The 80s,
The 1980s are when NFL fan apparel turned into fashion. Starter, founded in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1971, had NFL licensing by 1983. It made the parkas coaches wore on NFL sidelines, satin team jackets, and a pullover "breakaway" jacket modeled on the coaches' parka. Those jackets became status symbols for kids and teenagers.
Champion held an NFL license through the decade and made on-field jerseys for teams including the Colts (from 1987) and Bills (from 1988). Russell began selling retail jerseys to fans in the 1980s. Sand-Knit made on-field jerseys for some clubs, and Majestic entered NFL fan wear in 1989.
Most of this gear was still sewn in the United States. The big licensed-apparel makers moved most of their sewing to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean in the mid-to-late 1990s. Team moves also date the decade: the Raiders played in Los Angeles from 1982, the Colts left Baltimore for Indianapolis in 1984, and the Cardinals moved to Phoenix in 1988.
- Starter jackets: satin team jackets and pullover jackets with Starter's logo embroidered on the sleeve.
- Made in USA tags are expected. Offshore-made labels became common from the mid-1990s.
- City names: Los Angeles Raiders (1982-94), Indianapolis Colts (from 1984) and Phoenix Cardinals (1988-93). Baltimore Colts and St. Louis Cardinals gear predates those moves.
- Champion pieces often credit Champion Products of Rochester, N.Y., where the company was based until Sara Lee bought it in 1989.
- Russell Athletic retail jerseys: Russell started selling NFL jerseys to fans in the 1980s.
- Bears jerseys from 1984 on carry the GSH initials on the left sleeve, honoring George Halas.
- Bills helmet art switched from a white helmet to a red one in 1984, a clean dividing line on helmet graphics.
- Starter — satin and pullover team jackets and sideline parkas; NFL licensee by 1983
- Champion — licensed NFL apparel through the decade; on-field jerseys for teams such as the Colts (1987-92) and Bills (1988-96)
- Russell Athletic — retail NFL jerseys from the 1980s, plus team uniforms
- Sand-Knit — on-field jerseys for some teams, such as the Jets' cold-weather jerseys (1978-89)
- Majestic — NFL fan wear from 1989
League moments that date gear
- 1982: the Raiders move from Oakland to Los Angeles.
- 1984: the Colts move from Baltimore to Indianapolis in late March.
- 1984: the Bears add the GSH sleeve initials after George Halas's death in 1983.
- 1988: the Cardinals move from St. Louis to the Phoenix area.
- Sweatshirtsguide
- Jerseysguide
- Sweatshirtsguide
- Jerseysguide
- Sweatshirtsguide
- Jerseysguide
Super Bowl, bowl-game and championship designs from 1980–1989, NFL and college, one page per game with every design we found for it.