Lions uni redesign for 2023

[Superduperman]

Nothing has been officially announced but rumor has it that the Lions will have new unis in 23.

I've given this a bit of thought, and I want to lay out what I'd like to see. I'm a designer (not uniforms, just generally) by trade and I have imagined myself making a powerpoint presentation to the Lions on a new uniform design. Obviously I'll never do that, so I'll write it here instead.

I think the most successful redesign in recent years is the Bucs returning to a more traditional look from their video-game-number design and I'd use that as an example of the right way to do it.

I like many aspects of the Lions current look and really dislike some other aspects. Here's what I'd do:

Colors: I'd alter both the Lions blue and silver colors a little. The aim would be to differentiate the Lions colors from a couple of other teams, and also enhance the contrast between the colors.

• The Lions have had varying versions of "Honolulu Blue" over the years, so I don't feel it's unrealistic to change it a little. The current blue color, I feel, is too close to both the Carolina blue of the Panthers and the powder blue of the Chargers. I would make the color deeper and darker and a little less saturated, so pretty close to the color of the Barry-era unis except maybe even a little darker, but not anywhere close to the Bills royal blue.
• The current silver color of the helmets is excellent and I'd keep that. The fabric "silver" color is horrible, it's a boring gray that doesn't match the helmet. I'd brighten the color up to bring it as close to the helmet as possible, and make both the silver fabric and silver number/letter decals more metallic.

Stripes and trim: I really like the Lions current striping. Simple blue on silver or silver on blue, the wide middle stripe and narrower stripes on either side, it's elegant and looks great imo. I'd keep that and resist the temptation to add white, I don't think it's necessary.

• The "LIONS" and "WCF" on the shoulders is the absolutely worst thing about the current unis. Goodbye to that. If the Lions ownership still insists on honoring W.C., make an embroidered patch on the right upper chest, about the size of a silver dollar, with the 1960's two-bar logo and WCF below that.

Numbers and lettering: Return to traditional NFL block numbers. Numbers have one border. Names can remain in the same font. See variations for color.

Variations: NO BLUE PANTS EVER. From now on, the Lions always wear silver pants, home or away. Standard home unis are blue jersey with silver stripes, silver pants with blue stripes, silver numbers with white border, silver names, blue socks. Standard road unis are white jersey with blue stripes, silver pants with blue stripes, blue numbers with silver border, blue names.

• The all-blue and all-gray (an even worse color than the "silver" gray) color rush jerseys are done. Color rush unis will now be all-silver! The new, brighter metallic silver color will be very distinctive. We'll also consider still using the all-white look, in an exception to the silver pants rule.
• Keep the 30's throwbacks (except in the new versions of the colors). Add, as another option, a throwback called the "Barrys" - basically the  1991 uniforms with Bubbles the Lion and the white trim.

[Karnage84]

3 minutes ago, Superduperman said:

Nothing has been officially announced but rumor has it that the Lions will have new unis in 23.

I've given this a bit of thought, and I want to lay out what I'd like to see. I'm a designer (not uniforms, just generally) by trade and I have imagined myself making a powerpoint presentation to the Lions on a new uniform design. Obviously I'll never do that, so I'll write it here instead.

I think the most successful redesign in recent years is the Bucs returning to a more traditional look from their video-game-number design and I'd use that as an example of the right way to do it.

I like many aspects of the Lions current look and really dislike some other aspects. Here's what I'd do:

Colors: I'd alter both the Lions blue and silver colors a little. The aim would be to differentiate the Lions colors from a couple of other teams, and also enhance the contrast between the colors.

• The Lions have had varying versions of "Honolulu Blue" over the years, so I don't feel it's unrealistic to change it a little. The current blue color, I feel, is too close to both the Carolina blue of the Panthers and the powder blue of the Chargers. I would make the color deeper and darker and a little less saturated, so pretty close to the color of the Barry-era unis except maybe even a little darker, but not anywhere close to the Bills royal blue.
• The current silver color of the helmets is excellent and I'd keep that. The fabric "silver" color is horrible, it's a boring gray that doesn't match the helmet. I'd brighten the color up to bring it as close to the helmet as possible, and make both the silver fabric and silver number/letter decals more metallic.

Stripes and trim: I really like the Lions current striping. Simple blue on silver or silver on blue, the wide middle stripe and narrower stripes on either side, it's elegant and looks great imo. I'd keep that and resist the temptation to add white, I don't think it's necessary.

• The "LIONS" and "WCF" on the shoulders is the absolutely worst thing about the current unis. Goodbye to that. If the Lions ownership still insists on honoring W.C., make an embroidered patch on the right upper chest, about the size of a silver dollar, with the 1960's two-bar logo and WCF below that.

Numbers and lettering: Return to traditional NFL block numbers. Numbers have one border. Names can remain in the same font. See variations for color.

Variations: NO BLUE PANTS EVER. From now on, the Lions always wear silver pants, home or away. Standard home unis are blue jersey with silver stripes, silver pants with blue stripes, silver numbers with white border, silver names, blue socks. Standard road unis are white jersey with blue stripes, silver pants with blue stripes, blue numbers with silver border, blue names.

• The all-blue and all-gray (an even worse color than the "silver" gray) color rush jerseys are done. Color rush unis will now be all-silver! The new, brighter metallic silver color will be very distinctive. We'll also consider still using the all-white look, in an exception to the silver pants rule.
• Keep the 30's throwbacks (except in the new versions of the colors). Add, as another option, a throwback called the "Barrys" - basically the  1991 uniforms with Bubbles the Lion and the white trim.

I can get onboard for most of this. 

• Honolulu Blue: I could get on board as long as we're not going too far over to royal blue. 
• Blue Pants: I personally like the all blue uni's. I do think there should be some contrasting socks to break it up a bit
• White Pants: I love the all white look. It's really clean. 
• Barry's: I 100% think this should be the next step in a "throwback" or colour rush with the 30's throwbacks reserved for Thanksgiving. That old school design in the new jersey cut would be a big seller along with throwback logo merch. Now that the team is on the positive trend, it's a little safer to look back and try to honour the positive elements of the past. 
• Lions/WCF: I hated the wordmark in the striping from day one. I was ok with WCF and would be ok keeping it on the sleeves instead of on the front/shoulder. I'm not a big fan of shoulder patches that throw off the balance when facing forward(I'm big on symmetry). 
• White: I personally would like to see white re-introduced as I think it is one of the things that I didn't care for when these uni's were first introduced. A silver number with a white outline on honolulu blue would look sharp. The Barry uni's could utilize white block numbers with a silver outline in order to differentiate themselves. 

Now that the NFL has a two helmet rule, we know that the Lions are probably going to have a shell that isn't silver. Options are more likely to be 

a) White

b) Honolulu Blue

c) Black

d) Charcoal/non-silver grey

 

Now that the Panthers have introduced their black helmet and all black uni's, I have a harder time seeing the Lions also going down that route. I could see us going with a white helmet. The blue pops out and you could pair a white jersey with white or blue pants. 

[Superduperman]

No black. No black anywhere on anything. It's so cliche and also it's Millen.

Edited January 20, 2023 by Superduperman

[Karnage84]

8 minutes ago, Superduperman said:

No black. No black anywhere on anything. It's so cliche and also it's Millen.

Agreed. 

[Karnage84]

I just went on NFLShop.ca and the Lions Riddell mini helmet is on sale for 50% off $20.00 CAD vs $39.99 CAD

I suspect that we're going to be seeing a helmet change (of some sort) as a result of this uniform re-design. 

[teude]

https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2023/2/28/23618288/new-detroit-lions-uniforms-not-coming-until-2024

No new uniforms for next season, propably for 2024 season.

[Karnage84]

https://uni-watch.com/2023/02/28/detroit-lions-adding-alternate-helmet-for-2023-new-uni-set-in-24/?fbclid=IwAR0JZJ33s9VdYKCnEtPR-AVtKXZqGOxYfv_-QpH3Dc0wh6daHbFy2Nn_ME8

“There will not be new uniforms in 2023. I know people get over their skis on that. It takes really two years to really get it going, so [Lions chief communications and brand officer] Brian [Facchini] and a team have been kind of working with Nike, looking at uniforms that will probably be for 2024. It could be an interesting overhaul of the uniforms. We will have a new alternative helmet though this year.”

Wood said the new alt helmet will be worn in 2023 with the team’s grey alternate uniform. After 2023, it will be worn with whatever new alternate uni design(s) the team comes up with.

“We’re not going to the Portsmouth colors. No, it’ll still be within the blues and the greys. I think it’s too early to say exactly, but I would describe it at least initially as probably being more change than the last time we did it, ’cause I think those were more subtle changes.”

Edited February 28, 2023 by Karnage84

[NYRaider]

These were super quick but I think a more retro look / all white look would be amazing. 

[Karnage84]

3 hours ago, NYRaider said:

These were super quick but I think a more retro look / all white look would be amazing. 

This was... quick? Really great job my man.

I can see a white helmet being our alternate. The blue one is more reminiscent of what I envision they'd do for a "Barry-esque" throwback since they don't need to do another silver helmet for an "alternate".

Overall, this looks awesome. Well done. 

[NYRaider]

22 hours ago, Karnage84 said:

This was... quick? Really great job my man.

I can see a white helmet being our alternate. The blue one is more reminiscent of what I envision they'd do for a "Barry-esque" throwback since they don't need to do another silver helmet for an "alternate".

Overall, this looks awesome. Well done. 

So the blue one wouldn't be an alternate it would be the Lions home uniform, the white one would be their away uniform but they'd also have an alternate white helmet. I was trying to think of something non-throwback for an alternate but I'm not really a fan of grey or black for the Lions.

[LionArkie]

I like that white uni a lot. I'm wondering if a splash of silver down the center of the white helmet would accent it well or not? So instead of the white stripe between two blue lines, you'd have the silver between two lines. Not sure if that would improve the look or not, but it's great as it is.

[Karnage84]

2 hours ago, NYRaider said:

So the blue one wouldn't be an alternate it would be the Lions home uniform, the white one would be their away uniform but they'd also have an alternate white helmet. I was trying to think of something non-throwback for an alternate but I'm not really a fan of grey or black for the Lions.

Oh I understand what you're doing - I'm just saying what I 'think' the Lions will do compared to what you have.

I don't think they can go black. It's too Carolina Panthers-ish. They already have gray/silver. MAYBE a charcoal gray in a matte finish? Blue is an option but I personally think white makes the most sense. Especially if they want to include it in the future re-design. The double gray washes out at a distance. 

Whatever they roll out this year is likely going to look kind of like when the Rams rolled out their alternate helmet design but still had the old jerseys. 

[NYRaider]

1 hour ago, LionArkie said:

I like that white uni a lot. I'm wondering if a splash of silver down the center of the white helmet would accent it well or not? So instead of the white stripe between two blue lines, you'd have the silver between two lines. Not sure if that would improve the look or not, but it's great as it is.

It looks a lot better with a blue stripe that has a grey outline

[Karnage84]

This is probably just a me thing.. but I hate shoulder patches. That WCF patch has to go. Place it on the sleeve or on the helmet but I just can't deal with asymmetry on a straight ahead design. 

[Superduperman]

13 minutes ago, Karnage84 said:

This is probably just a me thing.. but I hate shoulder patches. That WCF patch has to go. Place it on the sleeve or on the helmet but I just can't deal with asymmetry on a straight ahead design. 

That's a little OCD of you my man, I don't think 99.9% of people are going ot share that extremely specific critique

I like the renderings, very close to what I described, the only thing is the silver colors are gray and not metallic, but I know it's hard to capture materials like that in 3D modeling without some seriously detailed work

Edited March 2, 2023 by Superduperman