Welcome to this website’s off-season sports sartorial content. We are counting down the world’s top 50 most iconic sports uniforms. Only current uniforms apply, we are not including one-off or alternate uniforms. Let’s stick to the basics.
#19
North Carolina Basketball
As we’re inside the top 20 we have included our 3rd college basketball program. North Carolina are often cited as having the best uniforms in college hoops, will this be our last collegiate basketball team on the countdown?
UNC had very basic and traditional uniforms for many years. You can picture Michael Jordan in this uniform that was worn for decades. The road version featured a white collar and a wide white piping down to the shorts with a “Tar Heel foot” logo. The front of the jersey stacked North Carolina with the player number in between all in white.
For the 1991-92 season, head coach Dean Smith sought out local Chapel Hill fashion designer Alexander Julian to help bring the basketball teams new uniforms. What Julian created ended up being a sports uniform masterpiece.
He brought in the addition of navy blue for contrast, more elaborate piping, thicker text and numbers, plus the creation of the now-famous North Carolina argyle pattern. At first, the argyle was pretty small on the shorts and jersey flanks. Over the years, it’s grown in size and is now unmistakable and hard to miss when you watch Tar Heels basketball.
Is there a debate between whether the home or away uniforms are better for North Carolina? I’ve always thought the road Carolina blue was tough to beat in that comparison.
Well known jerseys? Yes. Am I a huge fan of these? No
I remember being a little annoyed that they appropriated such an iconic pattern and acted all fashionista about it. It looks nice, but it wasn’t that original or much of a swing. Nobody in sports has been able to make plaid “theirs,” why should we feel different about Argyle? But somehow it seems like UNC claimed a pattern that’s been around forever. Ugly Christmas sweaters everywhere are now UNC sweaters, just in different colors.
Only one addition-their current wording on the jersey is small and worse compared in to the past.
Always liked UNCs colors. And, of course, UNC over Duke
WATCH OUT GREG PAULUS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhgYXcpGB5k.
With the obligatory caveat that I can’t freaking stand North Carolina, I think their home whites are much more iconic than the road blues. JMO.