Reims has hosted the coronations of French kings for centuries, so perhaps it’s only fitting that Stade de Reims have given their latest away shirt something of the royal treatment.
Known as the City of Coronations, Reims is home to the magnificent Notre-Dame Cathedral, where generations of French monarchs received their crowns.
The club’s latest PUMA creation draws on that sense of grandeur, and there’s certainly plenty to admire.
A soft chalk-grey base is decorated with intricate white floral ornamentation, creating a wonderfully elaborate pattern that reveals itself without overpowering the shirt.
There’s something almost like the decorative fabric of a royal court about it, with those flowing botanical shapes adding depth to an otherwise understated colour scheme.
Champagne gold provides the finishing touch.
It’s a particularly appropriate choice for Reims, a city every bit as famous for its champagne as its royal history.
Gold runs around the collar and sleeve cuffs, providing just enough contrast against the pale background. Even the buttoned neckline adds to the rather stately appearance, giving the shirt an almost formal quality.
It’s a lovely example of how much difference a restrained colour palette can make.
There’s plenty of intricate detail across the fabric, yet the combination of grey, white and gold stops the design from becoming too busy.
We’ve seen plenty of clubs look towards the decorative history of their cities for inspiration.
SPAL, for example, incorporated the architectural heritage of Ferrara into their famous stripes earlier this season:
Armenia’s recent Macron collection also drew on centuries of decorative tradition, bringing historic manuscript artistry onto its shirts with some particularly impressive gold detailing:
Reims have taken a quieter approach, allowing the ornamentation and colours to do most of the work.
Of course, white and gold have long been associated with prestige, and football has its own famous examples.
Real Madrid immediately spring to mind, having worn the combination on numerous occasions. Yet the pairing is hardly exclusive to Europe’s most decorated clubs.
Is there a more luxurious colour combination in football than white and gold?
Black and gold might have something to say about that, but there’s an elegance to the lighter pairing that is difficult to replicate.
A shirt befitting the City of Coronations, with just enough royal splendour to make an impression.
Images; @stadedereims
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