Major League Soccer dictates that teams must refresh their home and road uniforms every two years. That means St. Louis CITY SC will be sporting new duds at Energizer Park in 2025.
And judging by the online reaction, the new jerseys are, indeed, duds.
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CITY unveiled the uniforms on Friday, peeling back the curtain on a months-long process to design the team’s new look. But to some CITY supporters, the jerseys underwhelm. Considering the dorky half collar, built-in pit stains, and departure from the team’s secondary accent colors of blue and yellow, it’s understandable. As one Redditor observed: “Kinda has a feel of ‘I just got off my shift at the Brentwood Target and didn’t have time to go home and change before the game.’”
Of course, the team is much more excited about its refreshed—and very, very red—wardrobe.
“From the start, we have been all in on CITY Red,” CITY president and general manager Diego Gigliani said in a statement. “Bold and unapologetic, it is a reflection of the pride, passion and perseverance of our club, our fans and supporters, and our city. When you wear CITY Red, it stands for something. It is at the heart of what we do.”
While the red is certainly a strong part of the club’s identity, the uniforms don’t feel as cohesive without the secondary colors. My two cents? These jerseys miss the mark.
Even the execution of a well-meaning, cool detail like the sash-style five diagonal lines—a nod to the 1950 U.S. Men’s National Team that included five key players from The Hill—feels half-baked. The reflective lines, coupled with the awkward side panels, add more unnecessary busyness to the front of the jerseys. If you’re going to do a sash, go all in! As implemented, it feels like overkill—and it clashes with the three stripes on the shoulders. That’s Adidas for you.
It should be noted that the club has only so much say in how these uniforms can look. Ultimately, Adidas—the official supplier of MLS apparel—is responsible for the final product. A few years ago, The Athletic offered fascinating insights into the design process for MLS uniforms, particularly how the company partners with each club to incorporate localized details:
Regardless of the size of the club involved, Adidas is always largely behind the wheel throughout the design process. It’s certainly a collaborative process to an extent — “no kit will go to market without the club specifically signing off on the design,” Adidas senior license manager Riley Mahoney assures — but the manufacturer is opposed to giving any particular club the bulk of control in the creative process.
“We really try and shy away from that,” he says. “(Kit design) is really what we do. Our heritage has been in football and making football kits. The same six designers that work on MLS are the same designers you have working on the kits for Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, the German national team, the Mexican national team. They also work on MLS.
“So this is really what they do, the meat and potatoes of what they live every day,” continues Mahoney. “We really discourage clubs from coming at us with an exact design because it may not fit with that seasonal direction we talked about. They may want a ham sandwich on a jersey, but that doesn’t fit into the ‘unity of art and football.’ We want to make sure we have a design inspiration that lives across all jerseys.”
Speaking of details, the club is keeping the city of St. Louis flag on the hem, while also introducing a “Forever CITY Red” stamp on the back. Those are nice. But overall, this is a departure from CITY’s well-received inaugural primary uniforms—and maybe not for everyone’s taste.
The jerseys are now available to purchase at CITY Pavilion (2118 Market), which has extended hours on Saturday from 10 a.m.–6 p.m. The shop’s regular hours are Monday–Friday from 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m.–6 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
