The Green Bay Packers Uniform Database
"celebrating 90 years of looking good while playing well"

If you enjoy the Database, please visit our new blog at http://packersuniforms.blogspot.com/, where we will cover these and other packers uniform-related topics in greater depth.

This database is an attempt to categorize all of the uniforms worn by the Green Bay Packers since 1919.

There is a great deal of misinformation floating around concerning Packer uniforms.  The cover of the Packers’ own 2004 media guide (left) shows incorrect replicas of a 1921 Curly Lambeau jersey and 1944 Don Hutson jersey (Hint: the font is all wrong for the 1921 jerseys, it should be sans-serif as seen here, and the 1940s navy jerseys with gold shoulders never had navy collars).

If the Packers themselves can get it wrong, it should not be surprising that anyone else can and does.  That is why I have created this database - to be the place to find accurate, documented information on the uniforms worn by the Green Bay Packers throughout their history.

Whenever possible, the source for the uniform is provided (see guide at bottom)

I am always looking for more information concerning Packer uniforms, especially early uniforms. Help me correct mistakes by leaving a comment on my blog - I won't publish any comments if you ask me to keep them private. I do request that any corrections be sent including supporting evidence. Written accounts are best, although photographs are also very helpful (please keep in mind, though, that black and white photos have their limitations).



A Note on the Early Years: In the early days of the NFL, it was not uncommon for players to wear slightly different uniforms on the field. The uniform entries for each year reflect the predominant design of the club for that season - what the majority of the players wore, or whatever was the newest uniform.

 
 
Before we begin the database, please join me in asking Mitchell & Ness to honor a Packer legend.
 
     
REMEMBER DON HUTSON!  
   
Don Hutson was arguably the greatest Packer of all time.  His accomplishments include:
 
       
  • NFL receiving champ eight of his eleven seasons  
       
  • NFL top scorer five years  
       
  • Most Valuable Player 1941 and 1942  
       
  • Had 488 catches (200 more than his closest competitor) for 7,991 yards, 99 TDs  
       
  • Held 18 major NFL records at time of retirement (many of which lasted for DECADES)  
       
  • For the NFL's 50th Anniversary in 1969, he was named the All-Time End  
       
Hutson invented modern pass receiving. He created Z-outs, buttonhooks, hook-and-gos, and a whole catalog of moves and fakes.  
       
Don Hutson was the first Packer to have his number retired.  He is a charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.  
   
And yet, despite all this, Don Hutson has not been immortalized by Mitchell & Ness.  His teammate Tony Canadeo has been rightly recognized with a throwback jersey (two of them in fact, a 1949 home and a 1946 road), but Don Hutson has not.  
   
Contact Mitchell & Ness today and let them know that we want to see a Don Hutson jersey!  
   
   
Thank you for your help, and now on to the database!
   
Year Uniform
1919 Solid navy jerseys, gold pants, no numbers (HIST I, photo)
1920 No new changes to uniform (HIST I, photo)
1921 Dark blue jerseys with "ACME PACKERS" in gold across the front, gold pants, no numbers (GBP03; 501)

Note: in the book "Packers by the Numbers," the lettering is listed as being white, not gold. This is likely a mistake, as all other sources depict the lettering as gold.
1922  
1923 Gold jersey with nine thin navy stripes on each sleeve, gold leggings, dark gold pants Click here for a picture (Curly Lambeau) (GBP03; 501)
1924 No new changes to uniform (HIST I, photo)
1925 Introduction of uniform numbers; dark gold shirts with wide navy blue stripe covering shoulder and collar extending to top of each arm; tall gold leggings, light gold pants (GBP03; 501)
1926 No new changes to uniform (HIST I, photo)
1927 Elaborate, jockey-like jerseys, with inverted triangle tracing clavicles and 13 blue and gold vertical stripes from chest to stomach; faded blue canvas pants, gold socks with two blue stripes (GBP03; 501)
1928 No new changes to uniform (HIST I, photo)
1929 Solid navy jerseys, with small yellow circle (~ 5" diameter) containing blue numbers on chest; solid tan pants Click here for a picture (Johnny "Blood" McNally) (HIST I, photo).

This was the inspiration for the Packers' 2010-2014 alternate uniform.
1930 No new changes to uniform (HIST I, photo)
1931 Solid dark navy jerseys with white numbers on back; gold pants; plain dark navy socks (HIST I, photo)
1932 No new changes to uniform (HIST I, photo)
1933 No new changes to uniform (HIST I, photo)
1934 Introduction of large white numbers on chest
1935 Introduction of first green uniform: Solid dark green jersey with gold numbers and green pants (HIST II, p?, photo)

Mid-season change: green jerseys with gold sleeves and shoulders (from neck to wrist), gold numbers; gold pants, tall green socks (HIST II, photo)
1936  
1937 Introduction of the classic Lambeau-era uniform: navy jersey with gold shoulders and numbers; gold pants, blue socks; gold helmets Click here for a picture (Clarke Hinkle) (PBN)(TC). This would be the basis for the 1994 throwback home uniform (see below).

Preseason (August) game against the College All-Stars: green jerseys with ten-inch gold numbers on front and back; gold helmets and pants. These uniforms were made out of jockey satin and did not breathe; many Packers later blamed the loss on the hot, uncomfortable uniforms (Clarke Hinkle claimed to have lost 25 pounds during the game). (ECL)(PBN)(HIST II)

Starting in 1937, the league mandated that all players wear numerals a minumum of six inches high on the front of the jersey and eight inches high on the back of the jersey (TC)
1938 White jersey added for Cleveland game at City Stadium to avoid confusion between the two navy-clad teams (after Halas complained of just such confusion in the Bears' game with Cleveland) (HIST II)
1939 Additional alternate uniform added: Solid white jerseys with green numbers, gold pants; white socks (PBN). Click here for details. This uniform was the basis for the throwbacks worn against Detroit on Thanksiving Day, 2001 (see below). The Packers wore the classic blue jerseys with gold yokes in the championship game with the Giants. Click here for a picture.
1940  
1941  
1942  
1943 League mandates helmet use for all players (TC)
1944  
1945  
1946 Introduction of new alternate jersey, same as home but with white in place of blue: White jersey with gold shoulders, gold numbers; gold helmets and pants; white socks. This would be the basis of the throwback road uniform worn against the Bears at Soldier Field on Halloween Day 1994, with navy numbers instead of gold to improve legibility.
1947  
1948  
1949 Dark blue jerseys, gold shoulders removed, larger gold numbers

Sideline jackets are solid navy with navy collar and cuffs, front zipper, "GREEN BAY PACKERS" in gold on back. (photo, own)
1950 New head coach (Gene Ronzani), new uniforms: "We are the Green Bay Packers," he said as he added green to the color scheme. Packers use three varying uniform sets in rotation:

Modern plastic helmets adopted. The switch from leather to plastic was controversial nation-wide because of accusations that they caused more injuries than they prevented, so much so that the NFL banned plastic shells in 1948 (but lifted the ban the following year). (GBP08)
1951  
1952 Addition of third alternate uniform: white jersey with green numbers and pants (PBN)

When the Packers played the Rams in December 1952, both teams wore gold uniforms and LA coach Hampton Pool played the game under protest (the Rams won 45-27). Click here for details. (PBN)

In 1952, the NFL made its first attempt to organize the assignment of jersey numbers by position (this system was formally codified in 1973 and amended in 1989) (PBN)
1953 Brighter green shirts with same striping and thicker gold numbers; team continued to vary its combinations. The Packers also had available a white jersey, saving it mostly for late-season West Coast trips.(GBP08)
1954 New coach (Lisle Blackbourn), new uniforms (again): solid navy blue jersey returns, with new three-stripe design in "dirty mustard gold" on sleeves and socks; faded gold pants. (GBP03; 501)(PBN)

Team also experiments (through 1958) with white uniform and helmets, with single navy stipe down pants, and navy jerseys with white numbers and sleeve striping (GBP03; 501)(PBN)

George Halas refuses to outfit his Bears in road whites for games at City Stadium in 1954 and 1955. As a result, both teams wear dark blue jerseys.
1955  
1956 For 1956 opener vs. Detroit, Packers break out green jersey with white pants and white helmets, but never wear again until '58. Team used its older green jerseys and gold pants (from the early '50s) in several road games. (GBP08) "TV numbers" added to sleeve (GBP03; 501)(PBN)
1957 Uniform overhaul: dark bluish-green jersey with three gold bands on sleeves and gold numbers; gold helmets and pants; green and gold striped socks (white helmets were also worn)(PBN) In 1957, Packers began consistently wearing white on road, for television.(GBP08)
1958 New coach Scooter McLean brings back same green uniforms used in 1956 opener (white pants, white helmet). (GBP08)
1959 Uniform overhaul: new head coach Vince Lombardi revamps uniforms to the familiar design still seen today with minor modifications. Original design had no helmet logo, and called for three-stripe design on socks; all players asked to wear the same style cleat. (GBP03; 502)

In 1959 road games only, socks above striping were white (tops of socks have been green for all games since 1960). (GBP08)

During this period, the Packers experiment with green facemasks before adopting gray through 1980. Click here for details.
1960  
1961 Addition of first and only helmet logo in team history, "G" logo designed by team equipment manager Dad Braisher. (GBP03; 502)(PCOM)
1962  
1963  
1964  
1965 Most players now wearing five stripes on socks (GBP03; 502)
1966  
1967  
1968  
1969 NFL 50th anniversary patch added to left shoulder (as seen on this Mitchell and Ness reproduction Bart Starr jersey) (GBP03; 502)
1970 Names added to the back of the jersey (conforming to league mandate as part of the AFL/NFL merger) (GBP03; 502)
1971  
1972  
1973  
1974 Majority of players begin wearing white shoes (GBP03; 502)
1975 pant stripes widened by more than a inch (GBP03; 502)
1976  
1977  
1978  
1979  
1980 Facemask changed from grey to green (GBP03; 502)
1981 Sock striping eliinated, changed to solid green (GBP03; 502)
1982  
1983  
1984 New head coach Forrest Gregg makes most changes to uniform since Lombardi in 1959 - Logo added to each sleeve, white numbers in green oval added to pants, gold stripe added to pants (making stripe combination green/white/gold/white/green), TV numbers move from sleeve to shoulder, and gold/green/white/green/gold striping added to neckline. (GBP03; 502)
1985  
1986  
1987  
1988 Elimination of number from pants. Single gold ring added to socks. (GBP03; 502)
1989 Pant striping returns to pre-1984 pattern (green/white/green); elimination of logo from sleeves (GBP03; 502).

For the first time since the 1950s, the Packers wear white jerseys at home for the first two games of the season: a 23-21 loss to Tampa Bay in Week One and a 35-34 win over New Orleans in Week Two. The Packers have not worn white jerseys in a game at Lambeau Field since.
1990  
1991 NFL shield added to jersey neck (GBP03; 502)(photo), manufacturer's logo (MacGregor) added to sleeve
1992 Solid green socks added (GBP03; 502)(photo), Starter assumes contract for uniforms, their logo replaces MacGregor on the sleeves.

1993 Packers 75th anniversary patch added to left chest (as seen on this Mitchell and Ness reproduction Reggie White jersey) (GBP03; 502)(photo) Manufacturer's logo also appears on the pants.

NFL requires that coaches wear team-issued (and team-branded) clothing on the sidelines.

At this time, a uniform overhail was proposed. Details here are quoted from the Packer Report, September 18, 1993:

Possible Color Change Outlined

There was a rumor Sunday the Packers would have a press conference concerning their uniforms colors during the week following the Eagle game. This, however, seemed certain: The Packers plan to change their uniforms next season, retaining the current dark green, but switching pants and helmets from the present yellow to metallic gold.

The Packers hope the changes will be approved by the NFL Properties by the beginning of next month so they can wear the new uniforms next season. Among other changes are the removal of stripes now on the helmet, jersey, and pants.

Packer President Bob Harlan told the Milwaukee Journal the gold was not the same as that worn by any other team and that it was selected by General Manager Ron Wolf and Coach Mike Holmgren. Harlan said the helmet would be switched from yellow to gold and have a large green "G" on each side and the jersey would have a smaller green "G" on each sleeve. The white numbers on the green home jerseys and the green numbers on the white road jerseys will also have a gold outline. The pants will be plain gold.

"Years and years ago, we wore a gold helmet and gold pants," Harlan said. "And I think that's what Ron wanted, a simpler uniform. They didn't want to look like New Orleans or the 49ers. They looked at different golds and picked out what they liked."

Here is my interpretation of what those new uniforms would have looked like:

Paul Lukas, who would go on to create the indispensable Uni Watch blog and write Page 2 column for ESPN.com, describes his reaction to the announcement:

(I) once sent a letter to the Green Bay Packers, urging them to reconsider their plans to change their uniforms and color scheme (this was in 1993, six years before the advent of Uni Watch), and was surprised to get a phone call and a note from Packers CEO Bob Harlan (who, fortunately, later changed his mind about all the uniform changes described in that letter).

It is unknown whether Harlan and the Packers received any other negative feedback, but in any case the re-design was never actually implemented. Ron Wolf was quoted in the St. Petersburg Times, discussing the re-design and explaining his decision to withdraw it:

"I never liked the yellow color in the Packers scheme," Wolf said. "NFL books say it's 'green and gold' but anybody can see it's a Michigan kind of yellow, of maize, which didn't sit well with me.

"I put together a proposal to change Green Bay uniforms, replacing the yellow with a gold much like we see on Rams uniforms and helmets. There were some other changes but I wasn't messing with the "G' on Packers helmets.

"Everything was approved by the seven-member executive committee that operates the Packers. All I had to do was give the go-ahead.

"I repeatedly looked over drawings of the new Packers uniform, thinking I would soon be pulling the trigger on changes. But, after a little more thought, decided it just didn't fly. We needed to fix what was truly broken. What we really had to have was better people on the field."

If the Lombardi-era uniforms were ever to be radically changed, that was the time. The Green and Gold has since regained its prominence, thanks in no small part to the team that Wolf put on the field. If the Packers had won a Super Bowl in these uniforms, there is a possibility that the fans could have come to accept the change.

In recent interviews, Ron Wolf has since reiterated his preference for a metallic gold over the Packers' yellow.
1994 NFL 75th anniversary patch added to left chest (GBP03; 502)(photo)

In celebration of the NFL's 75th anniversary, all teams wore throwback uniforms during some point of the season. The Packers wore throwbacks modeled on the classic 1937 Lambeau-era uniforms. There were two versions of this uniform: a navy home uniform, and a white road uniform. The Packers wore these uniforms at least four times during the 1994 season.

Throwback home uniform worn 09/18/1994 against Philadelphia, 10/02/1994 against New England and 09/25/1994 against Tampa Bay:
Navy jersey with gold shoulders extending to end of sleeves; gold numbers; navy name; NFL 75th Anniversary patch on left chest; solid tan pants, blue socks; solid gold helmet (photo)

Click here for picture vs. Philadelphia.
Click here for picture vs. New England.
Click here for picture vs. Tampa Bay.

Throwback road uniform worn 10/31/1994 against Chicago:
White jersey with gold shoulders extending to end of sleeves; navy name and numbers; NFL 75th Anniversary patch on left chest; solid tan pants, blue socks; solid gold helmet (photo)

For this Halloween game, left tackle Ken Ruettgers added Jack o'Lantern graphics to his solid-gold helmet. Click here for picture. (Pictures courtesy Paul Junio)

The throwback jerseys featured sewn-on tackle-twill numbers, which wouldn't return to the Packers' regular jerseys until the next season.
1995 Silkscreen numbers replaced with sewn-on versions.
1996 Super Bowl XXXI (Jan. 26, 1997): Special helmet decal worn to honor former Commissioner Pete Rozelle, who died December 6, 1996 – script "Pete" over the NFL shield. Click here for picture.
1997 Nike assumes uniform contract, swoosh replaces Starter logo on sleeves and front of pants

Sleeve stripes reduced from five to three (maintaining same gold/green/white/green/gold configuration); NFL shield added to left thigh of pants (GBP03; 502)(photo)


Super Bowl XXII (Jan. 25, 1998): For the first time, Super Bowl logo patch worn on left chest. Click here for picture.
1998 No new changes to uniform
1999 No new changes to uniform
2000 No new changes to uniform
2001 Reebok acquires uniform contract for entire NFL, their logo replaces the swoosh on sleeves and front of pants

Helmets now painted with metallic, "pearlized" shade of gold

Throwback uniform for Thanksgiving game against Detroit:
solid white jersey with green name and numbers, solid tan pants, solid gold helmet with grey facemask, black shoes (photo, own) Click here for picture (Ahman Green).

2002 "NFL EQUIPMENT" tag replaces NFL shield on jersey neck and front of pants (GBP03; 502)(photo)


2003 Lambeau Field rededication patch worn 09/14/2003 (photo) Click here for picture.

Throwback uniform for Thanksgiving game (09/27/2003) against Detroit:
white jersey with green name and numbers, stripe pattern green/yellow/green (three on collar, five on sleeve), gold pants with thin green/white/green stripes, green socks with yellow/green/white/green/yellow stripes (repeated twice) standard helmet with grey facemask, black shoes (photo)

"3" decal added to back of helmet for all games starting with December 7th (Week 13) to honor Tony Canadeo after his death. Click here for picture.
2004

"40" helmet decal worn for one game on September 19th (Week 2) against the Bears.  This decal was worn by all 1,440 active players to honor Pat Tillman, the first NFL player killed in combat since the Vietnam War. Click here for picture.

"92" decal added to back of helmet for all games starting with January 3rd (Week 17) to honor Reggie White after his death. Click here for picture.
2005

"FÚTBOL AMERICANO" helmet decal worn for one game on Monday Night Football, October 3rd (Week 4) at Carolina.  This decal was worn by all NFL teams in Week 4 to commemorate the first time regular-season game played outside the United States — the Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers, played on October 2 in Mexico City's Estadio Azteca). Click here for picture.
2006 No new changes to uniform
2007 Lambeau Field 50th Anniversary patch worn on home jerseys Click here for picture.

Black "21" helmet decal worn by all teams in Week 14 game to honor murdered Washington safety Sean Taylor. Players are allowed to wear the decal for the remainder of the season. Click here for picture.

Also in Week 14, the Dallas Cowboys chose to wear their blue throwback jerseys at home, putting the Packers in their road whites. Had the Packers worn their green jerseys in Dallas, the equipment staff would have removed the Lambeau Field patches and replaced them after the game (Story here)

NFL institutes a standardized uniform patch for team captains. Patch is square, bordered in gold, incorporating a sans-serif "C" above four white stars. Stars are colored gold, left to right, for each season of a captain's tenure (starting with 2007). For home jerseys, the "C" is white against a background of the jersey color (teams such as the Giants have standard blue and alternate red versions). For road jerseys the "C" is in team color against a white background. The Packers (along with roughly one-third of the league) elect not to use the patches in the regular season, because they select captains on a game-by-game basis. The team selects captains for the entire post-season, though, and so the patches are added to Packers uniforms for the playoffs.
2008 Updated NFL shield introduced starting with the 2008 Draft.

New shield appears on updated "NFL EQUIPMENT" tag on uniform.

After wearing white cleats in pre-season games, the Packers to black shoes for the regular season, the first time (excluding throwbacks) the team has worn black since 1974.

For the first game, a memorial patch for Gene Upshaw, deceased head of the players' union, is worn by all current players. Click here for picture (Will Blackmon) A similar helmet decal is worn for the entire season. Click here for picture (Donald Driver)
2009 No new changes to uniform.

For October 5th Monday Night game in Minneapolis, certain Packers wear pink gloves, shoes and accessories as part of NFL initiative to raise breast cancer awareness. Special pink-ribbon logo is added to the back of helmets, and sideline gear is trimmed in pink. Click here for details.

As in 2007, the Packers eschew the League's captain patches during the regular season, but issue them for the playoffs.
2010 New alternate uniform added, based on 1929 uniform, worn against the 49ers on December 5th: Navy jersey with navy numbers in large gold circle on chest, gold name and numbers on back. Canvas-colored pants, navy socks, brown helmet with gray facemask (to simulate leather helmet). The 1929 details have been updated to reflect current NFL uniform regulations: the circle, which was originally ~5 inches in diameter, has been enlarged, and the Reebok and NFL logos are retained in this uniform.

NFL regulations require each alternate to have a 5-season lifespan, so no other alternate can be introduced until 2015. Click here for a photo and more details.

Once again, the Packers eschew captain patches during the regular season, but issue them for the playoffs.

Super Bowl XLV (Feb. 6, 2011): Packers elect to wear their green home jerseys. A Super Bowl logo patch is added to the left chest. Click here for picture (Aaron Rodgers)
2011 The Packers wear their throwback uniforms (now designated "re-created 1929 uniforms") on October 16th against the St. Louis Rams at Lambeau Field.

 

Source guide:
GBP   Green Bay Packers Media Guide (year; page)
PCOM   Packers.com, the Official Web site of the Green Bay Packers (www.packers.com)
TC   Tony Canadeo biography "In Seach of a Hero"
ECL   Curly Lambeau biography "Lambeau: The Man Behind the Mystique"
HIST   "The History of the Green Bay Packers" by Larry D. Names (volume number; page)
PBN   "Packers by the Numbers"
JSPP   Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Packers Plus website (www.jsonline.com/packer)
photo   Photographic documentation
own   Own an example

Football uniform template courtesy of WA Designs

Background image courtesy of Absolute Background Textures Archive

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