Reviewing all the new NWSL kits for 2023: The bold and the basic

In recent years, each new batch of NWSL kits has occupied a wide range of stylistic choices — from bold looks to the plainest of the plain. That trend continues this year with a set of kits in which some daringly forge new ground and others, well, don’t. Black kits continue to be popular, with varying results, and there was clearly a concerted move away from white shorts this season, which should be celebrated. 

So which new kits win the seal of approval from our reviewers, writers Meg Linehan and Steph Yang and editor Brooks Peck, and which spark debate? Let’s run through each of the new looks for 2023 and find out. 

To recap: All the kits that were new for 2022

Steph: I like the embroidered crest and a lot of the finer details, like the graffiti-style “Volemos” on the back designed by local business owner Rachel Gomez. The patch program is cool too in how it really ties in lots of aspects of the community. But it does feel a little bit like they got lost in those fine details and when you zoom out, it’s kind of a nice gray-toned jersey that nevertheless doesn’t pop like their 2022 “Daylight” jersey that had pink, white, and black and the palm tree pattern. 

Los Ángeles es más que un lugar. We are the sum of infinite parts: diverse cultures, neighborhoods, and individuals united by the city we call home. REPRESENT L.A. like never before.https://t.co/EuPwNxnoFE pic.twitter.com/vCllxHGYgl

— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) March 16, 2023

Meg: Good ideas here, I’m not all that sold on the actual execution. It’s a jersey I want to like as a whole, but I agree with Steph: the concept doesn’t immediately come through for me because I don’t think the details immediately add up visually. Maybe going more abstract