An era · 1990–1999

The 90s,

thrifted.

The 1990s were the peak of licensed NFL fan apparel. The league's NFL Pro Line program marked official sideline-style gear, and makers competed hard for it. Logo 7 of Indianapolis, bought by Tultex in 1992, won a Pro Line license in 1994 in a push to unseat Starter, then the market leader.

Big apparel companies bought their way in. Fruit of the Loom acquired Salem Sportswear in 1993 and Artex and Pro Player in 1994. VF Corporation bought Nutmeg in 1994 and began selling under the Lee Sport name in 1995. Champion, Russell and Starter made jerseys for retail and for teams, and Nike supplied some clubs late in the decade.

The decade is also easy to split by team identity. The 1994 75th-anniversary season brought a league-wide patch and throwbacks, and the Patriots, Eagles, 49ers, Broncos, Dolphins and Steelers all reworked their looks between 1993 and 1997. Production moved offshore during these years, so a Made in USA tag leans earlier in the decade.

ADMIT ONE

90s

EVERY TEAM · 1990–1999

ARCHIVED

SECTION

90s

SEAT

vol. 90s

NO. 01 · HOW TO DATE IT

NFL Pro Line labels on official sideline-style apparel; the program was running by 1994.
The NFL 75th anniversary patch: every team wore it on jerseys in 1994, and teams wore throwbacks in selected games that season.
Retail throwbacks: the NFL Throwbacks Collection launched in 1991, so an old-looking design can be a 90s reissue.
Maker tags: Starter, Champion, Russell (NFL licensing ended 1997), Logo 7 or Logo Athletic, Pro Player, Nutmeg and, from 1995, Lee Sport.
Country of origin: Made in USA is common early in the decade. Fruit of the Loom, Russell and VF moved most sewing to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean in the mid-to-late 1990s.
Redesigns that split the decade: Patriots "Flying Elvis" (1993), Eagles midnight green (1996), 49ers deeper red (1996), Broncos navy and horse head (1997), Dolphins logo update (1997).
City and name changes: Phoenix Cardinals become Arizona (1994), Rams to St. Louis and Raiders back to Oakland (1995), Oilers to Tennessee (1997), renamed Titans (1999).
New teams: Panthers and Jaguars (1995), Ravens (1996) and the returning Browns (1999). No original gear for them predates those years.

NO. 02 · WHO MADE IT

Starter — jackets, pullovers and on-field jerseys for teams including the Packers, Steelers and Los Angeles Raiders (early-to-mid 90s); the company went bankrupt in 1999
Champion — licensed NFL apparel and jerseys, both on-field and retail, through 2000
Russell Athletic — retail and on-field jerseys; outfitted more NFL teams than any other company by 1995, then ended its NFL licensing in 1997
Logo 7 / Logo Athletic — Indianapolis licensed-apparel maker owned by Tultex from 1992; NFL Pro Line licensee from 1994
Pro Player — Fruit of the Loom's sports apparel label from 1994 until it was liquidated in 2001
Nutmeg Mills — licensed sweatshirts, including the 1991 NFL Throwbacks Collection; bought by VF Corporation in January 1994
Lee Sport — VF's licensed sports label, launched in 1995 from the Nutmeg business
Nike — on-field jerseys for some teams late in the decade (the Steelers from 1997, the Jets in 1999)

League moments that date gear

1991: the NFL Throwbacks Collection brings licensed retro designs to retail.
1994: the NFL's 75th season, with an anniversary patch on every team's jerseys and league-wide throwbacks; the Phoenix Cardinals become the Arizona Cardinals.
1995: the Panthers and Jaguars join, the Rams move to St. Louis, and the Raiders return to Oakland.
1996: the Browns franchise is deactivated and the Baltimore Ravens begin play.
1997: the Oilers move to Tennessee, playing their first season in Memphis; they are renamed the Titans in 1999.
1999: the Browns return to Cleveland.

Tag-dating guide →

NO. 03 · BUYING GUIDES FOR THIS ERA