The Pride’s New Kits: Feathers and Fingerprints

After an understandable delay, we were finally able to check out the Orlando Pride’s new White Plume kit on Tuesday, and the new keeper kit for 2020 on Wednesday. New kits are almost always a divisive part of the supporter community. Even when there’s a kit generally liked by 99% of supporters, there’s usually some lone voice crying that it is an affront to humanity.

There are also those kits that seem to be skating the hairy edge of lunacy but end up with a cult following. Finally, there are the jerseys that are so bland, they make almost no noise.

So, where are we with the Pride’s newest White Plume kit, and the accompanying keeper kit? Let’s take a deeper dive into the particulars, and see where we end up.

The White Plume Kit

The White Plume kit, which dropped on Tuesday, is set to be the away jersey for the Pride. The mostly white jersey — and I mean, mostly — has a few nifty touches, like the black feathers on the shoulders and arms. These feathers are inspired by the swans of Lake Eola, and the single darker feather at the hem is a nod to the Pride’s supporter group, the Black Swans Drinking Club.

Mark Thor / Orlando Pride

I have mixed feelings about the design. I like the feathers, but I wish they were darker and stood out more. I don’t mind that the Orlando Health logo is black to go with the feathers, but it makes the blue and purple in the crest seem tacked on and out of place. It is really, really white, and I think a bit more color would have helped immensely. It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just that I was expecting more. I’m still undecided on whether I’ll be adding it to my collection.

The Keeper Kit

Were you hoping for something original? Something that went with the plume theme, but with color? I know I was, but unfortunately we got the standard Nike Gardien III Long Sleeve Goalkeeper Jersey. That’s not to say it isn’t nice, but it doesn’t exactly stand out from the crowd. There is something about it that I can’t quite put my fingerprint on, but I’m sure it will come to me.

Since there’s nothing particularly special about them, let me address the basic design. I do like the fingerprint pattern, though I’m not sure what Nike calls it, and it does provide some character. Now, if there were feathers on that purple or black background, then I would have already ordered one. I’m not as worried about the solid sleeves, as those often get pushed up by keepers, and by those of us who live in the Florida heat. I’m equally unbothered by the solid collar. These keeper kits do at least provide some of the color that the White Plume kits don’t.

I think in the end, I would have liked to have seen what we might have gotten if we combined the White Plume elements with the color of the keeper kit. I’m betting those would be jerseys I’d want in my collection.

That’s my take on the kits. How about you? Are you planning on picking up one or both? Let us know in the poll below!