Best All-Time Pro Uniforms, Ranked

Which pro sports uniforms have stood the test of time?

Some tell us that history is, well, history, but we’re not so sure. Take team sports uniforms, for instance. They’re flashier than ever. More intricate, more colorful and infinitely greater in number, too. Yet many of the most popular ones are traditional designs that have been around forever.

These threads still rock after all these years and are without a doubt the best pro sports uniforms of all time.

15. Oakland-Los-Angeles-Las Vegas Raiders

Gary Stewart / AP Photo

Years worn: 1970-present

Famous players who wore it: Ted (Kick ‘Em in The Head Ted), Hendricks, Jack (The Assassin) Tatum, Skip (Dr. Death) Thomas

Bottom Line: Oakland-Los-Angeles-Las Vegas Raiders

Bob Galbraith / AP Photo

The Raiders did some strange things in their early AFL years — not that anyone noticed much. They had first and last names on the backs of their jerseys. But we draw the line at all black at home.

The goofy idea has gained some traction lately and even some players are in favor of it, but the Raiduhs without silver is akin to Al Davis with a conscience. We’ll take the post-1969 model, which features the team shield on silver helmets, a thinner number outline on its road whites and a swift kick to the crotch.

14. Green Bay Packers

Mike Roemer / AP Photo

Years worn: 1959-present

Famous players who wore it: Bart Starr, Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers

Bottom Line: Green Bay Packers

Mike Roemer / AP Photo

When the great Vince Lombardi arrived as head coach before the 1959 season, he probably took one look at the unies and gasped, “What the hell is goin’ on here?” It wasn’t long before the Pack adopted one of the most distinctive looks in pro ball. Two years later, the iconic G helmet logo made its first appearance.

Other than the location of the secondary player number, precious little has changed over the last seven decades. What was St. Vincent all about but consistent excellence?

13. Chicago White Sox

Anonymous / AP Photo

Year worn: 1960

Famous player who wore it: Luis Aparicio, Nellie Fox, Early Wynn

Bottom Line: Chicago White Sox

AP Photo

In 1960, the fertile mind of White Sox team owner Bill Veeck elevated one of the sharpest unies in the game to another level, when the players’ last names were added above their numbers on the reverse sides. It was some of the best 200 bucks that Wild Bill ever spent.

While a few players had hissy fits, the idea spawned a momentous league-wide trend with one notable exception (the New York Yankees). The alteration didn’t come off without a hitch, though. In a series at Yankees Stadium, first baseman Ted Kluszewski was forced to wear a jersey with a backward Z and an X in place of the second K, which turned him into Ted KLUSZEWSXI for one night.

12. Los Angeles Lakers

Victoria Arocho / AP Photo

Years worn: 1978-99

Famous player who wore it: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, James Worthy

Bottom Line: Los Angeles Lakers

Kevork Djansezian / AP Photo

Remember the strange mid-1980s model that had shirts and shorts in different shades of purple? Doctor, my eyes! At the same time, the Lake Show boasts a slew of classic gold models that have reflected its style and geographical roots as well as any team in history.

It didn’t get any more Cali than the Showtime version (1978-99) gold jersey trimmed in purple and white with the script team name.

11. Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph

Darron Cummings / AP Photo

Years worn: 1962-present

Famous players who wore it: Ernie Stautner, Joe Greene, Cam Heyward

Bottom Line: Pittsburgh Steelers

Darron Cummings / AP Photo

Not long after Reebok became the official uniform supplier of the league, the company announced that each team would have a new look for the 2002 season. Steelers owner Dan Rooney would have none of it. (Think: Mean Joe Greene, Super Bowl IX.)

The organization stuck to its black-and-gold tradition, one that dated back to the 1962 Playoff Bowl, when the legendary black helmet and Steelmark logo made their debut.

10. Chicago Blackhawks

Nam Y. Huh / AP Photo

Years worn: 1955-present

Famous players who wore it: Bobby Hull, Jeremy Roenick, Patrick Kane

Bottom Line: Chicago Blackhawks

Nam Y. Huh / AP Photo

The iconic Indian Head has been synonymous with the franchise since its debut in the 1926-27 season. It took the organization just 29 years to find its rightful place, that’s all. Finally, the hideous home sweaters that had no fewer than 16 (!) horizontal stripes gave way to an enlarged logo, which has been the focal point ever since.

(Pssst, ditch the black knockoff and stick with red at home, OK?)

9. St. Louis Cardinals

Scott Kane / AP Photo

Years worn: 1992-26, 1929-48, 1998-present

Famous players who wore it: Rogers Hornsby, Stan Musial, Albert Pujols

Bottom Line: St. Louis Cardinals

Scott Kane / AP Photo

It took a while for the erstwhile Browns and Perfectas to get their groove on, but not long after a local sportswriter suggested they become Cardinals, they’ve looked simply mah-velous — with few exceptions. It starts with two redbirds perched on a baseball bat crossed by the word “Cardinals” in red type, one of the most distinctive logos in all of sports.

The fashion wonks have tried to ruin a great thing on occasion — remember those pukey powder blues (1974-86)? — but try as they might, they haven’t succeeded yet.

8. Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb

Adrian Kraus / AP Photo

Years worn: 1964-present

Famous players who wore it: Don Meredith, Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman

Bottom Line: Dallas Cowboys

Matt Durisko / AP Photo

Hey, look — here’s something that team owner Jerry Jones hasn’t gotten his hands on! Except for a few tweaks, the ‘Boys have held true to the same silver-and-blue combination since the 1964 season, a full 25 years before Jones shelled out $140 mill for the franchise. That’s when they swapped out the white star-studded helmet for a silver one.

The fabled design has played no small role in the success of the Cowboys brand, which is reported to be a cool $9 billion today.

7. Detroit Red Wings

Carlos Osorio / AP Photo

Years worn: 1926-present

Famous players who wore it: Gordie Howe, Steve Yzerman, Niklaus Lidstrom

Bottom Line: Detroit Red Wings

Carlos Osorio / AP Photo

The truth is, any of the NHL Original Six designs could make this list. What separates this one from the rest is that glorious red-winged wheel, the proud emblem of Motor City hockey for more than 100 years.

For this bit of thievery, er, genius, we have team owner James Norris to thank. In 1932, he borrowed the logo from the Winged Wheelers of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada, the first Stanley Cup champions (pre-NHL) with whom he had played.

6. California Golden Seals

Alaney2k / Wikimedia Commons

Years worn: 1970-74

(Not quite) famous players who wore it: Dennis Hextall, Gilles Meloche, Carol Vadnais

Bottom Line: California Golden Seals

SPORTSNET / YouTube

True confession: So hooked was I on those glorious green-and-gold Golden Seals unis and white skates (gasp!), I once paid eight bucks to watch them on closed-circuit television in Chicago. (Their players not so much.)

The legendary fashion statement came courtesy of owner Charles O. Finley, who purchased the team in 1970 and immediately changed the team colors to match those of his baseball club. Charlie O. didn’t know a hockey puck from a hunk of mule dung, but to his everlasting credit, the old man sure as heck knew how to dress his players.

5. Pittsburgh Pirates

AP Photo

Years worn: 1957-71

Famous players who wore it: Bill Mazeroski, Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell

Bottom Line: Pittsburgh Pirates

AP Photo

Because no franchise has done more to elevate baseball fashion than this one, from stretch knits to pull-overs to beltless pants to mix-and-match to pillbox caps with (Willie) Stargell Stars to name a few. The best is the sweet sleeveless vest with gold piping and black hat with bold gold “P” logo.

The team won no fewer than three World Series in their 15 seasons of existence. The least we can do is give the Buccos a lifetime achievement award.

4. Montreal Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens Cole Caufield,Juraj Slafkovsky

Jeff Chiu / AP Photo

Years worn: 1917-present

Famous players who wore it: Howie Morenz, Jean Beliveau, Henri Richard

Bottom Line: Montreal Canadiens

Jeff Chiu / AP Photo

Just because a team hasn’t won a Stanley Cup since 1993 doesn’t mean it can’t look good while it sucks ice. Club de Hockey Canadien donned a CH crest on red-and-blue sweaters in its 1917 debut — the H stands for “Hockey,” people, not Habs — and the legendary combination remains intact more than 100 years later. Heck, even their 2021 reverse retro model was kinda cool.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers

Ashley Landis / AP Photo

Years worn: 1952-present

Famous players who wore it: Jackie Robinson, Maury Wills, Davey Lopes

Bottom Line: Los Angeles Dodgers

Ashley Landis / AP Photo

Those classic Dodger blues began to take shape in 1952 with the addition of . . . wait for it . . . that brilliant red uniform number below the slightly angled “Dodgers” (home) or “Los Angeles” (road) at the left side of the jerseys.

There have been a few subtle moderations of fonts and colors over the decades, but the basic look remains the standard in the sport.

2. New York Yankees

Frank Franklin II / AP Photo

Years worn: 1912, 1915-present

Famous players who wore it: Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Aaron Judge

Bottom Line: New York Yankees

Ray Stubblebine / AP Photo

On April 11, 1912, five years after the Boston Red Sox became the first major league club to don pinstriped unies, the Yankees wore theirs for the first time. Three days later, the Titanic bottomed out. That’s how long the most distinguished trademark in baseball fashion has been around.

Inexplicably, the pinstripes were benched for two seasons before they returned again. Here it is, 111 years later and still one of the most visible and valuable components of a $7.1 billion brand. It turns out the Yankees fleeced the Red Sox for a lot more than Babe Ruth a long time ago.

1. San Francisco Warriors

Robert Kingsbury / Wikimedia Commons

Years worn: 1966-67

Players who wore it: Rick Barry, Jeff Mullins, Nate Thurmond

Bottom Line: San Francisco Warriors

Keith Allison / Wikimedia Commons

Some moments stick with you like Gorilla Glue for life. Like Nov. 1, 1966, for instance, when the Warriors trotted onto the court before a game in Chicago. Look at those fantastical uniforms! Those wonderful blue and gold colors! That magnificent Golden Gate Bridge and those words (“The CITY”) on the front! And that large cable car with the player’s number on the back side! This kid was gobsmacked for the next 2 1/2 hours.

“I looked through the entire Wilson sporting goods supply and saw nothing like them,” club owner Franklin Mieuli explained. “The game needs something, a little bit more life.” Something? Look around. The famously futuristic, Cali cool look changed everything.