IT'S THE BOMB!
Whirlwind demand for new national kits crashes adidas website
Reggae Girlz (from left) Allyson Swaby, Khadija "Bunny" Shaw and Drew Spence share a light moment while modelling Jamaica's new adidas home kits. (Photos: Adidas Media)

Higher-than-normal traffic caused sporting apparel maker adidas' regional website to crash after the release of Jamaica's football teams' new gear on Monday.

The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) unveiled the new apparel on its social media platforms Monday, prompting increased traffic on the site as fans tried to buy gear before they sold out.

The apparel launched consisted of the national teams' home, away, and training kits, as well as jackets to be worn during the playing of the national anthem ahead of games. They were all created by British-born designer Grace Wales Bonner, who has Jamaican heritage.

"My work has always been imbued by cultural references from all sides of my identity," Wales Bonner said in a press release Monday. "This collection is no different, when working with adidas and the Jamaica Football Federation, we set out to create a range that reflects the diverse nature and soul of today's Jamaica, authentically connecting with the Jamaican community across the globe.

"As we celebrate the intrinsic relationship between Jamaican culture and football, it's a collection that I'm hoping players and fans can wear with huge pride — on and off the pitch."

The new home kit is largely gold with adidas' signature three stripes in black on the shoulders. It also features the adidas logo in black and green vertical pinstripes on the torso, which adidas says pays tribute to what it describes as "the subtle groove of Jamaican music and style".

The sleeves and collar are trimmed with black, green, and gold stripes and Wales Bonner's signature is printed on the back of the collar.

The kit is completed with green shorts and adidas' stripes in gold down the sides.

The away kit is a black shirt and shorts with gold stripes on the shoulders, and sides of the shorts. The JFF and adidas logos are also gold. The jersey pays tribute to Jamaica's Rastafarian heritage with red, green, and gold stripes trimming the sleeves and collar. The Wales Bonner signature is also printed on the back of this collar.

The training kit is a blue shirt with a Fair Isle (knitting technique) pattern. This, adidas says, "imbues the traditional English style with twilight colours of the Caribbean, alongside a golden sun motif".

The anthem jacket, which is reversible, is gold on the outside, which adidas says is to represent Jamaica's sunlight. The inside, like the training top, features a Fair Isle pattern.

JFF President Michael Ricketts says the designs capture the essence of Jamaica's culture.

"It not only represents Jamaican football but, through the mixture of the distinctive Jamaican colours and the designs, highlights the greatest part of our world-renowned Jamaican culture," he said. "We can't wait to see Jamaican fans and players alike wearing the kits with pride on the world's biggest sporting stages, as they cheer on the Reggae Boyz and Girlz."

Reaction on social media has largely been positive with many commenting that they finally have a Jamaican jersey they can wear, but some have said they find the kits bland.

Jamaica's senior Reggae Boyz will first wear the new kits against Mexico in the Concacaf Nations League next month, while the Reggae Girlz, who are preparing for the FIFA Women's World Cup this summer, will first wear them against Spain in the FFA Cup of Nations in Australia on February 16.

Jamaica's Under-17 Reggae Boyz are also expected to wear the kits against their Cuban counterparts in the Concacaf Under-17 Men's Championship in Guatemala on February 12.

A look at Jamaica's new pre-match and away jerseys. The kits were designed by British designer Wales Bonner on behalf of adidas.
Jamaica's new adidas home jersey features the country's rich national colours of black, gold, and green. The energy of the island is accentuated by fine pinstripe details that decorate the shirt, echoing the subtle groove of Jamaican music and style.
A closer look at adidas' reversible Jamaica anthem jacket, crafted for pre-game preparation. The jacket shows off the iconic gold of Jamaican sunlight on the outside, and an expressive Fair Isle graphic on the inside.
BY RACHID PARCHMENT Digital sports coordinator parchmentr@jamaicaobserver.com

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