By Rookie, AllHabs.net
MONTREAL, QC. — The most recent issue of ESPN: The Magazine features a “challenge” extended to designer Tommy Hilfiger: redesign the uniforms of four of the most iconic teams in North American sports, while maintaining the most important elements of their current uni’s. It should come as no surprise that the NHL uniform chosen for the challenge was that of the Montreal Canadiens.
No surprise, either, that the Habs are much better off with what they already have.
Here’s what Hilfiger had to say about his new uniforms for the league’s oldest team:
“I wanted to go in a different direction than the current Canadiens uniforms, which are solid colors. We loved the idea of taking the traditional rugby stripe and incorporating it into a hockey uniform. The tie at the neck area allows a wider opening for putting on and taking off the jersey over all the pads. The zigzag stitch along the front is one of the strongest stitches that can be applied to a garment to withstand pulling and tugging. It gives the uniform a cool twist, but it’s functional, too. There has to be a balance.”
Rugby stripes? I don’t know if such a storied hockey team really needs to draw its fashion inspiration from another sport. Clearly, this was an aesthetic choice from a designer who “wanted to go in a different direction.” I guess no one told Mr. Hilfiger about the vintage “barberpole” jerseys, and what direction they took: the bargain bin.
As a huge fan of the Canadiens logo, which has been in use since 1925, I was quite disappointed to see that Hilfiger chose to leave it off his uniform. I’m probably not the only Canadiens fan who would have liked to see our beloved CH incorporated into the hypothetical new look. Instead, Hilfiger made the second most logical choice and used a customized version of his own crest. It’s all about branding, even if the brand isn’t the Montreal Canadiens, right?
Actually, I can’t be angry about the fleur-de-lys Hilfiger crest, because it takes away from the bizarre white patches on the jersey. The front is adorned with a sash, not unlike those worn by beauty pageant contestants. I can only assume that 60 minutes of regulation time is the talent portion of the pageant, and that the evening gown competition isn’t televised? Are the New York Rangers going to try sabotaging the competition, since they’ve had their team name splashed diagonally across their jerseys for 85 years?
I’m not sure why the players’ numbers were stitched onto a dinner napkin before being sewn onto the back of the jersey, or why there’s a very faint X across the dinner napkin, but I’m certain of one thing: It looks weird. Maybe Hilfiger didn’t want to put numbers directly on top of the rugby stripes. The dinner napkin, however, and the X on it, look just as distracting.
I’ve already established that the top half of the uniform is somewhat inconsistent with the Canadiens’ century-old image. The bottom half is nowhere near as bad. In fact, the two stripes on the side of the pants, rather than three, remind me of the collar on the Habs’ RBK jerseys. The pants are the only part of this uniform that is at all in tune with what the Canadiens are currently sporting.
It’s an interesting effort, but I’m happy that this was just an experiment for a magazine and that Mr. Hilfiger’s real-life designs stay on average Joes and off the ice.