The Jimi Hendrix Kit is a vibe

There’s a new Sounders kit, and it’s kind of a lot. The Jimi Hendrix Kit, created in partnership with Experience Hendrix, LLC, has plenty to like about it from the backstory to the numerous causes that its sales will go to support, but on a style and aesthetic level no jersey is going to be universally beloved. Sounders kits, particularly when the team does something a little bit different, tend to be particularly divisive. I’m not here to tell you that your opinion is wrong; my goal is to explain some of the reasons why people might like it.

Let’s be clear from the jump: I really like this kit. Maybe it’s the fulfillment of a longstanding wish to see a purple Sounders kit, my fondness of psychedelic patterns and prints, or the pandemic-induced need to just feel something, but I like it. If you like it, that’s great! If you don’t, that’s great too! We’re all entitled to our opinions, and they’re all going to be different, which is largely what makes fashion and style fun.

The timing of this kit’s release might play a significant part in why I like it so much. For one, good acid vibes have been a major trend in fashion for a couple years now, largely driven by some bright, funky prints from Dries Van Noten. The Jimi Hendrix Kit is clearly more “Purple Haze” than “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” but it’s clearly drawing from the same inspirational well. Secondly, and probably more pressingly, the kit release comes as a light has seemingly begun to shine at the end of our year-plus long COVID tunnel.

Having spent the last year — and for many of us likely another few months — indoors, something bright and exciting is a welcome addition to our daily lives and our wardrobes. The vibrant purple that swirls throughout the shirt is both soothing and stimulating, while the hits of yellow and orange provide a jolt of life and lightness. It’s the kind of wardrobe piece that can lift your mood just by pulling it on.

With Summer approaching, and the potential for getting out and living our lives ever-increasing as more and more people get the vaccine, this jersey’s also one to be seen in. Styled simply, this kit can be the star of the show. With so much going on in the design, as long as the rest of the look is dialed down in equal measure, anyone can put together and pull off some Big Drip Energy while they soak up the sun at a Sounders game, on a patio enjoying a drink, or lighting something up in their friend’s back yard.

Take a note from the Sounders and pair the top with black bottoms - shorts, a skirt, pants, whatever floats your boat - and a simple shoe and you’ve got a can’t miss look. If you need more inspiration though, take a note from some local musicians and celebrities when you style the shirt for yourself.

How are you planning to rock your Jimi Hendrix Kit? Where are you most excited to pull up in it?

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