The 2018-19 Auburn Athletic season is just days from beginning and we already have looks at new uniforms. As has been the case the last few seasons, photo day has been the big day for the soccer program. Last Monday, July 30, was senior photo day for Auburn Soccer, and the team was sporting their new uniforms, the third different iteration of the striped-sash design since 2014.

Back in 2014, Auburn shared a single photo showcasing a new jersey for the upcoming season. The Northwestern Stripes that have donned Auburn’s football uniforms for decades have been a common design motif across other Tigers team uniforms. Soccer had to join in. The stripe was used in a different way – across the chest in a diagonal direction. Sashes are a common element in soccer uniforms and Auburn’s stripe was the perfect way to make it unique. The stripes were adjusted a bit, and didn’t keep the correct stripe ratio on the then-new jerseys. The balance was off. The additional stripes on the sleeve and abdomen muddied the look as well. It was a great uniform idea that required some tweaking to make it better.

Then came 2016. Auburn once again had new kits and had improved the previous design incredibly. The sash stripe featured the correct balanced ratio and looked tremendous. The sleeve stripes were removed and larger color-blocked areas were added on the sleeves and hems. Everything felt right with this kit. It was a sound design with a great attention to detail. I truly believe these were the greatest uniforms that Auburn Soccer had ever worn.

Unfortunately, they only lasted two seasons. This third sash-style kit is a big departure from last year’s design, but maintains some elements from the previous two renditions. The most notable feature is the stripe itself – it no longer travels the entire length of the front side of the jersey. The sash has been cut in half, ultimately originating from below the player number. The half-sash design is very unique, and not for the right reasons.

Another element that is new on this kit is the collar. I can’t recall seeing wishbone style collars outside of basketball, but Auburn Soccer has one now. The orange jersey has an orange collar, which seems odd. I guess they wanted all three designs to have the same color collar. The large sleeve cuffs have been removed as well, which leaves a bit of an empty feeling. We don’t get a good look at the shorts, but it looks like they have a vertical stripe, matching the original sash kit from 2014.

For a better look at all the changes, here is a handy side-by-side image:

Overall, the new kits still look good. They just have an odd, incomplete feeling to them. The striped sash is such a great way to incorporate one of Auburn’s most notable design elements in to the uniform and I hope it stays for a long time. Cutting it in half is an odd choice. The only possible reason I can think of – outside of “why not” – is the template. Looking at the photo day image closer, it looks like Under Armour has tweaked the template to include a little ventilation area across the collarbone area. Many times it is difficult for manufacturers to continue the design across those areas, so they simply don’t even try. As odd as the half-sash look is, it is better than letting it end halfway up the chest.

Auburn Soccer’s uniform history with Under Armour hasn’t been one of great aesthetics. The uniforms have seemingly always featured random striping and color blocking with little to no thought behind them. I would much rather Auburn have this design than the earlier uniforms.

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