I was 15 years old when I first saw basketball hoodies. It’s difficult to believe that the now common decorative process has existed for so long. It has changed a lot. It’s mostly for the better. Much better. Are the pros worth the cons?
Sublimation, as it is commonly known, is the process where decorative elements (e.g. player numbers) are added to the fabric. They are dyed directly into fabric. Peeling numbers are a thing of the distant past. Everybody, from top equipment managers to average moms, immediately sees the benefit.
Sublimation’s acceptance should be based on this single problem solving ability.
In the marketplace. Particularly in basketball uniforms, where heat-sealed player number weights are applied Basketball Outline to relatively light fabrics is the primary cause of uniform degradation. (Don’t even get me started about player names!)
15 years later, the question is why don’t all basketball teams wear basketball hoodies unis? The truth is part of the solution, while others are based on current misconceptions.
Truth: Basketball hoodies uniforms cost more
The average basketball hoodies jersey will still cost more than the other options. It was truer 15 years ago than it is today. It is a fact that cannot be ignored. If cost is not a concern, then you are probably either in the NBA or at a NIKE-D1 school. You probably won’t have to pay for your unis anyway. The vast majority of people involved in putting on basketball jerseys for game day are not concerned about cost. I don’t know of any basketball teams that use unis for practice.
However, cost is not a simple matter. It is important to consider the “lifetime cost” of uniforms. It is expensive to replace uniforms, and that’s a fact. Particularly in rush season, when additional fees or charges may be imposed. Basketball hoodies unis aren’t like that. One-offs are easy to make once they have been designed. As I mentioned before, once a design is complete, “one-offs” are easy to do. However, after years are over, the numbers of fill-ins or replacements will be tallied and those peeling player numbers will again rear their ugly heads. Ugh!
You may already be aware that your uniform requirements are different from those of your local high school if you participate in AAU teams or other tournaments. Even if your team is just an average high school team that needs a uniform with a good look, the cost of basketball hoodies uniforms might be lower. You read that correctly, they are less expensive than uniforms with standard decorations. Even though they are slightly more expensive upfront. You just need to calculate the lifetime cost.
Myth: Basketball hoodies uniforms look great.
Basketball hoodies uniforms have “style over substance”. This was evident 15 years ago. Yes, colors and graphics were just as they are today. You can’t go wrong with this!
The construction. The sewing. Even the fit was not great. It was not so great. It’s borderline terrible.
I can recall holding a basketball hoodies jersey from years ago. I was impressed by its design and then I would turn it inside out to be horrified at the poor sewing. There are many things that I don’t like about the jersey: hems, stitching, and loose ends.
This truth resonated in the marketplace for years, as “Looks nice but not for us though.”