The New Fabric Of England – Tailored by Umbro
(Top row: Joe Hart, Adam Johnson, Eric Dier, Jade Bailey, Saido Berahino, Thomas Cruise; Bottom row: Jack Wilshere, Fern Whelan, Wayne Rooney, Connor Wickham, Theo Walcott)
As England look to the start of their campaign for Euro 2012, we’re very excited to announce a new deal between the Football Association and Umbro, that will see us working together until at least 2018. At the same time, we can also reveal a new home kit that the team will wear as they battle for a place in the finals.
Giving the team a fresh new look, the new home shirt builds on the tailored principles behind the previous shirt and the current away kit, using the latest in design technology whilst adding a new, colourful graphic design to the template.
So what’s the thinking behind this design? The idea, another innovative approach to football kit design from Umbro, is inspired by the involvement of a true cultural icon in this particular project. Peter Saville – iconic graphic designer and all-round cultural connoisseur – has designed a special fabric print for the new kit, which features on the shoulder panels of the shirt.
Saville – who initially made his name through his work with Factory Records, and is now recognised as one of Britain’s leading creative minds – has crafted this design through a consideration of England’s cultural makeup. Inspired by the increasingly diverse fabric of England, the design takes the traditional St. George’s cross and reinterprets it as a reoccurring motif in four different colours – the traditional red, blue and green which feature in England’s three lions crest, plus a blend of all three which comes out as a striking purple.
Players names will appear within the fabric, to underline how they’re a part of the fabric of modern England. The shirt itself is inspired by the formal designs in England’s past, combined with the latest in design innovation.
Inspired by the idea behind this cultural fabric, we decided to reveal the new kit on a special England team line-up that you can see at the top of the page, made up of some of the best young footballing talent in the country. Alongside established names such as Rooney and Joe Hart, we’ve also picked out players such Jade Bailey, one of the best prospects in the England Women’s team, and Eric Dier, an English teenager playing abroad in Portugal.
Together, they epitomise the different ideas on what it means to be English that the new fabric of England represents. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be taking a closer look at the kit itself, the players we’ve chosen and the man who’s designed it, ahead of the shirt going on sale on October 12th. Ahead of that, you can see the kit being worn for the first time when England take on Bulgaria in their opening Euro 2012 game this Friday. In the meantime, here’s a video that offers a quick glimpse into the idea behind the new fabric of England:
For more on the New Fabric Of England, take a look at Umbro.com. And check back here later for a closer look at the new Home kit.
On 1 Sep 2010, at 9:33 am Umbro Unveil New England Home Kit For Euro 2012 Games – The Blue Shorts Are Back! » Who Ate all the Pies wrote:
[...] Photo: Umbro [...]
On 1 Sep 2010, at 10:07 am Andy wrote:
What a waste of time, England flopped at the World Cup and the last home kit hasn’t been out long. England and Umbro should just be happy people are still watching the games and not expect fans to go out and buy yet another new kit!
On 1 Sep 2010, at 10:15 am Oli wrote:
This is very effeminate. Can’t see many hard nut England fans wearing this fruity little number down the boozer.
On 1 Sep 2010, at 10:42 am Ollie Irish wrote:
Loving the blue shorts, Aaron – they remind me of England’s 1982 home kit. Not totally sold on the grandad collar, but overall it gets the thumbs-up.
On 1 Sep 2010, at 11:50 am Tim wrote:
I like Saville’s work generally, and I like the fact the blue shorts are back, but I do not like this shirt at all. Why is the one that only came out last year being replaced already with something that is similar but inferior?
On 1 Sep 2010, at 12:25 pm Bob Barmer wrote:
After the way we disgraced the world cup, who is going to want to buy this?
On 1 Sep 2010, at 5:51 pm Omar Ibn wrote:
New competition, new look, new feel, new result?
The shirt is awesome!
On 2 Sep 2010, at 4:10 pm Russ wrote:
I’m absolutely gob smacked a new kit has been released so soon after the last one, especially after such an awful Word Cup. Is this to try and raise money for Capello’s pay off? I collect football shirts and eagerly await new releases. My wallet is staying in my pocket, I’m not buying out of principle. Another FUp by the FA
On 2 Sep 2010, at 10:24 pm TB wrote:
This shirt is a disgrace – I’m generally a fan of Peter Saville and his earlier work but I don’t mind saying this is a case of style over function…The function being the player and the fan the style being the pattern (on a Paul Smith ‘Jeans’ number maybe). Yes I’m all for change etc but football has turned soft enough already and this is a step far too far.
On 3 Sep 2010, at 2:22 pm Mr P wrote:
What do you call that? From a distance, it looks like someone’s cut off part of a hospital nightgown and sewn it onto the back of the last England shirt. It’s awful. If you really want to reclaim the St George’s cross, then wouldn’t it be better to just have one big bold one on the front not lots of defaced little ones that barely show up
On 3 Sep 2010, at 2:47 pm neil coldwell wrote:
Q. Do we really need a new England home kit so soon after the last one?
A. Not if its like this poncy nonsense, from a designer well past his sell by date.
On 3 Sep 2010, at 3:50 pm Andie Riley wrote:
What a disgrace! Hot on the heels of the flop in south africa, fans are once again asked to shell out £40 for a new shirt.
I wont be bothering & i hope many other fans feel the same. We’re sick of being ripped off by clubs, but now the FA are at it as well!!!
Shameful.
On 3 Sep 2010, at 4:03 pm Danny wrote:
I love it, i love the fact England fans are celebrating its multicultural diversity and make us all one under the flag! its about time the terraces stopped singing “theres no black in the union jack” we have moved on and as we all got along fine prior to labour in the 90′s we can move on from where we left off! And being a Manc im not surprised this idea has come from Peter Saville, great man who can feel the essence of mancunia through the album covers and he is doing the right thing again!
On 3 Sep 2010, at 4:09 pm Bob wrote:
Its a white shirt with the badge, umbro logo and a few mini crosses. That must have took a while to design.
Also isn’t this the second home kit in a year, may as well have had shirts printed saying “GIVE ME YOUR MONEY”
On 3 Sep 2010, at 5:16 pm claret n blue wrote:
I have to admit i thought this new top was a wind up at first and had a good laugh . . i aint laughing now. This new shirt should be scrapped now. The FA have lost the plot from top to bottom, they are out of touch from the fans.
On 3 Sep 2010, at 5:54 pm Jackie Charlton wrote:
I think it illustrates the state of English football today perfectly. The middle class ‘soccer’ fans will love it. I’m sure cost won’t be an issue to them, I mean they can afford to watch games at that giant fruit basket in Wembley.
Love football, hate footballers.
On 3 Sep 2010, at 7:42 pm Craig wrote:
What a dreadful shirt, just put a collar on it and it’s the same as the last awful kit, plus those silly little different coloured crosses, pointless!!! And why do we continue to wear blue shorts, where’s the blue in the St George, red shorts please!!! On top of that it’ll probably be very expensive, and on top of that, it’s worn by a bunch of useless overpaid nobodies!!!
On 3 Sep 2010, at 7:57 pm Will Davies wrote:
What a rip off. Why not show some respect for football fans, and stop trying to squeeze more cash out of them, when people are hard-up anyway.
As for this faux-England nonsense, perhaps let people know that this is all a front for Nike. No other company would invest so much effort constructing an illusion.
On 3 Sep 2010, at 8:45 pm Vicky wrote:
From the detailing on back it reminds me of the shoulders that you’d see on an Elvis costume. . . amazing designer, nice idea behind it, but I fear that it doesn’t look quite right for the function.
On 3 Sep 2010, at 9:03 pm Damian wrote:
I like the concept of an England shirt that our Foreign Secretary can wear in pre-denial days….
On 4 Sep 2010, at 9:55 am Stuart wrote:
I like the shorts but the shirt is too much like the last one and it’s not been five minutes since that one came out. You watch they will be changing every year soon, it’s a joke.
On 4 Sep 2010, at 10:52 am bartmanuk wrote:
I think its an absolute disgrace that a new home shirt has been brought out so soon after the last one, the FA need to explain the reasons for this, especially after such a poor world cup campaign.
Absolutely disgusting.
On 4 Sep 2010, at 3:53 pm Jock wrote:
Blue and white! Clearly a last gasp misguided attempt to get Scottish fans to support England. England should go back to the old black & white that inspired pride, but obviously Germany seems to have won that right now.
On 4 Sep 2010, at 4:11 pm Paul Tibble wrote:
This is stupid. The FA are money grabbers. The shirt is nice but they should of waited. No way am i buying it.
On 4 Sep 2010, at 6:55 pm Max Gee wrote:
I don’t like the new kit. The goalkeeper kit is like something a girl would wear and will be the worst kit of any team at Euro 2012 – if we get there.
The blue shorts are wrong. That’s not the England colour.
I don’t like the collar. I’ve not seen the away.
The shirts also should have had a message saying “sorry” for being so rubbish in the World Cup.
On 4 Sep 2010, at 11:44 pm Vince wrote:
I hate it! I do not want to be given politically correct sermons and have the flag of my country taken liberties with! Reclaim the flag? From whom? The English? Stop trying to tell us what to think!
On 5 Sep 2010, at 1:07 am Flabbergasted wrote:
Who gave Peter Saville the right to change the colour of the English flag? And who thought a new England shirt would be a good idea so soon after the last?
On 5 Sep 2010, at 9:15 pm Did Ian die for this? « CRAWL SPACE wrote:
[...] Saville’s sleek new design for the England kit gets a mixed reaction from the fans on the Umbro [...]
On 6 Sep 2010, at 12:01 am Sean Chenery wrote:
Quite simply the worst England kit I have ever seen!
What colour of the Union Jack/Cross of St George are the shorts meant to represent?
The designer has no idea for the feel of The Beautiful Game.
On 6 Sep 2010, at 10:53 am & in the news today..... - Page 53 - CURECONNECTIONS wrote:
[...] Division football strip http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11176405 More here http://blog.umbro.com/2010/09/01/the…ored-by-umbro/ My thoughts exactly. [...]
On 6 Sep 2010, at 3:13 pm Aaron wrote:
Just to clarify a couple of issues that have been raised regarding the new home shirt – it’s 18 months since the last home shirt came out, and this kit will be in use for the next 18 months. We’re not going to go to a yearly release for new England kits.
It’s been released now to coincide with the start of the European Championship campaign, marking a fresh start for the team.
Also, this kit has been created completely by Umbro’s design team, with the graphic panel being designed by Peter Saville. There was no involvement from any other outside companies.
If you’ve any more questions about the new kit, please ask
On 6 Sep 2010, at 3:42 pm Jake wrote:
I like the blue. It’s the main colour of the three lions crest. But I would have preferred to have all red crosses, not every football fan is either ethnic or gay!!
On 6 Sep 2010, at 9:04 pm Jesus Saenz wrote:
Aaron, would you mind talking a little more about the actual fabric? The previous shirt has a polyester/cotton blend for the body and the ribbed fabric in the armpit is 100% polyester.
The away shirt has three different fabrics, the sleeve appear to be 100% polyester in a satin weave the back panel seems to be either 100% polyester or a poly/cotton blend but in a different weave and the front seems to be like the home shirt cotton/poly blend.
Also, will there be a tonal range for the new jersey as well? I was able to get my hands on the blue and red tonal away in the short sleeve and also a red long sleeve away here in the Sates. Lucky that.
Umbro are making the best shirts, without a doubt. This new England shirt looks to be just as sterling as the last. These are the best looking and best fitting, much better than Nike and Adidas. I do not feel out of place even wearing any of my Umbro shirts to the office.
On 7 Sep 2010, at 9:06 am Aaron wrote:
Thanks Will, but I can assure you that Nike had nothing to do with the new England home kit.
On 7 Sep 2010, at 9:54 am Will Davies wrote:
Aaron – tell me who owns Umbro please?
Clue: it begins with an ‘N’.
On 7 Sep 2010, at 4:41 pm Jesus Saenz wrote:
@Will,
You are creating a false argument. You have no basis upon which to claim that because Nike owns Umbro that this was somehow not an Umbro creation or that Nike by proxy has created this new, or for that matter the previous England kit.
There isn’t a hint of any of Nike’s design with any of the designs from Umbro. I have several Nike football jerseys and as well as some from Adidas but they are as different to each as they are to Umbro. The design if the Umbro shirts is totally different to NIke in the that Nike is only making a shirt with a front panel, a back panel and sleeves. Their biggest design is how to make the neck. That is quite different to how Umbro have made their latest kits.
So until you can actually prove and not just make assertions, your argument is mute.
On 7 Sep 2010, at 8:19 pm England’s new soccer kit | Alfitude wrote:
[...] … is blue. Why? The English flag has no blue in it. Designed by Peter Saville, who is probably one of the most iconic graphic designers in the UK right now thanks to his famous records sleeves. I don’t know. The more I look at it the more I like it… Just seems a bit wrong. [...]
On 8 Sep 2010, at 12:20 am Jon. S wrote:
What a load of rubbish! ST GEORGE IS RED! end of chat!
On 8 Sep 2010, at 12:23 pm kevster wrote:
Excellent, the superior but now redundant kit will be available at a snip!
On 8 Sep 2010, at 12:51 pm Steve wrote:
Why didn’t they just put rhinestones on the back like a vintage Madonna outfit?
& blue has no place in the main theme of an England strip. Saville’s designs have been brilliant in the past. Iconic even. This looks like a tea towel & I hazard a guess that the little crosses are plot points for future CG effects in pooter games.
On 4 Aug 2011, at 12:32 pm Escape Crate » Blog Archive » Design of Football 2010/11: Umbro wrote:
[...] there are the crosses. I love the subtle Peter Saville designed crosses on the current England home shirt. But not not like this. The big crosses aren’t totally awful, it’s those horrid tiny [...]