How Fashion Transformed the Story of Football Jerseys
Football jerseys have come a long way since the beginning of the game. They were first introduced as a way to signify the difference between the player and the spectator. Now, they are an essential symbol of a team, a weapon for team identification, and a key political commodity. Fashion has played a pivotal role in the evolution of the football jersey, producing designs that have sometimes overshadowed the sport itself. A Historical Perspective on the Evolution of Football Jerseys Football jerseys cannot be separated from the broader history they emerged from – the culture of sport. A historical perspective illuminates the labor and tactics that eventually led to the commodification of football, which spurred the evolution of football jerseys. The first-known regular football players were English miners during the mid-19th century. Clothing attire of the time reflected the work that these miners partook inevitably splashing onto the style of play. They wore coveralls and durable...