PREMIER LEAGUE NEW KIT SPECIAL: The strips your team will be wearing in 2011-12

By Sportsmail Reporter

Forget about London Fashion Week and ignore what's happening on the catwalks of New York and Milan.

The smartest gear for next season will soon hit the shops and you can get a first look right here as the Premier League teams unveil their home, away and third kits for the new campaign.

Some supporters will be desperate to pull on their their new strip while some will be thinking 'it's just not me' but will wear it anyway.

How many bigger-built fans have their fingers crossed their club doesn't go down the skinny-fit route Spurs went down a few seasons ago?

And before the official release there's bound to be some dodgy fakes doing the rounds on the internet.



So with a whole host of new strips hitting the stores in the coming weeks - Sportsmail brings you the best - and worst - of what's on offer throughout the summer.

ARSENAL

A fading title challenge aside, Arsenal don't have much to cheer these days (just take a look at the Emirates trophy cabinet) so to make up for it, the kit next season is set to celebrate their 125th anniversary.

This is the official version of the new kit, but it looks a little lost without a white collar.

On Song: Arsenal players turn their attention to Alex Song in the new home kit

After getting over the initial shock of what looks like a cut-and-shut kit, fans may take to the blue Monacoesque style shirt that takes the same colour scheme as the club's mid-90s away kit.

The diagonal line represents the gnomon (the pointer) which casts the shadow on a sundial - to commemorate the original Dial Square sundial on the site of the Arsenal munitions factory in Woolwich, where the Club was founded in 1886.

Blue is the colour: Samir Nasri models the new away strip

The back of the shirt is entirely navy blue, with one sleeve navy and the other turquoise blue. A stripe runs down each sleeve, broken into three parts to further represent the Dial Square sundial.

According to Nike, The improved Nike Dri-Fit fabric, now 13 per cent lighter than previous kits, helps to quickly evaporate moisture, drawing it through the fabric to the surface to keep players dry...what happens when it rains we are not entirely sure. Sportsmail verdict 6/10



ASTON VILLA



Following the arrival of £24million Darren Bent in January, Aston Villa fans probably had something else in mind when they heard they would be seeing more cheques in the summer.

Sadly for them it may turn out the ‘checks’ are for their new home strip – with this latest kit from Nike not stretching too far into innovation.

Check us out: Darren Bent, Marc Albrighton and Nathan Delfouneso can't decide which camera to look at while new signing Shay Given shows off the new goalkeeper kit

In fact take away the claret checks and you just have Villa’s home shirt from the 2008/09 season.

Admittedly it doesn’t look that bad but you can't help think Nike are scraping the barrel for trying to think of ways to design a Villa kit.

Not quite on par with Croatia, but a decent effort nonetheless.Sportsmail Verdict 7/10



Checkmate: Aston Villa have a new shirt sponsor for this season Check it out: Marc Albrighton wears Villa's new away strip

And you don't have to look too far to see where the inspiration is behind the away strip - which has been confirmed by the club.

Checks can look good and with the claret trim in support, this is a decent effort – even if it does look like a Boavista shirt that has been through the wash a fair few times.



Made from Nike Considered recycled material, both the shirt and shorts are produced using up to 13 discarded plastic water bottles, making it Nike's greenest ever kit.



For the fan’s sake we hope that is the only bit of rubbish they will see from their team next season.



Sportsmail verdict 6/10



BLACKBURN

After securing Premier League survival only on the final day of last season and selling star man Phil Jones, Rovers supporters can be forgiven for feeling a little negative about their team’s chances next term.

Hands up if you like the sponsor: Martin Olsson, Steven Nzonzi and Junior Hoilett model the unconfirmed Rovers strip

Thankfully, Umbro have stepped in to seemingly design two decent strips for Steve Kean’s side for 2011/12.

Both the home and away shirts here are unconfirmed and won't help recapture past Premier League glories (no matter what technology Umbro will put in the kit to 'aid' performance.)



But fans aiming to buy a replica will at least look like they can walk around Lancashire with a bit of pride.

Supporters will be pleased there is not a ‘Crown Paints’ logo in sight as it ruined their home shirt for the last three years, but would they really prefer the 'Venky's' brand instead?

Rovers are expected to wear the above kit (with logo) for their pre-season tour in Hong Kong but are expected to confirm a new sponsor in time for the new campaign. Venky's or not we hope it doesn't spoil a tidy kit from Umbro. Sportsmail verdict 7/10

And that goes for the away kit too where Rovers may wear yellow for the first time since 2004.

If so it's a welcome change from the usual red and black numbers the club churn out, yet is not as disastrous as the orange kit from the late 90s. Sportsmail verdict 7/10

BOLTON



Rumours that Bolton’s new home strip was designed by a five-year-old dizzy on lemonade are yet to be founded, either way this is enough to give you a migraine.

The only credit to Reebok is that they have been ambitious with their latest attempt and no fan can complain that it looks remotely similar to any other strip from seasons gone by.



But judging by the look on Kevin Davies’ face, he doesn’t seem overjoyed with the latest design and it's hard to imagine where you can wear this anywhere outside the Reebok Stadium without being laughed at...and that's before you get to the netting/see-through material on the front of the shirt.



Bolton may have got away with this in the fashion-challenged early 90s, but it’s hard to see this being looked back on as being innovative or classic a few years down the line. Sportsmail Verdict 3/10

What do you think lads? Bolton players Chung-yong Lee (left) and Kevin Davies try to keep a straight face modelling the new Bolton home strip



Yet there is better news for those looking for a more simple design. The black away shirt shares the same Reebok template but with less Picasso and more elegance is a big improvement on the home shirt.

So much so that for the first time next season, the Reebok Stadium could be full of black shirts in the stands. Sporstmail rating 7/10

CHELSEA

They may be slightly off the pace with a handful of games to go in the Premier League but Chelsea have stolen a march on their rivals by bursting out of the traps in the fashion race.

The new home kit takes inspiration from Chelsea strips of the early 1980s with the shadow striped design on the front while the white shoulder pad has been added to make adidas' iconic three stripes stand out.

Could you carry this off on the King's Road? We think so. Sportsmail verdict 8/10

Blues brothers: (from left) How Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, John Terry and Fernando Torres will look

Is that a good idea? Petr Cech models the new ALL-WHITE keeper's kit while Lampard does a catalogue pose And below is the design of the Blues new away kit for next season. The change strip takes on a unique patch-work look which the likes Lampard and Torres will hope to stun their opponents. Or the club might just be using it to demonstrate to £50m flop Fernando Torres what a goal actually looks like? It's a black and blue nightmare: Sportsmail's verdict 4/10 To be Frank: Lampard doesn't look that chuffed to be wearing the new away kit And if you thought it can only get better after that, rumour has it Adidas have designed an even worse third kit. A secondary away strip does appear to be in the pipeline but Blues fans will be begging it's not this monstrosity which looks like a hybrid of the club's change shirts from the 2009/10 campaign. Both were great designs in their own right, but put together look a disaster and fans already cautious about tricky trips to Everton and Manchester City next season have another cause to be worried. Sportsmail verdict 3/10 Blue is the colour...or is it yellow? Chelsea's rumoured third strip for the 2011/12 season EVERTON

No cooling/performance aiding stuff here. Le Coq Sportif have gone back to basics with a simple blue shirt complimented by golden brown trim and a smart collar to match. The same amount of thought looks to have gone into the away strip, but looks much less classy. How long does it take to think of sticking three logos on to a standard T-shirt? Ready to go: Jack Rodwell, Tim Cahill and Phil Neville pose in the new home strip Both shirts lack all the usual scientific nonsense that come with your standard football kit, but don’t expect a price drop because of that. Overall the home strip, for all its basic design, does look the part and will be one of the smartest strips on show in the Premier League next season. Sportsmail home verdict 8/10

The yellow strip is not going to be remembered for years to come but Toffees fans will be pleased to see the back of that garish pink strip. Sportsmail away verdict 6/10 The biggest shout for Everton is their camouflaged goalkeeper kit Tim Howard will be wearing next season. It's going to split fans but we rather like it, although we are not sure of its intent. Yes it may make it difficult for strikers to easily see the positioning of the keeper, but it will also make pass-backs a little more interesting at Goodison Park next term.

FULHAM All change: Fulham have released a new home and away strip for 2011/12 There just seems to be no middle ground with Kappa.

After graphite/red and green/gold away kits from 2010/11 were considered a step too far in design by some supporters, the Italian company for this season have opted for two new strips with a simple design that is hard to get wrong. They somehow do. The Kappa logos on the arms are gigantic on both shirts while the sponsor across the middle must be one of the biggest in the Premier League. There also is a weird stitching on the front of the shirt which looks ridiculous and has echoes of Chelsea’s double winning shirt from 2009/10…Fulham are clutching at straws if they think that’s what drove their west London rivals to success.

Fans once again will be disappointed with a skin-tight design (the club even advise supporters to buy one size larger) but can take consolation that the strip will contain 'underwiring' technology...or maybe not.

In fairness it's close to being a neat and classy effort from Kappa but the huge and high logos spoil the overall look. Sportsmail verdict 5/10

Fans looking to wear something a bit brighter at Craven Cottage next term may prefer to purchase the luminous green goalkeeper kit which is also new for next season.



LIVERPOOL Feeling blue: Dirk Kuyt models the new Liverpool third strip Good news Liverpool fans. Your team‘s new third strip (right) for the 2011/12 season will be one of the classiest looking in the Premier League. Bad news is it will share the colours of local rivals Everton! Adidas have tried to side-step the issue by calling it cyan, but the colour choice is in fact a nod to the club’s first home kit worn almost 120 years ago which incorporated blue and white halves. There is more positives though as this kit is soaked in technology including Techfit and Climacool, which somehow increase speed, endurance and awareness….no we don’t know how a football kit can do this either but it is still going to cost you £50

On design alone it looks excellent, but points are deducted for putting blue on a Liverpool kit which is sure to split fans. Sportsmail verdict 8/10

If the Liverpool players aren't careful they'll fade into the background during their midweek matches in the winter next season with this new strip.

But then again, maybe that's what the club want, in case they have another disastrous start to the season and find themselves in the bottom half of the table once again.

Joking aside, the Anfield club have chosen a smart number for their new campaign, a top that could even look classy on the right person. They say that grown men shouldn't wear replica tops outside the ground, but that could all be about to change. Sportsmail verdict 8/10

Black is back: Liverpool have chosen a sleek new design for next season's away kit MANCHESTER CITY Stick to music: Some might say Liam Gallagher is a better rock star than a model as he poses in City's new home shirt The future is bright for Manchester City but they are certainly not leading the way in kit designs. Umbro's idea of a new home strip seems to be just change to a V-neck collar and switch the sponsor colour. This is only a rumoured effort but fans will be hoping for something a little more adventurous ahead of their first season in the Champions League.

And they certainly hope that rock star Liam Gallagher doesn't get carried away with his promotional role and get involved in first team matters. Sportsmail verdict 6/10

A red and black striped away shirt is certainly not new to fans with the inspiration taken from the most famous shirt in the club’s history – the black and red shirt worn in 1969 and 1970 during which time City won the FA Cup, League Cup and European Cup Winners Cup.

Indeed it is a smart design with its simplistic stripes and we think the gold marking on the sponsor and logos are pulled off well. 'The shirt is designed so that when a player celebrates a goal or links arms with team mates, the black and red stripe remains consistent. For this reason, there is no seam on the underarm as traditionally stitching can distort the shape and flow of a stripe.' according to designers Umbro.

City will look good trying to overshadow AC Milan in the Champions League but fans will only have to ask Tottenham and Blackburn supporters about having skin-tight shirts. Sportsmail verdict 8/10

City slickers: Dedryck Boyata, Edin Dzeko and Pablo Zabaleta (l-r) proudly show off Man City's new away kit MANCHESTER UNITED Ready to go: Patrice Evra poses in the new Manchester United home strip Unlike the team, Manchester United kits have been uninspiring in recent years but despite winning a record 19th league title next season will be no different.

After an experiment with the black rugby league-style 'v' last season and a tacky retro number for this campaign, Nike have lost all creativity and plumped for a plain red shirt with a weird black and white collar.

It looks like it was designed in no more than five minutes and for an extra £10 on top of the already pricey £44.99, fans can choose to customise their kit with the lettering 'champions' and No.19 in gold on the reverse.

It probably wasn't the golden touch that fans were hoping for. Sportsmail home verdict 5/10

The away kit looks a lot like a T-shirt with its round collar but despite the hoops inside the hoops style, United fans will welcome the new blue strip. On the previous nine occasions they have worn a blue kit in the Premier League, they have only failed to win the title once.

Not bad but if you're going for blue and black stripes, do it right like Inter Milan. Sportsmail away verdict 6/10

Contrary to popular belief, United are not the worst offenders for releasing multiple shirts every season and will retain last term's white jersey for their third kit. NEWCASTLE

And now for something completely different. Full marks to Puma for trying to give Newcastle's black and white stripes a new twist.

An interesting addition is the 'go faster' stripes down the front - which neatly incorporates the sponsor's logo - but there is still no hard evidence these work on cars... or footballers. Newcastle's loyal fans won't be too bothered what it looks like as long as they can easily whip it off to reveal a bare chest on a freezing cold evening at a ground near you. The most original Toon kit in a long time, a lot better than the cream-cracker effort from two seasons back. Sportsmail verdict 8/10 And speaking of change strips, Newcastle have released two for the upcoming campaign. If fans were shocked by the home kit then they will be blinded by the away shirt which sees the Toon wear orange for the first time in their history. The black stripes from the Puma template sadly take the edge off this though and do not look as good as the blue and white colours that replaced them on a previously leaked picture. Sportsmail verdict 7/10 And we are a bit puzzled by the third kit. Yes it looks stylish with its different shade diagonal lines and white stripes going across the front of the chest. And even the gold Puma logo and badge look decent. But the point of a change strip is so that there is no clash of colours, and here we have a home strip that is black and white and a third strip that is...well...black and white. As a stand alone kit though this is a solid effort by Puma. Sportsmail verdict 8/10 Norwich

Norwich are the first of the Premier League's promoted sides to release a new kit but this effort is hardly going to get Canary supporters chirping with excitement. Fans looking for some Italian flare from designers Errea will be left disappointed with the basic looking shirt which hardly captures a smile from Grant Holt and Co modelling the kit.

Italian job: Grant Holt shows off Norwich's new kits for their return to the Premier League

They will also have to deal with the white trim that has appeared on the sleeves and the collar for the first time, but sponsors Aviva will not be complaining about under exposure. Fabrizio Taddei, Errea Sales Director however was more optimistic: 'Once the fans see the new 'Creato in Italia' range we are sure they will be delighted not only with the styling and quality, but also with the fact that the clothing is produced in the EU and carries the unique Oeko-Tex non-toxic textiles guarantee.'

We are sure they will agree... Sportsmail verdict 5/10

Errea keep with the simple design concept for the away strip - the first time the club have released a green kit since their last Premier League campaign in 2004/05. The smart white collar gives the kit a classy feel, matched by the white trim on the sleeves. There isn't much originality here either but it's hard to see fans not taking to it.Sportsmail verdict 7/10

QPR Red alert: Alejandro Faurlin shows off QPR's third shirt It’s a time for celebration at QPR after the club secured their return to the Premier League following a 15 year absence. And in retro fashion, they has announced a third strip in a nod back to the glory years of the mid-70s. Unlike the decade that brought us glam rock and Starsky and Hutch, QPR’s kit is made with Poly Double Mesh 10 - an elastic material ideal in even the most challenging phases of the game - this shirt combines lightness and breathability with a comfortable and ergonomic fitting to bring out an athlete's physicality…obviously. As for the design, we like the squares which isn’t being used on any other other Premier League shirt, which not only looks good but scores bonus points on originality. The Club is currently in negotiations regarding shirt sponsorship for next season, so are unable to confirm an exact date when the shirt will be on sale.

It’s been a long wait for a new strip this summer, but it’s better late than never from Rangers. Sportsmail verdict 8/10 Plain hoops: QPR's home shirt Unveiled on the opening day of the season was QPR's new home strip and fans will be dead chuffed that the shirt abandons the red trim from last season that split the blue and white hoops.

Helping the overall look is the lack of sponsorship, which leaves the shirt looking very classy and is sure to be out in force on fans' backs around Shepherds Bush every fortnight. (Despite Taarabt's expert modelling pose - gloves are NOT included.) Sportsmail verdict 7/10 Orange crush: QPR's away strip At a glance you would think QPR's new away shirt is Orange but no, accoding to Lotto, this is Mango Tone... Apparntley the kit combines lightness and breathability with a comfortable and ergonomic fitting thanks to the Poly Double Mesh 10, an elastic fabric ideal even in the most challenging phases of the game. As per Lotto's tradition, great attention is given to details: the England flag embellishes the inside of the shirts and the Club's crest is processed with Lextra which offers a special 3D effect. That's all well and good but we hope for QPR's sake the triangle on the front is not the only three points the shirt sees all season. Sportsmail verdict 6/10 STOKE Stripes are in: Fans will be pleased to see stripes feature on the front and back of the new home shirt Stoke fans have already been through an identity crisis this season when the traditional stripes were removed from the back of the club's home strip. But they will be pleased to hear that although they will have to shell out another £45 on a new home shirt, the stripes look set return to the back of the strip. The club website is taking pre-orders on the kit but has not yet released an official picture.

Adidas have taken things to a new level for the away kit, unveiling a kit that the club believes makes them resemble Inter Milan.

With the club in Europe next term, even captain Ryan Shawcross couldn’t help but notice the obvious link with the Italian giants. ‘Let’s hope we can play like Inter Milan too,' he said. 'It looks very impressive and I am sure it will be a winner with our fans.’ It’s a neat enough effort from Adidas, even with that slightly annoying collar. But despite the optimism of Shawcross, don’t expect the Potters to be challenging for a Champions League place just yet.

Sportsmail verdict 7/10 SUNDERLAND Judging by the presence of the Premier League badge on the sleeve, the home kit was designed before Sunderland started their alarming slide down the table. But ignoring the fact that relegation was still a possibility late in the season, this is a smart effort from Umbro, who have kept a simple design with the stripes but included a black trim around the collar and sleeves that looks neat and tidy. Black Cats fans will certainly look the part. Sportsmail verdict 8/10 For the new away kit there is a simple but effective blue and white design, however Umbro are slightly tempting fate with this. The last time the Black Cats had these colours as their away strip, they were relegated from the Premier League with a then record low total of 19 points and 21 goals in 2003. After the slump towards the end of last season fans won't want another reminder of how bad things can really get. On the positive side a chirpy looking Titus Bramble and Co don't look like they will be feeling the blues anytime soon. Sportsmail verdict: 9/10 SWANSEA What better way to celebrate your promotion to the top-flight than thrash out a deal with kit giants Adidas? That's what the Jacks have done by securing the German giant's services for their first season in the Premier League. Although it's pretty much the same template as the Stoke kit, it still looks simple and classy and has proved a hit with fans with the club already selling out its first batch of replicas. The red sponsor logo looks a touch out of place but fans will look the part inside the Liberty Stadium and out. Sportsmail verdict 7/10 For the away strip, supporters can be justified for feeling a little disappointed with Adidas's lazy effort. It's not an awful design but it is a recycled template from last year worn by a number of Russian sides including Lokomotiv Moscow and Torpedo Moscow. The Autheno design contains the usual Adidas gizmos ClimaCool and ClimaLite and is on sale from the club for £40. For a strip that you can purchase for a Sunday League outfit (at £30 per shirt less) fans will hope the Jacks don't play like one in their maiden Premier League campaign. Sportsmail verdict 5/10

Selling fast: Swansea sold out their initial allocation of 6,000 shirts (left) almost instantly

TOTTENHAM Much to the dismay of fan's purse strings, Tottenham have unveiled three new strips for the eighth year running. In fact, make that four when you take into account that the north London club are also releasing a cup kit (same as below just with a different sponsor.) Consolation comes in the form of actual design. The collar adds a classy touch to an all-white shirt and is a damn sight better than the yellow streaks that plagued the home strip a couple of years ago. Speaking of which we're not too sure about the yellow that has found its way on to the third shirt and neither do we think you would get away with wearing the purple number anywhere outside N17.

Overall though a solid effort from Puma who are in the last year of their contract with Spurs before the club switch to Under Armour for next season. Sportsmail verdict 7/10



Three is the magic number: Luka Modric, Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart show off the 2012 range

WEST BROM

After avoiding a relegation scrap last season, West Brom fans can celebrate a rare successive Premier League campaign by splashing out on two new replica kits this summer.

Adidas replace Umbro and supporters can be satisfied with the German kit supplier's first efforts.



Double up: The Baggies revealed their new home and away strips on the same day



The home strip is a standard Adidas template but the blue and white stripes work well and it contains that old favourite 'climacool' technology...meaning the shirt will cost you nearly £45.



The only downside is the 'bodog' sponsor which looks tacky on the home kit with its splashes of red and gold, otherwise it looks the part. Sportsmail verdict 7/10



The away strip ticks all the boxes, with the cyan kit a massive improvement on the dull all-black number from last season and is sure to be a fan favourite. Sportsmail verdict 9/10



WIGAN

Wigan produced a great escape to beat relegation last season, but judging by their latest new home shirt the celebrations haven’t lasted too long.

Thankfully the tacky single stripe from last term has gone, and kit manufactures Mi-Fit have opted for a plain blue shirt with white trim around the sleeves and collar to compliment.

But the star of the show has to be the buttoned neck – when was the last time a Premier League kit had that?!

It looks slightly bland but as far as football shirts go, it’s one you can at least walk down the street in without looking like a fashion disaster. And at £35 it is one of the cheaper shirts available too.

Whether it manages to cram more fans into a normally sparse DW Stadium is anyone’s guess, but at least Wigan are offering some sort of value for money to their supporters.



Sportsmail verdict 6/10

The Latics have two new away strips for this season and Mi-Fit again stick to the basics - and have not made a bad job of it.

The round neck navy blue shirt looks the part with it's fluorescent yellow trim. While the white third strip is probably one of the smartest in the Premier League with it's traditional collar and gold trim.

The sponsor logo slightly tarnishes it, but it looks much better than last season's black number. Sportsmail verdict 7/10



Ready to go: Ben Watson (left) and Victor Moses pull off their best pose for Wigan's new away strips

WOLVES

Wolves have been hot under the collar trying to beat relegation for much of the season so to combat any future problems, designers Burrda have opted for a simple round neck on a new home shirt – the club’s fifth in as many years.



Much of the heavy black trim has gone from the previous design replaced with faint black lines which look fine until you notice the front of the shirt.



The line going across the chest looks like somebody has made a mistake with a ballpoint pen on the design template and is going to take some getting used to.



However it is a subtle attempt to be unique from the designers which fans could grow to like. Sportsmail verdict 6/10

Better news for supporters (and their purse strings) is that the club have decided to retain this year’s black away kit for next season.

Going for gold: Wolves' George Elokobi, Matt Jarvis and Adlene Guedioura (l-r) show off the new home shirt



