris Hunt about the reasoning behind England’s all-white kit.
Chris: Is that why the new England kit is all white?
David: “Yes. England have often played all in white, but other than a couple of games at Mexico ’70 this is the first time the official England first kit will be all white. What I love about the 1966 all-white kit is that it’s not about branding, it’s about team identity. I love the confidence of that image. On the new kit we’ve got white shorts with a white tonal badge, white socks with no other branding, and a white shirt with just a small red unassuming Umbro diamond – I wanted everything driving to the upper torso, to the FA crest, so you puff your chest out and you just look so amazingly confident.”
Chris: Will the gold star remain on the shirt to symbolize England’s one World Cup win?
David: “The star is featured but it’s in a tonal colour – white on white. It’s a mark of respect for the team that won without the weight of expectation for the team that are going to win it again.”
Not only have the Umbro design team been creating a new England football kit for the outfield players, but they have also designed a stunning new strip for the goalkeepers. On Monday, Senior Designer David Blanch tells journalist Chris Hunt all about the special kit crafted for England’s number one.
On 28 Mar 2009, at 7:06 pm carlo briffa wrote:
absolutely stunning.
congratulations to all involved with this new design.
it takes a lot of balls to strip it down this much and the result is a dream england kit.
within half an hour of seeing this kit every single person i spoke to has spoke has agreed with me.
a triumph.
On 29 Mar 2009, at 12:20 pm Garry Pursell wrote:
A superb kit. Well done umbro for making a clean, simple, elegant outfit. I would’ve preferred blue shorts for a little contrast, but, hey, it works!
On 30 Mar 2009, at 7:36 pm Matt Burgess wrote:
just pre-ordered mine.
great kit well done umbro! you’ve finally thought long and hard on a design and its worked.
All I hope is that you will do the same process for the away kit and keep that simple too.
On 31 Mar 2009, at 12:54 pm Anonymous wrote:
i like the new shirt, it’s simple and takes it back to the good old days.
However, i’d prefer blue shorts! England have always worn blue shorts, except the odd game but the standard kit is always white shirt, blue shorts, white socks.
If you are going to go with a traditional design you must stick with blue shorts. We aren’t real madrid.
On 8 Apr 2009, at 8:55 am Nick Egan wrote:
I think the shirt evokes that period of time when England not only ruled the waves, but ruled the major sports as well, tennis, cricket, golf, football, think Brideshead revisited, the Duke of Windsor, Fred Perry and Chariots of fire, understated and sophisticated, just like the English. You could actually wear a suit with this shirt. I’m glad that Umbro, an English company have had the courage to get rid of all of those flashes, stripes and patterns, it won’t be long before we see Italy, France and Germany all doing the same, but we shouldn’t forget that it was Umbro who began all of that in the 80’s, culminating in the worst ever football shirt in history, the mid 90’s Chelsea away kit, orange, grey and some hideous pattern, closely followed by the awfull ‘denim’ kit England wore for the 96 Euro’s. Does that mean the away shirt will be red with a round collar. The only disappointment, like most England fans is the white shorts instead of the traditional Navy Blue. The white were always a contingency, no one took them seriously. it’s also worth mentioning that the Umbro logo was NEVER on the front of the shirt until Admiral supplied the national shirt in the 70’s, when branding was what you did to your cattle.