We’re putting our flag in the ground with this one: Forward Madison are setting the standard for football shirt releases in America.

Not simply because they keep producing good shirts, either. It’s the whole package.

The concepts, storytelling, photography and willingness to have some fun with what a football shirt can be have turned their releases into something worth looking out for. Their latest might be one of the cleanest yet.

Forward Madison have set sail with their new Marina Collection, celebrating the nautical lifestyle and sailing culture surrounding Madison and the five lakes around the city’s isthmus.

At the centre of it all is the new Regatta jersey.

White, navy and gold is already a difficult combination to get wrong, but there’s something particularly satisfying about how it’s been used here.

The navy collar with its gold trim immediately brings that Captain’s whites aesthetic into play, while Hummel’s famous chevrons running across the shoulders only strengthen the look. The striped body keeps things considerably more relaxed, giving the shirt the sort of breezy, nautical appearance the concept calls for.

Then you start noticing the smaller details.

There’s the gold Forward Madison crest, the sailing club patch and a series of nautical flags sitting on the nape of the neck. None of them need to dominate the shirt to sell the theme.

It works just as well alongside the wider Marina Collection, too. This feels less like a football club putting a nautical pattern on a shirt and more like Forward Madison building an entire visual identity around the idea.

That’s where they continue to get things right.

American football has become a fascinating place for kit design. Clubs often appear willing to experiment with concepts and collaborations that might be considered too unconventional elsewhere, and there’s now some serious competition for attention.

Yet Forward Madison keep finding ways to stand out.

So we’ll throw this one over to you: which US club is producing the best football kits right now?

Forward Madison have our vote for setting the standard, but who gets yours?

Aye, aye Madison. Forward we sail!

Credit; @forwardmadisonfc @hummelsport @hummelnorthamerica

#forwardmadison #regatta #maritime #nautical #footballkits #thekitsman

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