The Premier League has delivered some of the world’s greatest players, the most sensational storylines—and some truly sublime football shirts.
As your dad might say down the pub on a Saturday, things were often better in the good old days. Vintage kits from the 1990s and early 2000s rank among the boldest and most exquisite in English football history, many now coveted collector’s items.
Nike and adidas have dominated in recent decades, but as you’ll soon see, plenty of other kit makers have produced absolute stunners in the Premier League era.
Here are the greatest Premier League kits of all time.
30. Liverpool (2019-20, Home)
A pandemic might have interrupted their maiden Premier League title, but Liverpool still reached the summit in style.
The often-underappreciated New Balance closed out their stint as the club’s kit supplier with a sensational pinstriped design—a shirt that has since become legendary among Reds supporters.
29. Nottingham Forest (1994-96, Home)
Baggy as anything, a massive collar and three colours that just work—this was a simple formula for success in the ’90s. Nottingham Forest nailed it with their home shirt from 1994-96, finishing third in the top flight in 1994-95.
A fruitful era for Umbro, that’s for sure.
28. Crystal Palace (1997-98, Home)
Okay, yes—this is basically the same template Bayern Munich were wearing around the same time. It’s still magnificent, though.
Crystal Palace weren’t mistaken for the Bundesliga giants, finishing dead last in the Premier League, but at least they did it with some swagger. Silver linings.
27. Wigan Athletic (2005-06, Home)
The Latics made a memorable debut in the English top flight, finishing 10th and reaching the League Cup final.
They did it in style. Pascal Chimbonda, Paul Scharner and Jimmy Bullard excelled in this JJB-designed kit, which combined bold stripes with a solid blue panel across the chest.
26. Chelsea (2003-05, Home)
Generally, V-necks aren’t exactly cool.
Occasionally, though, they deserve a pass. Chelsea’s home kit from 2003–05 was simple yet stunning, making the V-neck look like a million dollars.
Winning the Premier League in this lovely Umbro strip only makes it more special for supporters.
25. Southampton (2001-03, Home)
Back when Southampton were a mid-table Premier League side in the early 2000s, they had a knack for wearing underrated gems. James Beattie looked fantastic smashing goals in this one.
Stripes are a cheat code for success. The sponsor perfectly complements the finer kit details, while the V-neck is subtle yet effective. Well executed.
24. Manchester City (2011-12, Away)
Flying slightly under the radar, Manchester City’s home kit brings back memories of the 2011-12 season—mostly for obvious Sergio Agüero reasons.
But the away strip was arguably the classier option. A nod to the club’s history, Umbro paired red and black stripes with yellow accents, creating a modern classic.
23. Manchester City (2009-10, Home)
Going back-to-back, City’s home shirt from a couple of seasons earlier edges out a solid away kit. Another excellent design brought to life by world-class players, with Carlos Tevez just one of many stars to wear it.
Umbro set the bar high with their debut, keeping City’s home kit simple but effective. No nonsense—just a reminder of how good a shirt can look without overcomplicating it with flashy graphics.
22. Manchester United (2002-04, Home)
Think of this kit and the first thing that comes to mind is Ruud van Nistelrooy carving up defences with unmatched penalty-box instinct—the good old days for United fans.
That early-2000s Nike template was deceptively simple yet deadly. Red and black with a hint of white, Manchester United looked mean.
21. Liverpool (2004-05, Home)
Reebok ruled the streets in the 2000s, and Liverpool looked incredible while wearing them.
Their 2004-05 home shirt kept things simple, but the white underarm panels and the iconic Carlsberg sponsor helped the Reds lift the Champions League in style.
These days, getting your hands on one of these shirts will set you back a small fortune.
20. Blackburn Rovers (1994-95, Home)
Blackburn’s first and only Premier League title came in a kit that was solid for the era, with Asics producing some delightful shirts in the ’90s.
Nostalgia may gloss over the slightly ropey McEwan’s Lager sponsor design, but Asics’ half-and-half layout and superb button-up collar deserve full credit.
19. Chelsea (2005-06, Home)
After turning the Barclays on its head the previous season, a Chelsea side led by a young, villainous José Mourinho went back-to-back in the league.
They did it in a modernised classic. Traditional Chelsea blue was accented with gold, complemented by a sleek Samsung sponsor—an impeccably balanced effort from Umbro.
18. Manchester United (2007-09, Home)
Manchester United dominated the Premier League in the late 2000s with arguably their strongest-ever squad, winning the club’s third Champions League title along the way.
Nike dressed them in one of their most underrated kits: Pure red with crisp white detailing, worn by Cristiano Ronaldo and co. under the AIG sponsor.
Bonus points for keeping it for two seasons, too.
17. Arsenal (2002-04, Home)
Back at it with a stunning Nike template, Arsenal were consistently the best-dressed team in the Premier League’s opening decade. Having Thierry Henry terrorising defences up front didn’t hurt either.
Simple but perfect—it’s Arsenal at their best. They went unbeaten in the league wearing it, too, which isn’t too shabby at all.
16. Leeds United (2000/02, Home)
Nike were really on form in the early 2000s, weren’t they?
Mark Viduka and Alan Smith propelled Leeds deep into Europe in a pure white shirt that was both simple and stunning.
A Strongbow sponsor in a Champions League semifinal? Absolutely yes—more of that, please.
15. West Ham United (1999-01, Home)
It’s hard for West Ham to do anything drastically different while keeping claret and blue as the focus—but they nailed it around the turn of the millennium.
Made by FILA and sponsored by Dr. Martens, Paolo Di Canio thrived in this standout strip.
Every hipster’s dream shirt, it’s the sort of kit they just don’t make anymore.
14. Coventry City (1996-97, Home)
Some poorly executed sponsor work keeps this one just shy of the top 10.
The questionable Peugeot logo doesn’t stop Le Coq Sportif from delivering an exceptional effort. Light and dark blue stripes are paired with a famously oversized collar and subtle checker detailing at the sleeve ends.
Coventry certainly had a reputation for their kits in the ’90s.
13. Liverpool (2008-09, Away)
This is everything an away kit should be.
A subtle nod to the home colours, a touch adventurous with a faint checked print on the front, and a clean, solid sponsor to finish it off. Even better, Liverpool wore this strip when Fernando Torres famously tore Manchester United apart at Old Trafford.
It’s fondly remembered on the red half of Merseyside.
12. Ipswich Town (1993-94, Home)
That slanted sponsor feels so wrong that it somehow becomes completely right—something you just don’t see anymore.
Paired with crisp white sleeves, a vintage crest and a lace-up (yes, actual lace-up) collar, this Ipswich number was far too good for a side that finished 19th.
11. Manchester United (1993-95, Away)
An away kit worn for two seasons is a rarity.
When it’s this good, though, you can see why. United’s early Premier League black strip has only improved with age, the yellow and blue accents working perfectly against the dark base.
It’s a shirt forever associated with Ryan Giggs—even if it wasn’t the one he wore when scoring that famous FA Cup semifinal goal against Arsenal.
10. Arsenal (2005-06, Home)
Arsenal’s 2005-06 home kit breaks every rule associated with a traditional home shirt—yet does so beautifully.
The maroon and gold design, worn during the club’s final season at Highbury, was a bold departure from their instantly recognisable shade of red. It felt fittingly historic, a tribute to the past wrapped in something refreshingly different.
It simply oozes class.
9. Newcastle United (1995-96, Away)
There’s an argument that nostalgia gives ’90s kits an unfair advantage in lists like this.
Maybe it does—but only because they were genuinely brilliant. Newcastle’s away strip was audacious yet effortlessly cool: bold horizontal stripes, a superb sponsor and an entirely unnecessary collar that somehow looked absolutely boss.
8. Manchester City (1993-95, Home)
Umbro got this one absolutely spot on.
City may have been languishing in the Premier League at the time, but they did so wearing one of the finest kits in the club’s history.
A classic sky blue design with a subtle collar and understated sleeve detailing, it quickly achieved cult status.
7. Tottenham Hotspur (1999-01, Home)
By this point a little more restrained in their approach, adidas still delivered a stunning shirt for Tottenham.
The collar was unapologetically large, but the clean piping and understated design may well have been ahead of their time. Add in the iconic Holsten sponsor and a cast of cult heroes wearing it, and you’ve got an absolute worldie of a kit.
6. Liverpool (1993-94, Home)
Oh my word. Just look at it.
The daft neckline, the absurd striping, the gloriously oversized fit—Liverpool’s adidas EQT-themed home kit, in red with flashes of white and green, was wonderfully over the top. It shouldn’t work, and yet it absolutely does.
It’s magnificent, and it deserves respect from non-Liverpool fans everywhere.
5. Manchester United (1998-99, Home)
Overshadowed by their European home shirt that season, United’s domestic strip was exceptional in its own right.
The Sharp sponsor and Umbro sleeve detailing complemented each other perfectly, while the zip-up collar felt unusual yet undeniably stylish. It struck the ideal balance between simplicity and subtle complexity—resulting in a beautifully composed kit.
4. Newcastle United (1995-97, Home)
Bold adidas stripes down the sleeves, a slightly arrogant button-up collar and that iconic Newcastle Brown Ale sponsor—Newcastle wore one of the greatest Premier League kits ever in this strip.
Failing to win the title in it should have condemned it to the hall of shame, but it’s far too good for that. Neutrals can appreciate its beauty—just as Manchester United fans can appreciate having snatched the league away from them while it was worn.
3. Chelsea (1997-98, Home)
With its aggressively shiny texture, baggy silhouette and oversized sponsors and logos, Chelsea’s 1997–98 home kit perfectly captures the glorious madness of ’90s football fashion.
Faint blue stripes meet bold yellow and black accents on the collar and sleeves, creating a look that’s utterly memorable—a cult classic, whether you’re a Blues fan or not.
2. Arsenal (1992-93, Away)
One of the most iconic and daring football shirts ever made, Arsenal’s fabled ‘Bruised Banana’ kit stands as the pinnacle of Premier League design—despite only being worn during the competition’s inaugural season.
It marked the start of a golden era for Arsenal in partnership with adidas. The bold colour scheme, classic collar, Trefoil logo, vintage Gunners crest and clean, understated sponsor combined to create a genuine masterpiece.
Quite simply, it doesn’t get much better than this.
1. Manchester United (1994-96, Home)
If there’s one image that perhaps stands tallest in Premier League history—a snapshot of the league at its finest—it’s Eric Cantona at Manchester United, collar up.
Pure arrogance, flair, chaos and a touch of madness—all of which captured the league at its glory days in the 1990s.
But it’s not just that image that earns Manchester United’s 1994–96 home shirt the top spot as our greatest Premier League kit. The strip itself had it all: A sleek, yet bold design, a subtle Old Trafford graphic across the front, a thick V-neck, and of course that legendary black collar.
Perfect.
