Review: Manchester City home jersey 11-12

 Product Review: Umbro Manchester City Home Jersey 2011/12

 Immediately after being selected to a “joker” position by the MM Sports Staff, I was extremely excited to see what would be coming in the mail.  A few days after receiving my first shipping confirmation, the package arrived.  I felt like a young boy on Christmas, I had absolutely no idea what was in the package and I feverishly began to open the parcel.  I pull away the tissue paper and…Manchester City! My first reaction was utter disappointment…could I really review a team that I loathe so much?  It wouldn’t take me long to realize that despite our opposing views on how a team should be built, Manchester City knew how to dress with class.

It didn’t take long for the disappointment to subside because as I inspected the jersey closer, I realized that Umbro had produced one of the classiest kits I have seen for some time.  Since being purchased in 2008 by Nike, Umbro has specialized in producing kits unlike any of the other larger manufactures.

                 The jersey is made like their newer England kits with the jersey almost feeling like a t-shirt.  The outside feels like cotton while the underside feels more like a traditional jersey. It is odd at first but the comfort is unsurpassed.  The vibrant sky blue color really stands out and received many compliments while being worn later that day.  There is mesh for ventilation around both arms and down either side of the shirt.  There is also an additional strip of ventilation on the shoulders located on the backside of the jersey.   The club badge and Umbro logo are both embroidered to perfection.

The color scheme is flawless because the “Etihad Airways” sponsor and Umbro logo are both in a dark charcoal color that sits on top of the sky blue beautifully.  The collar is v-neck and there is an inner collar that a checkerboard pattern of blue and white.  On the backside, there is a “Tailored by Umbro” and a line design embroidered on either bottom side.  The front of the shirt has polka dots that are dark on the bottom hem and they lighten and fade away towards the collar.  This was a nice touch because I think it brings the entire jersey together.  Aesthetically, it is a beautiful shirt.

In summary, I think Umbro did a superb job on the new Manchester City home jersey.  The color, sponsor logo, badges and overall aesthetics are all great.  It looks great to play in or for walking down the street and being casual.  Despite not being a fan of Manchester City, I can admit that it may be the best looking kit in the premier league this season.  It appears to me that Umbro did not hold back and wanted to produce a top-notch kit for City’s first champions league campaign.  I would recommend the kit for fans of City and for collectors looking to add a beautiful piece to their collection.

-Zach Jepson