The new Championship season is very nearly upon us, which means... new kits!
I know. It's an exciting time for everyone, and there are definitely some designs out there to get excited about. But some of the new offerings will equally have the fashion police on red alert.
WalesOnline's resident kit expert Tom Coleman takes us through the winners and losers of this season's Championship catwalk.
24. Sheffield United
I get people are busy, and there's a fair bit going on at Sheffield United at the moment.
But with the new campaign less than a week away, to not have a new kit released is pretty poor.
It's apparently going to be unveiled on the opening day, and judging by the leaks online, it won't be worth waiting for.
23. Blackburn Rovers
I mean no disrespect to the good people of 'Totally Wicked'. I'm sure they all work very hard and are very good at what they do (I've no idea what they do. Looks like they might be one of those failed energy drinks from the 90s).
But sadly, their objectively terrible logo ruins what would otherwise be a decent home shirt.
The away kit is even worse, with the terrible sponsor paired up with an unacceptably unimaginative black and blue design.
The third shirt is the nicest of the lot, as it at least offers something a little interesting, and I like the Lancashire rose embedded into the design. But it's not good enough to mask the sins of the other two.
22. Wigan Athletic
I don't get the home kit. What were they trying to do here?
It looks like they were caught between seven different ideas and then decided to take bits from all of them. The sponsor 'Big Help Project' feels a little ironic given they clearly could have done with some help designing this monstrosity.
Still, it could be worse. They could have a poorly drawn cartoon devil on their shirt like their friends up the road.
The away shirt is a little better. A nice tribute to the 2013 FA Cup win, and I guess the honeycomb design keeps it interesting.
21. Reading
I know what you're thinking - 'What on earth is going on with the sleeves?'.
It's actually to raise awareness of climate change. How? Well, each stripe of the sleeve design represents the average temperature for a single year, relative to the average temperature over the period as a whole. A shade of blue indicates cooler-than-average years, while red shows years that were hotter than average.
As you can see, there's an alarming amount of red there.
Professor Ed Hawkins at the University of Reading is the brains behind this concept. “The climate stripes are intended to start conversations about climate change," he says.
Okay look, it's clearly an important message. But I've deep reservations about the execution here. Just all looks totally out of place.
20. Sunderland
Another half-decent home shirt ruined by a terrible, cheap-looking sponsor, albeit one less bad than 'Totally Wicked' (Okay, I'll let that go now).
The away kit is equally unlikely to really set many pulses racing.
Overall, all pretty forgettable.
19. Birmingham City
There's not really anything wrong with Birmingham's new home shirt.
But there's just not a lot to really get excited about here. Doesn't really feel like an awful lot of effort went into it.
A very bland design that's unlikely to be remembered in a few years time.
18. Huddersfield Town
When I saw that little German girl crying her eyes out during the defeat to England at Euro 2020, I couldn't help but be hugely sympathetic.
Had I known Germany's weird blackout kit thing was going to leak into English football, I wouldn't have bothered feeling so sorry. I don't know why this is becoming a thing now, but it needs to stop.
Then again, inspiring English football to create terrible kits feels like a form of sophisticated revenge that only the Germans could concoct, and for that I can't help but give them a nod of respect.
Home shirt's quite smart, I guess, but the 'beetroot purple, grape juice and brilliant white' (their words, not mine) colour scheme for the third kit is migraine-inducing.
17. Hull City
Quite like the home shirt. Very little to take issue with, although it's perhaps a little safe.
As for the blackout third kit... Well, I think I've made my feelings on that perfectly clear. Next.
16. Preston North End
The away kit is absolutely rubbish. Looks like a lazy attempt at a goalkeeper shirt.
But the home shirt is pretty good. Clean, crisp, modern, ultimately nice and simple.
My only real beef here is with the sponsor.
The logo for PAR Group reminds me of some sort of fictional multi-national conglomerate a James Bond villain might use to mask his plans for world domination.
I can just about picture Peter Risdale solemnly watching on as Ryan Lowe is slowly lowered into a tank brimming with piranhas after a misguided scouting trip sees him foolishly stumble upon PAR's fiendish plan to bring western democracy to its knees.
Given the lawyers might well already be expecting a call from 'Totally Wicked', I should probably point out that I have absolutely no evidence for any of this.
15. Stoke City
I really like the River Plate-esque third kit. The red and black sash oozes with the sort of continental flair that is so often associated with the Potteries. Really nice stuff.
The other two efforts are pretty good too, but feel a little middle-of-the-road, if I'm honest.
14. Rotherham United
You can see what they were trying to do with the home kit, but I'm not convinced the pictures of the New York Stadium weaved into the design really works.
The club call it a 'slick nod' to 10 years of their home ground. I would respectfully disagree.
However, the other two designs are actually quite nice. The away kit is perhaps a little close to being a Hull City shirt, mind.
13. West Bromwich Albion
The Baggies have gone back to the 70s with their home shirt, and the results are pretty reasonable.
The italic WBA lettering replaces the club badge, with the traditional blue and white stripes incorporating jagged edges to give it that knitted look. I'm not sure why that's important, but apparently it is.
It's perfectly fine, don't get me wrong, and I like that they asked fans to get involved with the design. But it doesn't really do enough to warrant a high placing on this list.
The same goes for the away kit, really.
12. Bristol City
Hummel rarely make a bad kit and, while the home kit is one of their less imaginative designs, it's still pretty smart.
I'm a big fan of the St George's flag on the back of the neck, which when the Severnside derby rolls round, will serve as a useful reminder that Bristol is actually in England rather than Wales.
Love the away kit, but sadly the third shirt looks too much like a training top for my liking.
11. Millwall
As I said, Hummel don't tend to make bad kits, and both of these are typically solid efforts from the folks in Denmark, who are working with the Lions for the very first time.
The iconic chevrons on the sleeve are a welcome update to the home shirt, but otherwise I'm not all that sure if there's anything too different from last season's effort, although that was a decent kit too.
Big fan of the sponsor on both shirts, although I've still never actually seen Huski Chocolate on sale anywhere, so I'm still not too convinced it really exists.
10. Blackpool
Quite like this one.
Another kit to pay homage to the 80s, the heyday of the football shirt designer, this kit features an eye-catching diamond pattern, along with a ribbed collar and cuffs.
Has the potential to be a real favourite with fans at Bloomfield Road, this one.
Also quite like the away shirt, although the bus seat-style pattern will probably divide opinion.
WIN : Your chance to win the new 2022/2023 Cardiff City home shirt
9. Burnley
Yet another retro-inspired kit, Burnley's new home shirt pays tribute to the 1991/92 title-winning side.
Not everyone will be sold on the design, which at first glance looks like an abysmally-played game of Tetris, but I kind of think it works.
The addition of Classic Football Shirts as the club's sponsor is a nice touch as they're a cracking company. But I'm not massively convinced their logo really fits in with the rest of the design.
Still, not bad.
8. Luton Town
The third kit is pretty forgettable, but the other two efforts from the Hatters more than make up for it.
The home shirt carries a unique white gradient design that pays tribute to the 1989/90 shirt, which I'm told was a popular one among Luton fans.
The away kit is similarly a nod to the 1991/92 home shirt, and is equally pleasing, although it is a little close to Swansea away kit.
Anyway, both are genuinely nice updates on past classics.
7. Middlesbrough
After 13 seasons, Middlesbrough are back with Italian kit supplier Errea, the brand that styled some of Boro's best teams back in the 90s.
The white band on the home shirt isn't really new, but still carries a warm dose of nostalgia and Italian flair, although being modelled by cult hero Fabrizio Ravanelli certainly helps.
The away kit is also pretty nice, offering a pleasing modern update on a classic colour scheme we've seen in so many Boro away shirts. Overall, some very good stuff here.
6. Queens Park Rangers
Some more good work from Errea here.
The home kit isn't quite as striking as past efforts, but it's still pretty smart.
Big fan of the 'navy blue, berry and gold' away kit too, although I do take issue with 'berry' as a colour. Feels too vague.
I mean, you look me in the eye and tell me that a blueberry and a strawberry are the same colour. Thought not. So which one is it lads? Which actual berry is this colour based on?
Anyway, I'm just being picky as it's actually all quite nice.
5. Watford
A lot to like here.
An 80s-style pattern woven into the design of the home kit, a bold sponsor in novelty-sized large text, a kit supplier I've never heard of.
There's also a nice tribute to 100 years of Vicarage Road on the back of the neck.
The away kit reminds me a little of those weird patterns you stare at until you see a cat or something, but it kind of works.
Watford might be a basket case of a club at times, but these are both pretty smart efforts.
4. Cardiff City
Can't say I care too much for the away kit.
It's dull, it's bland, and it's on the periphery of being one of those dreaded blackout designs. But we won't go there again.
The home shirt on the other hand is actually really nice. Yer da will absolutely love the collar. A thick white v-neck that harks back to the days when footballers were 'real men' or whatever.
All in all, it's quite smart.
Love the Bluebird pattern woven into the traditional blue too.
3. Coventry City
At this point, I should probably point out that I am in no way affiliated with, nor am I on the books at Hummel.
But it would be remiss of me not to once again stress that they really do make some nice kits. Indeed, even by their own high standards, Coventry City's new home shirt is an absolute belter.
A firm nod to the Admiral strip of the late 70s, it's a pleasing update on a classic design that just so happens to be treasured by Wales football fans too.
The away kit, meanwhile, pays homage to the away shirt of the 95/96 season, and features three different bespoke remakes of stained-glass panels from the city's cathedral, which celebrates 60 years since its consecration this year.
2. Swansea City
Really like the home shirt.
I know, I know. The collar. You don't like the collar. But you're wrong, the collar is bloody lovely.
Then again. The fact it reminds me of the Ben Sherman polo shirt I wore the night I met Mrs Coleman might admittedly be clouding my judgement a little.
I'm glad they've kept the retro badge here, though.
Speaking of retro, the 90s-inspired away kit is masterful. A delightfully bonkers effort.
WIN: Your chance to win the new 2022/2023 Swansea City home shirt
1. Norwich City
Oh now this is very good.
Both efforts here are super pleasing on the eye. The home kit carries real 80's vibes with the pinstripes and trim.
I'm not sure why, but the spacing on the letters of 'Lotus' is particularly pleasing. It's like they set up the company purely for the purposes of slipping their logo onto this shirt. Everything here is just working in perfect harmony.
As for the away kit, the ruby and gold trim combo is equally as nice to look at. Looks a bit like a Roma shirt, which is no bad thing. A stone cold classic.
Whoever designed these needs a pay rise.
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