Thinking of buying an official Chelsea shirt or complete kit? This guide will steer you through all the considerations before you decide on which shirt to buy.
You can browse available Chelsea shirts and kits from our homepage. Although if you have never purchased a football shirt before or are buying one as a gift then read on.
Why buy one?
A replica football shirt is a great way to show support for your team. Fans are often described as the ‘twelfth man’ and even more so when they are displaying their love for their team.
It is such a buzz to walk down the street wearing the shirt of Champions. Especially after winning a crucial game or a cup.
Football shirts are also very stylish and will combine with almost anything you wear – shorts, jeans, combats.
Chelsea shirts also hold their value and even increase in price. They may been seen as an investment if they are looked after carefully. See below where we look at previous season shirts.
Home, Away or third?
If you have been browsing around you may have noticed more than one Chelsea shirt, shorts and socks. In fact Chelsea have no less than six different kits in any one season. This provides great choice, with a range of styles and colours.
The home kit is always blue. It is worn in most games played by Chelsea. It is the most popular of the shirts by far.
The away kit for this season is a slick black design shaded blue square details. This shirt is worn in away games where blue would clash with the home team.
The third kit this season is quite a controversial design in white and black with a yellow band. This kit is worn where both home and away shirts will clash with the home team. It is fair to say that this shirt is worn less frequently. However, if the colour and style match your tastes then go for it.
In addition to the three above, there are three goalkeeping strips. Worn by Peter Cech these are typically bold and bright colours. A great choice if the Chelsea fan is a goalkeeping fanatic.
Which shirt you choose is down to your personal preference. Whilst at Stamford Bridge you will see a sea of blue (home shirt), it is good to stand out from the crowd. Go with whatever shirt you like the look of.
This season or last season?
Yep there is even more choice. The current season shirts will be worn in the 2011/12 season. That means a new Chelsea shirt and kit will be released next season. It also means that there are still previous season shirts available.
You can pick up last season shirts incredibly cheap. Whilst the normal price of a shirt is £40 for an Adult mens. You can pick up the last season’s shirts for as little as £20. Of course, the availability of sizes will be limited.
However, try going back a couple of seasons or more and you will find the shirts expensive. It is not uncommon to find 2002/03 shirts for over £100. This shows how Chelsea shirts in new or excellent condition at least maintain their value. Remember in future years, they will become retro shirts. In years where Chelsea had great success, they will become particularly valuable.
Whether you choose to buy the current season shirt or last seasons, it doesn’t really matter. Next time you go to Stamford Bridge or watch Match of the Day, notice the large number of Chelsea fans wearing older shirts. If you prefer the style of a previous shirt then buy that one.
Know your size
Chelsea has a very large supporter base. All ages and all genders are able to buy a Chelsea shirt or complete kit.
It is common for all outfield shirts (so home, away and third) to be available in short and long-sleeve. The goalkeeper shirt is commonly long- sleeve.
If you want a complete kit then you will need to buy the shirt, shorts and socks separately. However, for younger fans, complete kits are available (mainly because they grown out of them so quickly!).
With Adidas as their current kit supplier, the Chelsea shirts are available in the following sizes.
Adult Mens: small, medium, large, XL and XXL.
Adult Mens outsize: 3XL, 4XL, 5XL, 6XL, 7XL and 8XL.
Womens: 8, 10, 12, 14 and 15.
Kids: ages 8, 10, 12 and 14.
Infants: from ages 3 up to 6.
Baby: from age 6 months to 24 months.
Optional extras
Instead of walking around with a shirt the same as every other Chelsea fan, personalise it a little.
You can add names and number to the back of the shirts. You can also add badges to the arms, such as Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League. Personalisation often comes at an extra cost (£5-10). However, retailers often have special offers on so be sure to check out our voucher codes on the right.
Take Care
As mentioned above, Chelsea shirts and kits may be viewed as an investment. So you want to keep your shirt looking great.
It is likely to become your favourite and most worn shirt. Luckily the shirt, shorts and socks are easy to wash, dry quickly and require little if no ironing. However, take care not to use fabric softener when washing. It can cause the printing to peel away and can begin to look like a well-worn shirt very quickly.
When you buy new shirts, try to keep hold of your older ones. If they are in a good condition (so no horrible peeling and no stains!) they can become rather valuable in future years.
