Heading off in a radically fresh direction, Hummel have unveiled the new Southampton FC home shirt for the 22/23 season. The design draws inspiration from the shirts worn by the flamboyant and free-flowing Saints side of the early ‘80s.
Home shirts are notoriously difficult to get right with everyone: brand’s have to honour the tradition of the club whilst also being brave enough to offer something fresh. It’s a real balancing act, but Hummel have gone all in, bringing a design that at once feels fresh from what’s come before, while also honouring the history of the club by taking elements from past kits. To do this they’ve reversed the colours of the shirt first worn by trailblazers like Kevin Keegan, Alan Ball and Charlie George, with the striking central red stripe and central badge marking a brave new direction for the club.
And bravery forms the central element of the shirt, which drops under the banner ‘Bold is Brave’. Not wrong. The white portion of shirt features a contemporary geometric pattern taken from the iconic stanchions of St Mary’s, while the central badge stands the design apart from previous seasons. The sleeves are complemented with two chevrons, taken from hummel’s iconic design trademark, and have been inspired by their retro kits. Like last season, this season’s kit has been produced using Eco8 material made from fabric created using recycled plastic bottles.
Southampton Football Club’s Director of Marketing & Partnerships, Sarah Batters, said: “Being brave is in our DNA. We’ve always looked for new ways to push boundaries and this season’s kit is no different. As part of this launch, we asked players, staff, and fans what bravery means to them and in time we will be releasing some of these stories. Working with hummel enables us to creatively push our kit designs and this shirt is no different; celebrating our heritage with a flip on the classic 1980 shirt but modernised with nods to St Mary’s Stadium and a bold central badge.”
Preorder the new Southampton 22/23 home shirt at store.southamptonfc.com
