Away kits often provide clubs with the opportunity to try something a little different.
Excelsior Rotterdam have taken that opportunity and opted for something rather refined.
The champagne-coloured base immediately sets the tone. It’s a shade that feels a touch more dressed up than your typical away shirt and gives the kit a distinctive look before you even get to the finer details.
Those details, however, are where the shirt really begins to tell its story.
The design draws inspiration from the Kuyl’s Fundatie, one of the historic hofjes found in Rotterdam’s Kralingen district. That local connection is carried further by the seal of Kralingen itself, which takes pride of place beneath the collar before repeating across the shirt in a subtle, shimmering pattern.
It’s the kind of detail that doesn’t immediately jump out at you but adds another layer once you spot it.
The red and black accents ensure the club’s own identity isn’t lost among the softer tones. Simple collar and cuff detailing keeps everything grounded and prevents the design from becoming overly elaborate.
The result raises an interesting question.
Should away kits lean into elegance like this, or are they at their best when they’re bolder and more experimental?
Excelsior have clearly chosen the former.
There’s a confidence in keeping things relatively restrained and allowing the colour palette and local references to do the heavy lifting.
Whether it’s a shirt for the terraces, an evening out or simply one to admire from afar, it’s certainly one of the more sophisticated looks heading out on the road this season.
We’ll raise a glass to that.
Join the conversation:
https://x.com/the_kitsman?s=21&t=YKLtf2JIakFxujMRxTUh9Q
https://www.instagram.com/the.kitsman?igsh=ZWtuMDJkb2c4Ynhz&utm_source=qr
