Start with identity, not decoration
The best club shirts aren't the busiest, they're the most recognisable. Before picking patterns, lock down three things: your primary colour, your secondary colour, and one distinctive element (a chest band, a sash, a gradient fade, a collar detail). Everything else supports those.
Look at what your league rivals wear. If four teams play in royal blue, a navy-and-sky split or a blue-with-amber-trim kit makes you instantly identifiable on a muddy pitch and in grainy match photos.
Classic patterns that never miss
Vertical stripes read 'heritage club' and slim the silhouette; hoops read bold and old-school; a single chest band is the cleanest way to feature a sponsor; a diagonal sash turns a plain shirt into a statement. All of these sublimate beautifully because the pattern is dyed into the fabric, not printed on top.
Pinstripes and subtle tonal patterns (same colour, two finishes) are the current pro-kit trend, they photograph as solid colour but reward a close look.
Modern looks: gradients, geometry, noise
Sublimation makes effects that used to be impossible cheap: full-shirt gradient fades, geometric fractal panels, soundwave patterns, city-skyline silhouettes in the body. The rule: one hero effect per shirt. A gradient AND geometry AND graphics reads as chaos.
Keep effects in the body and keep sleeves or shoulders clean, that's where numbers, badges and sponsors need contrast to stay legible.
Colour combinations with built-in contrast
Numbers must be readable from the far touchline: pair dark bodies with light numbers or vice versa. Proven pairs: navy/amber, black/volt, forest/white, maroon/sky, royal/white. Avoid mid-tone-on-mid-tone (red numbers on green, grey on blue), referees will make you tape over it.
Check our football kit colour combinations guide for full palettes including away-kit inversions.
Sponsor and badge placement
Centre chest is the premium sponsor slot; keep logos inside a 25cm width and they'll survive both broadcast and Instagram crops. Sleeve sponsors suit secondary partners. Your club badge belongs top-left over the heart, and if your current badge is a low-res photo, ask us to redraw it before printing; it's included.
League rules cap sponsor sizes in some competitions, see our kit sponsorship rules guide before finalising.
Get the design done for you
Every idea on this page can be mocked up free: send your colours and badge on WhatsApp and a designer returns options within 24 hours, or start in the kit designer and we'll polish whatever you build.