Just got back from the big uniform unveiling at the Santa Clara Convention Center. As COO Andy Dolich put it, the design was meant "to build a bridge to the past." In that vein, the team has retained the cherry red color from the 1980s, Joe Montana-era duds as well as the three stripes on the sleeve. The facemask on the helmet is gray instead the red on the most recent uniforms. Gone is the black shadowing on the numbers. Overall, it's a cleaner, crisper more classic look.
But the uniforms are not identical to the Montana dud or the throwbacks the team has been wearning twice a year the last few seasons. The stripes on the sleeves are more narrow -- players these days don't like long sleeves -- and the number is on top of the shoulder pad instead of on the sleeve. The team also retained the same color gold of the most recent uniforms. "It produced more texture and depth ... the players really liked it," explained director marketing Michael Williams. The stripes on the pants aren't as broad as the throwbacks -- flexibility issues -- and the team retained the black outline on the helmet. There's an NFL logo just below the neckline. Directly below that is the word "49ERS."
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The uniforms are two years in the making. Williams said a combination of input of fan focus groups, players, alumni, owner Jed York and, of course, Reebok created the uniforms.
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