Welcome to our round-up of the contemporary sartorial looks that will be gracing Serie B in the 2022/23 season. Join us as we explore the good, the bad and the ugly of Italy’s second tier…
ASCOLI – the new shirt is another instalment in a fairly mundane sequence of Nike teamwear for Ascoli. With a round neck and no particular embellishments to speak of, it was perhaps chosen with the traditionalists in mind? The chromatically consistent sponsor is a redeeming factor and a consistent design theme through their blue, white and black change shirts is a plus too.
THREE-WORD REVIEW: Sunday League clobber – 3/10
BARI – after Bari’s creative collaboration with fashion house LC23 last season, the choice of a sober white Home shirt with button up collar comes as a surprise. The red Away shirt is adorned with a sublimated rhomboid pattern, whilst the black Third shirt – perhaps the best of the trio – features a graphic evoking the patterned paving in the city’s Piazza San Nicola.
THREE-WORD REVIEW: solid, not spectacular – 8/10
BENEVENTO – the club have continued last season’s experimental approach, once again abandoning the club’s traditional stripes. This year, the home shirt uses the Nike template that was used for Birmingham City’s 21/22 Third shirt. This is paired with a white away shirt which the marketing brief tells us is a tribute to the city’s cultural heritage (in fact, it’s the Nike teamwear “Academy” jersey). A black third shirt, which features the Anglicised slogan “More Than Yellow and Red” is based on the “Park Derby” template .
THREE-WORD REVIEW: recycled tiger print – 5/10
BRESCIA – the new Home and Third shirts feature a dramatically reimagined chevron. Harking back to the days of Baggio and Pirlo, the new shirts feature a narrow V-shape that accommodates both the manufacturers logo and club crest. The white Away shirt retains the relaxed-V from previous seasons, but is freshened up with a sublimated geometric graphic. The simple round collars are perhaps a little underwhelming and feel more training shirt, than match shirt.
THREE-WORD REVIEW: returning to tradition – 7/10
CAGLIARI – the club have gone back to their routes following a disappointing relegation from Serie A. They have exclusively Sardinian sponsors and a Sardinian manufacturer in EYE Sports. Furthermore, a sublimated pattern on the home and GK shirts evokes the traditional pibiones weaving technique that originates from the island. The beach towel-esque Third shirt, complete with dot matrix graphics taken from the Sardinian tourist board, is a fun addition.
THREE-WORD REVIEW: keeping it local – 9/10
CITTADELLA – this summer, the club entered into a three-year partnership with Italian manufacturer Errea. The first offering from their new supplier incorporates a silhouette of the walled city as a sublimated detail on the Home. The shirt is finished off with navy collar and cuffs and pale blue accents on the sleeves. The Away features a large 90s-style collar and collarbone piping, which is common to several Errea shirts this year. The Motherwell-esque colour palette for the Third shirt, complete with a sublimated motif evoking the city’s architecture, is a real treat
THREE-WORD REVIEW: no complaints here – 7/10
COMO – I Lariani made waves this summer by signing Cesc Fabregas…and now they’ve got a shirt to match. The Errea-manufactured shirts are based on specially-commissioned artworks by Golnaz Jebelli. The Home graphic evokes the crystal blue waters of Lake Como, whilst the Away captures the textures of water and marble that define the city. All profits from their sale will be donated to community projects in the city.
THREE-WORD REVIEW: catnip for hipsters – 9/10
COSENZA – I Lupi changed supplier over the summer and in doing so took the Nike-count to three in Serie B (along with Ascoli and Benevento). Cosenza’s shift away from traditional stripes to a half-and-half design is not without precedent, though the addition of a single off-centre, gold accent is new. The shirt was released with a flash mob in front of the club shop. The white Away shirt with a graded vertical double-stripe is simple, but works in harmony with the sponsor.
THREE-WORD REVIEW: distinguished, almost regal – 7/10
FROSINONE – After some out there designs in 2019/20 and 2020/21, Frosinone and Zeus have gone back to basics with some more sedate designs in recent seasons. Just the sleeves on the new home shirt carry a hint of those hedonistic days. The vertical licks of blue and yellow paint on the away shirt are reminiscent of last season’s Verona away shirt.
THREE-WORD REVIEW: playing it safe – 5/10
GENOA – this represents a maiden voyage into Italian waters for Castore. The Home design is in keeping with the club’s traditions, with thoughtful detailing on the cuffs and colour-coding of the manufacturer’s logo to tie in with the club crest. However, it is really difficult to see past that lop-sided sponsor’s logo. The Away shirt – launched on board one of their sponsor’s cruise ships – was a disappointing affair. The inconsistent alignment of the main sponsor’s logo with the sash and the unusual placement of the secondary sponsor undermine another otherwise handsome shirt.
THREE-WORD REVIEW: all at sea – 3/10
MODENA – Serie B newcomers Modena have joined forces with New Balance for the new season. The Home and Away shirts feature a subtle textured pattern, which elevate an otherwise simple round-neck shirt. The main talking point is the incorporation of the new club crest for I Canarini (The Canaries).
THREE-WORD REVIEW: nice work, distinctive – 8/10
PALERMO – the club have become masters of the ostentatious kit launch and 2022/23 lived up to expectations. The lace-up Home shirt takes inspiration from the 1950s. Meanwhile, the vertical brace-like stripes on the black Away shirt are drawn from the 1973/74 shirt. The white Third shirt is the result of a collaboration with street artist TvBoy, featuring skulls and roses – or “ornamental motifs in a Baroque style” if the marketing blurb is taken at face value.
THREE-WORD REVIEW: trying too hard – 6/10
PARMA – the classic cross design has been augmented with “lightning” detail (also present on the Away and Third shirt) and is intended to represent the dynamism and energy of the team. As with last season, the club have found a way to subtly incorporate blue and yellow accents into the Home design.
THREE-WORD REVIEW: we’re not convinced – 6/10
PERUGIA – I Grifoni guarantee themselves a bespoke shirt design by using fashion brand Frankie Garage as manufacturer., a company with whom they share an owner (Massimiliano Santopadre). This season’s endeavour features subtle diagonal brushstrokes and a repeated pattern of civic icons representing the five districts of Perugia, along with the famous Griffin. The Away shirt mirrors the design of the Home, minus those civic motifs.
THREE-WORD REVIEW: Serie B fashionistas – 9/10
PISA – the Home shirt uses a middle-of-the-road Adidas teamwear design, but is elevated by the addition of the Pisan coat of arms in the centre of the chest. Pisa switch to yellow for their Away shirt and pale blue for their Third. The majority of the creative juices seemed to be concentrated on an “electric” pre-match shirt which sits rather awkwardly within a stable of fairly sober designs.
THREE-WORD REVIEW: a downward trajectory – 5/10
REGGINA – released on the eve of the new season, Reggina’s new home shirt possess a strong 1990s feel with oversized manufacturer’s logos adorning the sleeves. Paired with traditional black shorts and socks, the lower part of the shirt also features tonal images of the sea, said to “represent the strength, commitment and sacrifice that the shirt deserves.”
THREE-WORD REVIEW: keeping it 90s – 7/10
SPAL – three enlarged central stripes bearing the club’s name provide an innovative take on the SPAL’s usual narrow-gauge design. On the debate of whether stripes should continue on the back of the shirt, SPAL have adopted a compromise position with graded stripes that fade towards the top to give greater visibility to namesets. The textured design of the Away shirt is modelled on the exterior architecture of the city’s Renaissance Palazzo dei Diamanti. Meanwhile, the Third shirt is a tribute to their Stadio Paolo Mazza home, featuring a neon city map.
THREE-WORD REVIEW: thoughtful stuff, bravissimo! – 9/10
SUD TIROL – a predominantly white Home shirt, intersecting by red and black tramlines along the centre of the jersey. The innovation comes in the inclusion of a sublimated geometric pattern…but only on one half of the shirt. Unfortunately, the application of the Subtirol tourist board’s logo on a white patch rather detracts from an otherwise sharp design. It’s paired with a byzantium-coloured Away shirt that wouldn’t look out of place down in Florence.
THREE-WORD REVIEW: pushing creative boundaries – 7/10
TERNANA – to mark the 50th anniversary of the club’s maiden promotion to Serie A, the new Home shirt carries the names of those victorious players as a sublimated detail within the red stripes. The green stripes contain a tonal design that represents the Terni Press, a fabled piece of equipment synonymous with the city’s heritage as a steel-making city. The winged design of the away shirt is a nod the club’s Wyvern symbol, whilst the Third shirt is a tribute to the club’s supporters.
THREE-WORD REVIEW: a triumphant trio – 9/10
VENEZIA – the new suite of shirts – a collaboration between Kappa and the creative studio Bureau Borsche – feel like a very deliberate shift upmarket from Venezia. The Home shirt, complete with a new golden club crest and marketing emphasis on long-sleeve versions, look more like leisure wear than match shirts – but perhaps that’s the plan? The hooped away shirt is a complementary bedfellow, whilst the shimmering golden third shirt, with it’s blouse-like qualities, raised a few eyebrows.
THREE-WORD REVIEW: just not football – 4/10
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this, why not check out of 2021/22 Serie B Kit Review?
I prefer the shirts of Cosenza and Spal but sponsors names are still to be added. The sponsors name can only improve the travesty that is the Benevento shirt. I always think the Ternana shirt looks better with white shorts.
LikeLike