Arsenal mark new WSL season with launch of ‘bespoke’ away kit

The Gunners start their season on 1 October at home to Liverpool

(Arsenal / adidas)

Arsenal Women get their 2023/24 campaign underway in the Women’s Super League on Sunday, looking to build on last season’s third-placed finish and challenge for the title.

They face Liverpool in their opening fixture, with the match played at the Emirates Stadium, one of five league games to be played there this term - evidence of the further progression of the women’s game in the UK.

To mark the start of the new season, the Gunners released a new away kit just ahead of their opener - but but this kit launch had a bit of a difference. Continuing the theme of progression and long-overdue bespoke attention, it will mark the first time that the women’s team have worn a separate kit to the men through the campaign, with a “halo pink and glow blue” colour in contrast to Mikel Arteta’s side wearing a bright yellow and black effort.

The women’s away kit is set to be worn for the first time on 6 October when they travel to Manchester United in the second round of WSL fixtures, while the club announced the men’s team will wear the “gender-neutral pre-match warm-up jersey ahead of their league game with Manchester City at Emirates Stadium in the same month”.

While still made by kit producer adidas the women’s away jersey has been designed in partnership with Stella McCartney.

“I’m so proud to continue the story with Arsenal by creating this bespoke capsule for the women’s team. Designing for a team that truly embodies what it takes to be an athlete and inspire the next generation of footballers has been incredibly special,” she said.

“I love that the away jersey taps into the exciting intersection of fashion and football [...] it’s important that both players and fans alike can playfully express themselves as they move on and off the pitch, and we hope this bold, new collection can play a part in that.”

While any new kit is naturally a subjective one in terms of appreciating appearance, fans appeared largely positive in comments to the club’s social media post.

Several insisted they were glad the Women’s team finally had their own design and some appreciated merely having more choice in which kit to opt for, while a few dissenting voices suggested the colour choices were “stereotypical”.