Behind The Design: This Is England Collection
Before 1974, the National England Kit was dominated by monochrome pallets and simple block colours. Then Admiral arrived, taking over manufacturing in 1974, revolutionising the kits by introducing the bold red, white and blue stripes, a deliberate homage to British heritage.
The new "This Is England" collection is directly inspired by these classic Admiral uniforms. Exploring the Admiral archives, the design team curated a collection of images spotlighting players in the iconic track jackets and t-shirts famously worn by legends of the era. The resulting mood board captures the authentic and vintage spirit of Admiral's collections, with the final products reinterpreting them in a modern light.
The Greenhoff England Track Top draws inspiration from Admiral's iconic 1974 England training wear. Retaining the original royal blue colour palette, the design has been carefully refined for a contemporary audience, with updated sleeve striping and a cleaner silhouette enhancing its versatility beyond the football pitch.
The oversized Admiral branding seen on the original garment has been replaced with a more understated chest logo, allowing the design details to take centre stage. To reinforce the garment's connection to England's football heritage, "ENGLAND" is boldly applied across the back, creating a strong visual statement.
The Lloyd England Ringer T-Shirt was developed as a more understated expression of the collection's themes. Drawing inspiration from Admiral's 1982 World Cup leisure range, with dual-stripe detailing across the chest and contrasting trim around the collar and sleeves. This subtle detail creates a visual link to the wider collection while allowing the garment to function as an everyday piece.
By balancing sporting references with a clean silhouette, the Lloyd T-Shirt reflects the crossover between football culture and casualwear that continues to define the game today.
The Parker Admiral T-Shirt takes inspiration from one of the defining innovations of the early 1980s: sublimation printing. As new manufacturing techniques emerged, football apparel moved beyond simple colour blocking and began to embrace more complex graphic treatments. The Parker T-Shirt celebrates this period of innovation through an all-over sublimated print inspired by the colours of the 1982 home kit.
The This Is England collection is available now.
