What are the Top Five Best Dressed Rivalries in Professional Sports?

Published 3 years ago -


David Pepin, Editor-In-Chief

Have you ever had that one friend that just picked whichever team had the cooler uniforms to cheer for? What teams wear to play is becoming more and more of a focus of sports each year. They have evolved into such a huge part of sports culture on social media with uniform reveals and for the teams who have even more chance to market new products and looks.

The recent “uniform revolution” in sports has been a long time coming and it has featured some wildly creative experimental designs like the Miami Heat’s “Miami Vice” uniform series as part of the NBA Nike City Edition uniforms or the NHL Winter Classic uniforms that two teams playing every year unveil as a modern take on classic designs.

If you have ever been a fan of a sports team, then chances are you love to hate the uniform of your team’s biggest rival. For some bitter rivals, when they face off it looks sweeter than ever though. Some rivalries just look better than others, just like how some are more intense than others.

The following list is my top five favorite uniform rivalries in professional sports:

5) Boston Celtics vs Los Angeles Lakers

Normally I dislike green and yellow uniform matchups, but with the Celtics and Lakers both holding some of the league’s most classic uniforms, it’s impossible not to appreciate them on the same court. The NBA’s most storied rivalry is also its most fashionable matchup, and it has been ever since their first game in 1948.

Both have gone through minor uniform adjustments throughout their history, but have kept the same style and design for the most part. This has allowed the rivalry to get that look and feel that transcends generations of both fans and players. Those who have a stake in the rivalry learn to hate the uniform of the other, and with the uniforms staying consistent over a long period of time, they are a symbol that only intensifies the rivalry.

While the modern NBA is filled with lots of flashy, experimental uniforms, it seems like the classic matchups are always the best. There’s nothing extravagant about the Celtics and Lakers uniform matchup; it’s just two simple, yet timeless looks that are perfect the way they are.

4) New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox

The most iconic rivalry in sports also features two of the most iconic uniforms. Whenever these teams play, spectators can usually count on two things: each team doing whatever it takes to beat the other, and they will look good doing it.

The only reason this matchup isn’t higher on the list is because the Yankees carry the matchup a bit when it comes to the uniforms. The Red Sox have classic uniforms that will never go out of style, but the Yankees pinstripes are one of the top uniforms ever to be worn. There’s a reason they’ve never changed their wardrobe in their history.

Still, the colors blend well with each other. Both teams use white, grey and navy blue heavily in their home and away uniforms, and the Red Sox’s touch of red adds a little bit of contrast to the matchup that gives it flair. To date, these two have played each other 2,272 times, and every single time they each dressed their best for their biggest rival.

3) New York Giants vs Dallas Cowboys

The best thing that these two uniforms have going for them is their simplicity. The saying “simple yet effective” can best describe this matchup of two of the NFL’s most basic, yet sharp looking uniforms.

The thing that really sets this matchup ahead is how well each team’s colors mix with each other on the field. Both teams use a similar shade of blue and white as their primary colors and they compliment each other beautifully on the field. The matchup is very easy on the eyes because of both teams use of simple designs and logos. Luckily for football fans, these teams are in the same division, so these uniforms are on the field together at least twice a year.

While both teams have good looking uniforms, neither are top tier NFL uniforms by themselves. However, when they face each other on the field, it is a very aesthetically pleasing game to watch, especially when the game is in Dallas and the iconic Cowboys star logo sits at midfield.

2) Los Angeles Dodgers vs San Francisco Giants

If you’ve made it this far in the list, you can see that I personally prefer classic and clean uniform designs over some of the showy and complicated designs in modern professional sports. The Dodgers and Giants hold one of the most stylish matchups in pro sports because they each have some of the top uniforms on their own.

The Dodgers home white uniform is probably one of the best uniforms in sports. The royal blue script lettering pops out from the white jersey and the red front numbers give it enough variety to make it one of the most recognizable uniforms in sports. The Giants on the other hand, I think have underrated uniforms. The black and orange make for a good combination, and their cream colored home uniforms give them variation in a sport where the uniform styles really don’t vary much.

Even though both teams originally came from New York, the uniform matchup now represents northern vs southern California. The colors play oppose each other, but at the same time play nice with each other; orange contrasting blue and black contrasting white perfectly.

1) Boston Bruins vs Montreal Canadiens

These are the two best uniforms in the NHL. While the Bruins have gone through several uniform changes in their history, the ones they currently wear are their best look. The Canadiens on the other hand have almost never changed their uniform. Something else that has almost never changed is the intense rivalry each team and their fans have for each other.

This is one of the best rivalries in sports, and it is the best looking rivalry also. The Bruins black and gold uniforms featuring the famous “spoked B” logo are about as perfect as a hockey uniform comes, matched only by their biggest rival’s famous “bleu blanc et rouge.” I’m mostly giving this rivalry the top spot because I think they’re the two best uniforms in the NHL, but they do work well together on the ice. They each take simple designs and make them all-time looks.

The rivalry, which started in 1924, has never looked as good as it does now. Both uniforms seem both modern and classic at the same time and they are an easy pick for the top spot in this list.

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