U.S. play Women’s World Cup in kit resembling nurse’s uniform
By Brooks Peck
The U.S. began their campaign for their first Women’s World Cup title
since 1999 on Day 3 of the tournament and they did it in a new kit. The
women are once again in their usual all-white home strip. But the new
design, worn in their opening-match win against North Korea, already has
some fans saying that it looks like a nurse’s uniform.
When the new kit was first revealed in April, Dr. Jennifer Doyle of From a Left Wing summed up the problem critics have with it:
A USWNT shirt can always be distinguished from the USMNT
shirt by the two stars that the women’s shirt prominently displays over
the USSF badge – one star for each World Cup trophy they’ve won (1991,
1999). That difference is not enough for Nike and the USSF. They want
you to know, for sure, that this is a not a man’s shirt. So the FIFA #1
ranked women’s team will go to Germany in a nurse’s uniform.This is quite simply the ugliest women’s football jersey I have ever
seen. It’s central problem is the line someone has drawn down middle of
the shirt – a purely decorous gesture meant to create the impression
that the USSF would like its women to play in an open necked blouse.
The Nike press release says, “The kit is designed specifically for
the female athlete, to enhance the range of motion and create a uniquely
feminine silhouette.” But for anyone fearing that the nurse look isn’t
intimidating enough for a side aiming to win the World Cup for the first
time in 12 years, the black away kit (which has the same design) is
“inspired by the beautiful but deadly Black Widow spider.” So, deadly
Black Widow nurse spiders. Got it.
Whatever it looks like, it certainly didn’t hurt their performance as
they beat North Korea 2-0 — the largest margin of victory so far in
the tournament.
For the full article and to view the uniforms for yourself, click here:
http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/blog/dirty-tackle/post/U-S-play-Women-8217-s-World-Cup-in-kits-resemb?urn=sow-wp2837
