Staring at a blank shirt is the hardest part of kit design. These are the colour rules and pattern pairings that professional kit designers lean on — steal them, then make them yours.
Colour combinations that never miss
- Navy + sky blue + white — calm, classic, impossible to get wrong.
- Black + gold — instant "special edition" energy. Works best with an intricate premium pattern.
- Deep green + cream — retro without trying too hard.
- Red + white + a thin navy accent — the timeless club formula.
- Purple + orange — loud, modern, made for five-a-side teams with personality.
Rule of thumb: two colours carry the kit, the third only appears in trim, collar and badge. When every element gets its own colour, the shirt turns to noise.
Pattern pairings worth stealing
- Pinstripes + chest band — texture plus a focal point for the badge and sponsor.
- Sash over halves — bold, South American, guaranteed to stand out.
- Tonal hoops — same hue, two shades. Subtle at distance, detailed up close.
- Premium texture + plain sleeves — let an Aztec or Lightning body breathe by keeping everything else quiet.
Design principles the pros use
- Contrast the collar. A collar in the accent colour frames the design and makes the whole kit look finished.
- Respect the badge zone. Keep the left chest visually calm so the crest reads clearly.
- Design front and back together. A busy front with a plain back looks unfinished — carry at least one element over.
- Check it at thumbnail size. If the design still reads when the shirt is small on screen, it will look great everywhere.
Test every idea in minutes
Reading ideas is one thing — seeing them on a shirt is another. In My Jersey you can mock up all five colour combos above in less time than it took to read this page: pick colours, stack patterns, flip to the back, export. Save each variant and compare side by side.
Tip: Make three versions of any idea — safe, bold, and ridiculous. The winner is usually the bold one, but the ridiculous one teaches you where the line is.
Try these ideas free
Every combination in this guide takes under a minute to mock up in My Jersey.