Long Sleeves Have Never Been More Back

After years of disappearing from football pitches across Europe, the traditional long-sleeved kit is experiencing a genuine revival, and the evidence is everywhere you look. Huge thanks to kit aficionado Phil Delves, Footy Headlines writer, as part of our partnership with Cult Kits, reseller of vintage football shirts, for the idea for this article, and also the headline: “Long Sleeves Have Never Been More Back".

A Trend That Can't Be Ignored

Scroll through any matchday gallery from recent weeks and the pattern is unmistakable. From the Bundesliga to the Premier League, from international fixtures to La Liga, players are increasingly ditching the base layer look in favor of proper long-sleeved jerseys.

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Just ten years ago, there were hardly any players left wearing long-sleeve kits. Five years later, in 2020, half a dozen top players wore long-sleeve kits. Today, there are hundreds of top players wearing long-sleeve kits again.

The German national team has become something of a poster child for the movement. Adidas' retro-inspired home kit was worn with long sleeves by various players, including Woltemade, Wirtz, Sane, Gnabry, and Goretzka. The big three stripes are running down the entire arm (would have been better with the smaller 3 stripes for us, ayk).

Why It Works

There's something undeniably elegant about a long-sleeved football shirt. The silhouette is more complete. The design elements have more room to breathe. Stripe patterns that start at the shoulder can flow all the way to the wrist, creating visual continuity that gets lost with short sleeves or undershirts.

And while some years ago only a handful top stars got long-sleeve kits from their suppliers, now players across all major first divisions have been spotted embracing the look.

The timing makes sense. We're deep in the retro cycle, with kits increasingly drawing inspiration from the 90s and early 2000s. And what defined those eras? Long sleeves worn by everyone from Zidane to Ronaldo Nazário, from Beckham to Del Piero.

Brands Are Catching Up

With players clearly gravitating toward long sleeves, retail availability of long-sleeve shirts has also become much better. However, those long sleeves are apparently more popular than brands thought they would - Newcastle's long-sleeve options are virtually sold out, for example.

If this trend continues - and all signs suggest it will - expect kit manufacturers to further respond. Long-sleeve authentic match kits should be available for more teams in future seasons, and smaller teams should also get long-sleeve kits.

Whether this is a fleeting moment or the beginning of a permanent shift remains to be seen. But for now, long-sleeve enthusiasts can celebrate: their preferred look has well and truly returned to the mainstream.

What do you think - do you prefer long-sleeve kits or short sleeves? Let us know in the comments below!