The NWSL's Boston Legacy FC released its inaugural kit. It left me underwhelmed.
Here's my review of the team's First Light primary kit that was released Friday.
On Friday, Boston Legacy FC, the new National Women’s Soccer League team, released its inaugural kit ahead of its first game on March 14. The look is titled First Light in honor of it being “a new dawn for the city of Boston,” according to the release video.
The name encapsulates Boston’s soccer journey, from being home to the NWSL Boston Breakers, which folded in 2018, to now starting a new professional team. It also drives home that it’s a new day for Boston sports — one that includes women athletes.
So far, the Legacy has only released First Light, its primary kit, which features a mint green backdrop with texture, as well as black and pink accents.
I highly anticipated this release, going as far as to write an article looking at jersey inspiration from other teams that I’d love to see the Legacy adopt.
But when I first clicked on the announcement post, I was underwhelmed. I wanted to feel ecstatic. I wanted that instant add-to-cart feeling. I wanted something that I could envision flooding the streets of Boston on game day.
But something was missing.
What it comes down to is Legacy’s color palette. The team has been rocking its green and pink everywhere I’ve looked leading up to this release, from the training kits to its pink puffers. The colors together, but especially the vibrant pink, bring an incredibly strong female energy to the forefront that I want to see the Legacy competing in on the regular.
Despite First Light utilizing both colors, the jersey feels primarily green and black since the pink arm and neckline stripes are so small, minimizing the pairing’s impact.
The kit’s socks, however, feature a thicker pink stripe that serves as a redeeming colorful element and is sure to be incredibly eye catching while the players are running on the field.
My other issue off-the-bat was the material. While it looks incredibly comfortable and sweat-wicking, the pattern looks too much like a cable-knit sweater, missing the goal of powerful and hitting preppy instead.
After regrouping from my initial reaction, I decidedly like the base shade of green that was chosen. It connects to the team’s primary color “Championship Green,” which is definitely the right move to sport in Titletown.
I also really wanted a soft colored jersey. In my recommendations article, I suggested the Legacy go with a paler version of its palette like the NWSL team Angel City FC did with its light pink gradient jersey.
To me, this sends a message of unapologetic femininity. I even specifically suggested the Legacy go with a light green, to which I’m glad we were on the same page.
In my article, I also noted that one of my biggest wants was a one-color uniform, from the shirt down to the socks. And the Legacy came through: They will be darting around the field in full mint green.
Fans unfortunately, won’t be able to rep the same shade of green unless they purchase the authentic First Light customizable jersey for $195. If they want a more affordable replica jersey for $100, they’ll be sporting neon green instead.
Lucky for us soccer jersey fans though, there are more Legacy kits to come.
Now, it’s time to patiently — or maybe impatiently — await their release with hope for more pink and creativity.