Page 56 - Studio International - February 1969

Towards a

definition of

trends in

American

football uniforms:

an exercise in a

certain kind of

art criticism

Peter Plagens

Perhaps like attributes render American pro- ings carry at best an echoed or contrapuntal bottom 'tips' unique—black leather shoes and
fessional football uniforms art and non-art stripe repetition. Typical is the Cincinnati solid orange helmets. (Another viable system
material : they are systemic, theatrical, literal, Bengals' formula: is AB-AB, that is to say helmet and pants
symbolic, and, to a degree, fetishistic. Ameri- Home Uniform `matching' and jersey and long stockings
can football, like American battleships, is a PANTS, white—with braid on both sides—black striped alike.) Although there are infinite pat-
developed form of sign-painting:1 a closed se- stripe ½", orange stripe 1", black stripe 4". terns available, only three, with minor varia-
JERSEY, black—on sleeves 1" white stripe, 1"
quence in, particularly over television, a closed tions, are usually employed: two stripes of equal
orange stripe, 1" white stripe.
space. But it is inescapably relational : insignia width, three stripes of equal width or one wide
10' white number on front of jersey, 12" white
to uniform, uniform to like uniforms, uniforms number on back of jersey, white players' names centre stripe flanked by two narrower stripes.
to the opposition's, the uniformed total to the above number on back of jersey, white 3" lettering. Figure-ground determination, however, obfus-
ideational chalk-markings, this grid (gridiron) STOCKINGS, black-4" below knee, white stripe cates the distinctions : two 1 in. stripes adjacent
1", orange stripe 1", white stripe 1".
to the stadium, and, finally, the stadium to the to a centre 1 in. stripe of a contrasting colour
Helmet
module television screen. (While varied and Burnt orange-2" black letter—word `BENGALS' can be read as three contiguous 1 in. stripes, or
ubiquitous manifestations occur at the school- on each side of helmet above rivets—word 'BEN- three 1 in. stripes flanking two contrasting 1 in.
boy and university level, this discussion is GALS' outline in white.3 intervals could be read as five stripes, and so
limited, for clarity, to the two professional The jersey carries the theme: a black, orange forth. Then there exist the possibilities of 'out-
leagues.) Television has emancipated the uni- and white colour scheme, with sleeve stripe lines'—thin contrasting stripes used to solidify
form from the narrow, live-action format. scheme in a group of three equals; on the basic units. At times, striping formulae are
`Unlike college uniforms, professionaluniforms black jersey, the centre stripe is orange, set reflected in the numeral treatment.
should be designed with television in mind.'2 off from the black by white stripes on either Conventions, yea a uniformity of uniforms,
This means that the relationship between side. (On the 'away' uniform, which includes have risen in the last fifteen years (historically,
object (player) and symbol (insignia) is at a white jersey, the stripe scheme is basically the most important period of American uni-
once more restricted (e.g. contrast becomes the same, but the orange is buffered by form design) : team logos on the sides of hel-
essential, block numerals replace gothic) and black.) This unit of three is repeated on the mets, small numerals on the sleeves, and the
freer, that is to say no longer attached to the long stockings (on the 'away' uniform, the required wearing of long stockings, all in addi-
traditional second-deck, 40 yard-line view- long stockings are white, and the stripe scheme tion to the regulation numerals (and, in the
point. is likewise changed to remain consistent with case of the American League, the player's
The visible component structure of a profes- the jersey), but on the pants it is changed : the name above the rear jersey numerals) .4 There
sional uniform is thus: helmet, jersey, pants, two black stripes are half the width of the are also certain sub-conventions: most jerseys
long stockings, short socks, and shoes. The last centre orange, because the narrow vertical are striped on the sleeves, most helmets over
two, being relatively uniform (white cotton format of the leg cannot visually support the the centre. But within the formulae, in which
and black leather) do not contribute signifi- three 1 in. stripes contiguously. Similarly, the the range of acceptable solutions to a basic
cantly to the statement. The jersey is the crux, helmet is unstriped to avoid the wide unit, problem is virtually exhausted, statements are
carrying the character motif for the rest of the and to complete a total vertical organization: made on that edge of terrain which holds
uniform; the helmet, which particularizes the jersey and long stockings black, pants (in the extraordinary freedom and possibility. To wit,
team, follows, while the pants and long stock- `centre' of the uniform) white, and the top and the Houston Oilers: