Manchester United's Chinese-Inspired Prematch Jackets Spark Divided Opinion

Sport and fashion has a long and colourful history of hits and misses: from wowing at the Olympics to cringeworthy efforts at the industry’s Oscars, the Espys, teams and individuals have not always got it right. Those of a certain vintage will remember Liverpool’s ill-suited attempt to stand out at the 1996 FA Cup final, or more recently the “unbearably ugly” outfits produced for the medal ceremonies at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Now, Manchester United and Adidas have thrown their hats, or rather, Chinese-inspired prematch jackets, into the ring of public opinion to be judged – and it is fair to say not everyone is a fan. Ugly, tacky and looking like traditional grave clothes, or a huge win for the club and a must-have for the fashion-conscious United fan? Unsurprisingly, opinion online is divided. Made of suede-like fabric, the grey jacket features a Tangzhuang-style, or kung fu, aesthetic with mandarin collars, knot buttons and a martial arts-inspired silhouette instead of the traditional tracksuit. It combines a minimalist white “Red Devil” crest on the right with the classic Adidas Trefoil on the left.