The History of the Sports Jersey

There are plenty of reasons to love watching sports, from displays of heroic athleticism to remarkable rivalries to the simple thrill of sitting with friends. But the fact is that none of those things would be impossible without jerseys. After all, without jerseys, you wouldn’t know who you’re watching, who’s playing whom, or what’s happening on the TV!

Have you ever wondered about where sports jerseys originated? Or who invented jerseys? Wonder no longer, you athletic aesthetician, because this article will break down everything you need to know about the history of sports jerseys.

Early History

In a general way, sports uniforms have been around for as long as competitive sports. We can’t be sure whether prehistoric cavemen used colored clothing when they kicked rocks for fun (or whatever their sport was), but it’s certainly true that other athletes, from jousting knights to ancient footballers, wore uniforms of some kind.

Who invented jerseys? Where did sports jerseys originate? Such an iconic aspect of sports culture had to start somewhere, and surprisingly, it began in a sport that doesn’t wear jerseys today; gymnastics.

The history of sports jerseys first began in the mid-1800s, when gymnasts began wearing linen uniforms for ease during gymnastics routines. The problem, of course, is that linen is a far cry from current jerseys--while the fabric is somewhat breathable, it’s not as stretchy as you might like for more extreme movements.

It was during this time, though, that the name “jersey” came into being. For those early athletes, like early football players, uniforms tended to be made of either cotton or wool jersey, a type of knit wool that could be both stretchy and soft. Enough people talked about the fabric as shorthand for the uniform that the name “jersey” stuck.

A Star Is Born: The Jersey Revolution

Now we arrive at a recognizable point in the history of sports jerseys. In the 1930s and 40s, the onset of synthetic materials opened up new avenues for jersey creation. Since these materials were stretchy while still being soft and strong, they made for ideal sports uniforms.

After this point, uniform designers could experiment with new ideas for sports jerseys. They didn’t need to knit every uniform by hand and could use synthetic ingredients to tweak both the physical composition and the visual appearance. From here, fashion/sports historians start to see more brightly colored uniforms and more complex designs.

Where did sports jerseys originate? An important development in the history of sports jerseys was the introduction of television sports broadcasts, where jerseys became very important.

It might sound strange to think that simply broadcasting the games could affect the jerseys, but it’s the truth. With sports being broadcast on television, sports teams needed to be distinguishable in person, in black-and-white, and in television-broadcast color.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s famous Carolina Blue jerseys, for example, looked washed out and gray when they first appeared on color televisions, so the university had to darken the uniforms.

During this same time in the history of sports jerseys, designers found they could easily add numbers to jerseys. Doing so helped distinguish players from one another on television and in person. As sports leagues became more profitable, they had both the money and the methods to print jerseys whenever a player needed a new number.

Modern Developments

Since the mid-twentieth century, the history of sports jerseys has seen an array of explosive new developments, each corresponding to the unique cultures of individual sports.

In basketball, for example, jerseys were tight, functional pieces of clothing that complemented players’ muscles. The basketball world turned upside down in the 1980s when Michael Jordan innovated a new style: loose shorts and a jersey.

A decade later, when the hip-hop community made a splash on the pop culture scene, its emphasis on oversized basketball shorts and jerseys radiated back into the sport, which is why you still see basketball players wearing relatively loose jerseys.

Similarly, football jerseys have seen considerable development in the last sixty years, mostly for functional reasons. For instance, the mid-1990s saw uniform designers remove sleeves on jerseys in favor of more tank-top-style tops that could slide directly over shoulder pads. Today, there are nearly a dozen pages of uniform requirements.

In the same way, the rise of sports nostalgia has made for more opportunities for innovative jersey design and memorabilia, as well as increased interest in the history of sports jerseys. In some cases, this looks like periodic comebacks for nostalgic uniforms, as when Houston Astros often don their 70s-throwback jerseys.

In other cases, it looks like the NFL’s “Color Rush” promotion, which saw teams don monochromatic jerseys. At a more pedestrian level, most teams maintain both home and away jerseys, reflecting the ease of printing new jerseys on the fly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Want a one-stop shop for the history of sports jerseys? These FAQs can help!

Who invented jerseys?

The history of sports jerseys is too complex to pinpoint one singular person as the original inventor. That said, the individuals behind the creation of lycra and spandex could be the founding fathers of jerseys.

When did players start wearing jerseys? Where did sports jerseys originate?

Jerseys became popular in the mid-twentieth century when football players began switching from everyday shirts to sturdier uniforms made out of jersey wool. Though these outfits didn’t provide players with the protection they get today, they were innovative for the time.

Why do players wear jerseys?

Simply put, sports players wear jerseys to help distinguish them from opposing athletes, advertise their brand, and look good. Players wear jerseys instead of ordinary shirts because the synthetic materials of jerseys are easy to make. They are also far stretchier and more durable than standard cotton.

Find Your Favorite Team’s Sports Jersey Today!

The history of sports jerseys is long, convoluted, and sometimes strange, but within that story is the sports jersey that we know and love today. So whether you bleed Carolina blue, love to rock some Yankees pinstripes, or live your life in the shadow of the Crimson Tide, one thing remains true: we wouldn’t have the sports styles we love without jerseys. Contact Locker Room Direct today to start your search.