With the Japanese men’s V-League starting next month, Japanese teams are starting to show what they will be wearing for the 2017-2018 season. The Panasonic Panthers had an event at the Kusuha Mall in Hirakata City, Osaka Prefecture. The Panthers play their home games in Hirakata, so it made sense for the team to show off their new look and players to their fans.
Panasonic usually wears a dark blue base for their home jerseys and a white base for their road jerseys. Last year Panasonic had a five-striped black and blue pattern made by Descente. This year Asics has taken over the supplier agreement with the Panthers.
Courtesy Panasonic Panthers
The home uniform has shifted to a darker blue than in previous years. Additionally, the stripes have changed to a diagonal, which looks a little odd at first. However, the diagonal is also a changing gradient between dark blue and black. The dark blue is more prevalent in the chest, while the blue is more prevalent on the stomach and shoulders. The number font that Asics has used with the Japanese and Brazilian men’s national teams is also used with the Panthers.
Courtesy @dona0706
As for the white uniform, it is still made by Descente. So it is odd to have two different suppliers for a team. Blue and black lines outline the sleeve area from the neckline. The gray bars are like a faux camouflage pattern. The number font is very different from Asics, looking like a stencil number kit.
In my mind, the two companies looks are vastly different from each other. I think that having one supplier would have been better for Panasonic just for some consistency between looks. The libero will look very different just due to the number font, without even taking into account the design of the uniform.
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