A new year is well under way, which means that it’s time for a new season and a new look for the Seattle Sounders. After an initial leak on EAFC back in January, we finally have a real look at the Sounders’ new Anniversary Kit.
The new design, called the Anniversary Kit, features a vertical stripe pattern that puts colors from the newly redesigned crest to use, with the updated Rave Green serving as the primary color and Heritage Aqua serving as an accent color in thinner stripes bordered by a darker green that evokes the club’s debut kits from 1974. The jersey is finished off with white trim on the collar and sleeves.
Introducing: The Anniversary Kit
— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) February 15, 2024
A modern interpretation of vintage to celebrate our 50 years of history. 💚💙🩵 pic.twitter.com/nPxknyBAM0
The look is definitely retro, but not in a way that harkens back to any single Sounders jersey or identity of the past. The white trim on the sleeves is a reference to the similar trim featured on the team’s 1974 home jerseys. The Sounders have worn pinstripes a couple times in their history – most recently in 2015 and 2016 with tonal pinstripes on the home and away jerseys – but the particular reference called out by the club is the pinstriped jerseys worn by the Sounders in 1983. The vibe of the look is very ‘70s, even if it’s not a direct Sounders throwback.
“Our 50th anniversary is a moment to celebrate our past while stepping fearlessly into the future,” Sounders FC Chief Marketing & Revenue Officer Taylor Graham said in the team release. “The Anniversary Kit captures this moment perfectly."
Photos courtesy of Sounders FC
The Anniversary Kit features the new crest in the club’s new colors on the chest, with a 3D wave pattern throughout the badge, as well as a couple of the club’s other new marks as design elements. The team’s “wavemark” appears on the jock tag – a new interpretation of the old NASL Sounders logo – while the Orca mark appears as a neck hit.
The striped jersey will be paired with Aqua Blue shorts to play off of the blue in the jersey’s stripes and white socks, meant to tie in the jersey’s trim and connect the elements of the full kit.
The team is also expected to release a host of street-wear designs, some of which have already started to appear on Simply Seattle.
Along with the new kits, the Sounders also officially kicked off their 50th anniversary campaign. The campaign will run the course of the 2024 season and will include a variety of opportunities to celebrate the club’s history while featuring players, coaches, and fans of the past and present. Two specific matches were noted in particular: the home opener on March 2 against Austin FC and the official 50th Anniversary Celebration Match on June 15 against Minnesota United FC. Further details on events and activations planned for those games will be available closer to those dates.
