First I ,, I scoured the internet for any photos I could find. Old game footage, promotional shots, anything. Just wanted to flood my brain with the visuals.
Diving into the Details
Then I started to brenwod tak it down. What makes these uniforms tick? What are the key elements?
- Colors: Obviously, the black and gold is iconic. But I paid attention to the shades of gold, how they changed over the years. Some were brighter, almost yellow, others more muted.
- Logos: The evolution of the Pirate logo itself is fascinating. I looked at how the "P" changed, the pirate's face, the crossed bats – all those little details.
- Fonts: The numbers and lettering on the jerseys, that is classic. I noticded how they varied from simple block letters to more stylized fonts.
- Pinstripes or not?: Some eras had 'em, some didn't. simple observation and easy to catch.
- Hats: Pillbox hats! The regular caps! Different logos! So much to track!
I spent hours just comparing and contrasting. I'd put images side-by-side, really zooming in on the stitching, the fabric texture (as best I could from photos, anyway!), everything.
Finally, I felt like I had a good handle on the different eras and styles. I even started sketching some of my favorite details, just to help me remember them better.
It is very interesting to research these uniforms and feel the history of Pirates!
