We might already know that a sports jersey is a shirt or clothing worn by a team player that identifies his team membership. A jersey identifies the name and the athlete’s number, usually reflecting its colors and logo. The logo of the team’s sponsor can also include a shirt.
But little did we know that jersey was traditionally a knitted fabric? In fact, sports jerseys are existing for more than a century. Jersey materials and use changed drastically over the years. Let’s take a look at the origin of our favorite jerseys.
The First Jersey
The term ‘jersey’ typically refers to a piece of knitted fabric, generally made of wool or cotton. They made early jerseys out of worsted wool cotton, which was later used to produce jackets. By using a different method called warp knitting, the cloth will become elastic.
While the ancient Greeks chose to participate in the nude in the Olympics, during training, since the 19th century, athletic wear has improved dramatically. Let’s take a brief peek at the past of athletics and thus the history of jersey sports.
Development of Sportswear
The reemergence of the Olympic Games meant that tailored garments for athletes continued to evolve. In 1896, in Athens, the first modern Olympiad took place.
That would soon change: standardized rules for all players were hung in every locker room at the London Games in 1908. Each competitor should wear a knee sleeve sweater and loose drawers, and any competitor should be disqualified unless appropriately dressed. A distinctive number corresponding to its number in the program shall be supplied to each athlete and worn on the back and front throughout the game.
Sports uniforms were often made of cotton or wool sweater, a smooth, stretchy knit cloth, until after the Second World War. This is from where the word “jersey” originates. Coco Chanel, incidentally, popularized this outerwear textile in 1916.
Synthetic Sportswear’s Development
From the 1930s to 1960s, synthetic fabrics such as nylon, polyester, and spandex revolutionized the garment industry and athletic clothes. Thanks to their tear resistance and elasticity, synthetic materials are suitable for sports jerseys.
In the 1970s, both professional athletes wear closely tailored, lightweight uniforms made of spandex and polyester. In this period, stretchy, synthetic, glossy fabrics were also prevalent outside the sports world.
The first synthetic fiber jerseys were tough to wear. Textile science has also concentrated on improving these textiles’ properties for athletic wear over the last four decades.
Our Jerseys Today
Rather than sewing player numbers on by hand, as was done over 100 years ago, today’s jerseys are printed using modern technology. Features such as comfort, robustness, and moisture-wicking are essential to high-quality football jerseys today.
High school jerseys and movie jerseys are the most popular trends in sports. A perfect way to inspire the players to go the extra mile to win some lovely new uniforms is to have personalized basketball jerseys. This creates opportunities for team-building, such as fundraising. Outside the game, they have a chance to work together for a common purpose they can both be proud of. They are reminded of the time and sacrifices they shared every time they put on those new uniforms. This is a perfect way to foster teamwork and imagination.
