Good Monday morning, Uni Watchers. I hope everyone had a safe and happy weekend.
The long-awaited home debut of the Lions’ new uniforms took place on Saturday, as Detroit hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers, and gave us our first on-field look at their (best) new set. Paul didn’t have much to say about it in his assessment, but you don’t need too many words to describe the beauty that is the new home kit.
Is it a perfect set? No. But is it a big upgrade? Definitely.
…
Very, very solid. They look like the Lions again! No nonsense, no bullshit. The striping pattern on the sleeves and pants is unique but not forced — it works.
Yes, folks, the Lions look like the Lions again!
Let’s go over a few uni-observations I had, and then I’ll give you my assessment.
First off, I absolutely LOVE the new shade of Honolulu blue. Whereas the old blue felt darker and “dingier” this blue is much more pleasing to the palate — it’s amazing what a slight tweak to the palette will do. If you don’t remember, here’s the old vs. new blue:
Here you go! pic.twitter.com/fyHqT84YJZ
— C S (@Sanchlinz) April 19, 2024
Much better. Almost everything about the new unis is an improvement (including one improvement that could have been so so much better, but we’ll get to that in a second).
You can see how much more vibrant the blue is, even inside of Ford Field (which despite being one of the newer domes, still has less than great lighting). You can also see one of the improvements and how it could have been better.
In their two previous games, we noted how the blue used on the Lions helmet seemed lighter than that on the jersey or pants. But inside the dome, the hues appear to match. I’m not a huge fan of the blue facemask, but it seems to match the blue jerseys and silver pants stripes just fine.
Going up against a team with black helmets, white jerseys and gold pants was a perfect contrast as well.
Another plus for this uniform is the unique helmet stripe — which is pretty much perfectly replicated on the pants.
The white block numbers also look so much better against the Honolulu blue, and while they don’t need the silver outline, it’s not a dealbreaker.
I also like how they were basically able to fit full-size TV numbers on the shoulders (TV numbers seem to be a dying breed on football uniforms these days). The white NOB is easy to read on the blue jersey.
And although it’s not a perfect match, the silver metallic helmets and gray pants almost match. Under the Ford Field lights, they are almost a perfect match. And every player wore their Honolulu blue socks (thankfully), which makes for a nice silver-gray/blue/gray/blue kit.
Man, that’s purdy! And hopefully they’ll wear this combo most of the time at home (yes, they have that blue helmet/black jersey combo, shown with both black and blue pants in the unveiling) to wear, plus their (hopefully to be worn on Thanksgiving) throwbacks. They have nine home games this year, so that means at least six will be in the silver/blue/gray combo. But the team hasn’t unveiled a “uniform schedule” for the season, leaving it unknown how often they will sport the new combo. They do have white, black and blue (all stripeless) pants, so let’s pray they never wear any of those with the Honolulu blue jerseys.
All in all, just about perfect. So what’s not perfect? As I mentioned above the team improved one uni element, but unfortunately didn’t do one tiny thing that would have made it perfect. If you haven’t gleaned that one thing yet, it’s the sleeve cap stripes. They got rid of the “Lions” and “WCF” wordmarks, which is the improvement. But…
Even in a very tight shot, the use of white stripes to create separation with the silver stripes doesn’t provide enough contrast between the two colors.
Had they used blue stripes, the silver stripes would have been much easier to discern. As it stands, unless it’s a very tight shot, they just look like one huge single silver blob.
Part of the problem is the material — it’s reflective, which makes it even more difficult to separate the white from silver.
You can also get a sense of that in video.
The top 5️⃣runs from @henhook2 today 💪
Next up: #LARvsDET | 📺 NBC pic.twitter.com/pCKpkKfbxu
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) August 24, 2024
But honestly, this is a relatively minor complaint. They got just about everything else right about the new uniform, and I’m sure that makes most of us very happy. Again, let’s hope they wear the silver/blue/gray for at least six of their home games. Their road look with the blue pants is also very good, and would be even better if the pants had stripes. If they wear those (or even better, pair the white shirts with the gray pants) often, the Lions should be a very good looking team for the foreseeable future. I’ll need to see their blue hat/black jersey — hopefully worn with blue pants — to render a judgment, but that has possiblities too. And of course, with their throwback to round out the set, the Lions should see a few appearances in the 2024 NFL 5 & 1 (or maybe just a 3 & 1 — I haven’t yet decided).
Well done Detroit, well done. You look like the Lions again!
Your thoughts?
GTGFTU: 10/12/2008; Cincinnati Bengals (14) at New York Jets (26) The Meadowlands.
It thought it might be the previous game, 9/28/08 vs., Cardinals, but something other than the uniform distinguishes them…. ;)
The new home Lions’ uniforms are beautiful and the one little element that I think adds a lot of value is the blue facemasks, nice touch.
Phil:
Your solution to the stripe cap would give them a Cowboys-esque look…something that has in the past ‘plagued(?)’ the Lions uniforms.
Detroit looks good! As a Panther fan since their beginning, I wish the would exclusively wear the silver britches with their blue and black tops.
I’m with you 100% on that. I hate how we’ve been going blue/black jersey, white pants so much, especially because we seem to pair them white socks almost every time.
“First off, I absolutely LOVE the new shade of Honolulu blue.”
– Can there really be a new shade of Honolulu blue? Honolulu blue is a very specific (proprietary?) color. If Detroit changed the shade, wouldn’t that be a new color (different Pantone)?
They’ve tweaked the shade of Honolulu blue with basically every uniform change going back for years. They’re calling this shade “Refreshed Honolulu Blue.”
I
The Lions’ numbers are a tad too thick and seem, for lack of a better word, puffy. That’s my only major beef. -C.
The Lions LOOKED like the Lions. The Jets LOOKED like the Jets. I’m even fond of Houston’s new home jersey. Really like that they added different colored stripes. Seems to break up that weird wide collar Nike insists on putting on their jerseys. Really disappointed Arizona didn’t pair the white pants with the cardinal jersey. And, the Chargers could have spruced up their game with yellow britches.
“…Ford Field (which despite being one of the newer domes, still has less than great lighting)”. Ford Field is the 2nd oldest dome in the league after the Super Dome so I wouldn’t exactly call it one of the newer domes. Though it was still built after 2000 so yes, the lighting should be better than it is.
Now this is how an NFL team is supposed to dress!!!
Also, for the tweet of the day, yes 100%. It is so strange how the Astros most recent uniform sort of went back to this but left out the shooting star element. Stuff like this makes me wonder how teams miss such obvious home runs when rolling out new uniforms.
“What the Astros should have returned to when they went back to blue and orange…”
The shooting star jersey is the best one the Astros have ever worn. They also should have brought back the orange squatchee on the all-navy cap, and the current orange-billed cap also badly needs an orange squatchee. It’s the only two-toned cap in the majors where the color of the squatchee doesn’t match the color of the bill.
I was at the Lions game on Saturday, and the new unis looked great in person! The numbers are much easier to read, and you’re right, the new uniforms seem brighter and pop more than the old versions did on the field.
My sister and brother-in-law were at the game on Saturday, but I watched it on TV, and they really did look terrific! Such a vast improvement over the past set. And as someone who was against the William Clay Ford, Sr. permamemorial, I’m glad to see that gone. (Sorry, but as an NFL owner he was just not in the class of Halas or Hunt.)
What “double outline”? I only see the silver.
GAH! I have no idea how I wrote “double” there — meant to write “silver.”
Good catch, and now fixed.
As a Seahawks fan, I can say the Lions FINALLY got it right again. Now if the Hawks would do the same….
I hate to say it because I love the ‘hawks and their old royal and silver unis (I also quite like their current color scheme and number font, just can’t stand the uni set in general), but I don’t think they can truly go back to their old aesthetic glory. For one thing, the modern sleeve tailoring makes the Seahawk stripe motif too crowded and truncated to be as cool as it was. For another thing, they would have to return to the original Haida hawk logo and I don’t think they will do that (making it “cool” and “angry” and so 2000s was a big mistake). I’d like to have hope, but given that the lions immediately decided to pair the white top with the blue pants instead of the silver and returned to the black look gives me caution in regards to hoping teams make aesthetic moves that I desire.
My only complaint on the Lions uniforms is there’s something off about the helmet. Maybe it’s just the vibrancy of the blue facemask, but the silver (gray) looks too muted. It has this toy-ish, gum ball helmet quality to it. Not saying it needed to be chromed out or anything, but a more metallic, richer silver would’ve made them just about perfect.
Good on you, Lions! Also not having a wordmark on the jersey is a big plus, this is how a classic NFL uniform with a modern twist should look like. And I also hope not for this great jersey to be combined with a stripeless white, blue or black pair of pants but it will be inevitable.
Unfortunately, they added the big ugly wordmark to the road uniform. Why didn’t they just mirror the home uniform for the away look?
I am on the opposite side, in which I feel like the away is perfect and the home just needs a sprinkle of a ‘detroit’ woodmark to make it perfect. Ive always felt a uniform top without a logo or woodmark looks like a practice set.
I wish the pants were metallic silver and not gray. If the Raiders can do it so can the Lions. I also prefer the pant striping from the Barry Sanders era. This is still an upgrade overall though.
The silver outline on the numbers all but disappears on anything other than a close up shot, but I like it. Now if they’d just burn the black unis before they even debut.
The Lions would be perfect if they put matching stripes on the socks.
There’s an overall dearth of sock striping in the NFL today, for instance the Niners and Cowboys need to bring back their socks stripes yesterday.
Now let’s just pray that they don’t drift into mono-blue again.
I prefer the newest Honolulu Blue, but the dingy look of the previous uniform had a lot more to do with the colors of the stripes, numbers, and nameplate than with the blue.
It’s amazing what a proper number font,sensible stripes,and contrasting socks worn correctly can do for a uniform. They went from one of the worst looking teams to the best.Proof that not every uniform change has to be a disaster.
I am a Steelers fan who watched Saturday afternoon’s game at a child’s birthday party with a bunch of friends and family.
It was hilarious how many people kept commenting on how nice Detroit’s uniforms looked. Even the more serious fans recognized that there is something different about them (remember, not everyone pay as close attention to uniforms as people on this site do).
Anyway, take it for what it’s worth, but the overwhelming consensus was that their new uniforms look great.
One of the commenters mentioned that the numbers look a little thick and I agree with that observation. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it is definitely a little off. That said, I think that might be a Nike issue, not a Lions issue. I noticed on the Steelers’ retro uniforms with the block numbers – which I think look better than their current uniforms – the numbers are a smidge too thick on those too.
Sleeve Stripes are no longer sleeve stripes. I think people might be seeing some optical illusion that make them think it’s a completed loop. I just don’t. To me it looks messy and unfinished – and a third or more of the league is committed to them. And to this point I’ve seen very little mention of the issue. Still doesn’t bother me as much as players running around with untucked Tshirts. Seriously?
GTGFTS: Game 5 of the 2008 Stanley Cup Final, 2 Jun 2008. Penguins 4, Red Wings 3 (3OT). Petr Sykora scored the game winner to keep the Pens alive and force a Game 6 in Pittsburgh.
Nice try, but wrong.
These are a huge improvement, however the striping from the 80’s and 90’s on the pants and helmet was simpler and would look better. Also they should ditch the woodmark on the white. The white/gray combo should be good as well.
I’ve been so proud of pretty much all of my team (Lions)’s choices lately and how far they’ve come in the past few years. The new unis are definitely among the great choices. I agree, the other pants could use stripes, but otherwise no complaints anywhere for me. Modern classic!
I will give a hint on the GFGFTSB for today: it is a regular-season game, not a Stanley Cup game.
Had to look up the history of the BWW logo to get a date range but pretty certain the game was 10/23/2014 – Detroit scored two goals in the final minutes of the game to tie it
You got it!
That game ended up being the last game I ever went to at the Joe. We saw that the scoreboard hadn’t been updated after the OT game-winning goal for several minutes after the game was over, as we sat and waited for the crowds to thin out (we didn’t have to worry about the lineup out the JLA garage, though, as we were parked in the old Ford Auditorium garage under Woodward Avenue).
So far, I’ve only been to one game at LCA – in December 2019, before everything hit the fan.
I wont stand for this Blueberry Slander!
For real, I love the new Uni’s. Really classy, clean, and one of the best kits in the league.
Detroit looks great.
Wow, the jersey’s looks so much better without the wordmark on them.
Only gripe I have with the Lions’ otherwise gorgeous set is with the sleeve striping. I’m not in love with how it looks like one thick white stripe with two thinner silver/gray stripes overlayed on top. I think there needs to be a blue separator stripe somewhere to give the striping some much needed definition. It’s a minor complaint on an otherwise fantastic set.
This looks great. What color is the thin stripes on the helmet and pants, along with the outline of the lion helmet logo? I’ve never noticed this before? Maybe some shade of mint green?
They got a little bit carried away with Honolulu on the helmet decals and facemask. Still looks solid.
In my opinion, the Lions look a lot better than they have looked in a long, long time. I much prefer the blue facemasks over black or gray.
I’ll be the contrarian here. I was looking forward to the new Lions set, but the more I see of them the less I like them. I like what they were going for, but it just doesn’t look right to me. This probably is their best current combination, though, unless they’re still doing the plain turkey-day fauxbacks.
Both of the colors look off to me, and it all looks a little washed-out. The Honolulu looks a little too light and greenish to me, especially on the trim. The grey looks too flat and drab. The pants and helmet should be shinier.
The striping I think is a downgrade, but at least it’s there. I thought Detroit’s previous Northwestern stripe worked really well, but these seem overdesigned. I guess it’s supposed to look like a racing stripe, but it’s too cluttered. On the helmet and pants, I think it would be better without the extra layers of outline (it’s a 7-layer stripe), but on the sleeves it doesn’t have enough contrast.
The blue facemasks I can live with, but I think it’s a little much.
I do like the traditional numbers, although the outline isn’t perfect. I have to assume that was the result of a long pitched battle against bringing in some dumb new bespoke number font with whiskers coming off the 2’s and 7’s.
That said, once I see them in their new black/blue combos, these will look better by comparison.
The throwbacks are still part of the rotation, they were included in the unveiling.
As a lifelong Lions fan I like the new home uniforms. Wish they had gone to the classic helmet stripes, but this works just fine. It makes them look like the Lions.
I am not of fan of the blue pants with the white jersey. They tried that for a year in the 1990s and it didn’t work and I don’t think it works now. Switch to grey/silver pants and it’s on par with the home uniform.
Not at all wild about the Black Jersey/Blue helmet, but I am in my early 50s and don’t buy jerseys so those uniforms weren’t made for me anyway. They were made for the “everyone should have a black uniform” generation.