The MLS is beginning to make some headway in terms of quality, respect and global recognition, so it’s about high time the league gets some quality, respectable jerseys, right? That’s not to say previous jerseys looked amateurish, but they certainly lacked a “sleek” kind of quality, save a couple here and there. ANYWAY, what I mean to say is that the new crop of jerseys is highly appealing and definitely proper for the league in 2011-2012. At the moment, I have the LA Galaxy Home jersey, created by Adidas, sitting in front of me. While maybe not as exciting as the away jersey (to me, anyway), I still love the home jersey for its simplicity, class and lovable smoothness.
The one thing people will notice about this shirt is, well, it’s white. Except for the shoulders and some trim, the jersey is white all over. “But Kris, what’s the big deal? It’s a home jersey!” I know, I
know. But even so, nowadays you see at least a different colored side abdomen or some sort of change in the sleeve cuff. Not with this bad boy. It’s 95% white, 4% navy, 1% gold and it makes no apologies. Anyway, it looks better than the Chelsea jersey, enough with my ranting, how about we talk about the actual shirt?
The shoulders, as I said, are navy with the white 3-stripes laid on top, and this is eventually cut off about the bicep, where a white sleeve overtakes the shoulder before being overtaken itself by a gold cuff. I know it’s simple, but it’s elegant. Moving on to the chest area, well, we’ve got some more elegance in simplicity. About 4 inches below the collar is a gold horizontal band which connects the two corners of the navy shoulders. It’s a subtle touch, but it makes all the difference. Any higher or lower, and there would be a visual disconnect between the elements, which of course degrades the appeal. Below the horizontal line is an embroidered LA Galaxy crest, which has “Herbalife” heat pressed below it. That’s literally it for the chest. Beyond this, it’s just a sea of whiteness. However, this whiteness is tempered by two gently curved gold bands that begin just before the armpit and end at the waist, around the inner hip. The same goes for the back of the shirt. You can see that I wasn’t lying about elegance in simplicity. Had the abdomen been navy, the jersey may look a little flashier, but it would lose all of its elegance. At the end of the day, I prefer the elegance.
This just isn’t a good looking jersey, either. It’s a properly constructed shirt as well. Made of primarily polyester (with a little cotton) and utilized Adidas’ Climalite technology. Basically, you’ll stay drier and cooler than a regular ol’ polyester shirt. The fit is also more or less true to size, though the chest is a smidge tight on the initial wear. After wearing it for a small amount of time, the “smidge” of tightness evaporates, and you’re left with a highly comfortable shirt. Take care of it properly, and you’ll have the shirt for some time to come. The $70 price tag is cheaper than most jerseys, but you still get the same quality of fabric and construction. Well worth it.
Written by: Kris Dyer, soccerprose.com
