Origins

• The first soccer played in 1860s England didn't include matching uniforms but a mix of heavy fabrics and colors supplied by players. Only caps with matching colors identified players on the same team.
  
  

Function

• Confusion led to the first matching "jerseys" from the 1870s on. It wasn't until the turn of the century that cumbersome army-style boots, knickers and heavy shirts gave way to cleated shoes, shorts above the knee and lighter tops.
  
  

Significance

• As soccer became more popular by the 1930s, the clubs' team colors and the players' performance became crucial to success. The first smaller, lightweight kits came from Europe in the 1950s and gained traction as postwar international competitions spread the look.
  
  

Potential

• By the 1970s, players were wearing comfortable and colorful uniforms that helped show off the game. Real Madrid was the first club to offer replica jerseys to its fans, and Bayern Munich took the lead in putting sponsors on its jerseys.
  
  

Triumph

• Today's soccer clothing is as important as the teams and players, providing a huge chunk of income to big clubs. Teams constantly tweak designs and introduce new colors to move these top products of the game.
  
  

Fun Facts

• The first numbered jerseys appeared only after the turn of the last century as an unpopular experiment and only gained acceptance in the late 1930s. In 1974, Johan Cruyff didn't want the Adidas logo on his Dutch national team uniform because he had a contract with Puma, so he played in a special kit with two stripes instead of three.