Gear Reviews
Soccer Style: Pelé Sports Fall / Winter 2011 Collection
Exciting new soccer brand Pelé Sports has launched its Fall / Winter 2011 collection. Known for its innovative designs, quality products and appreciation for soccer history (particularly as it pertains to the great Pelé), Pelé Sports is quickly becoming popular with soccer gear lovers worldwide.
As temperatures drop for many of us, here is a look at some of the key items in the Pelé Sports Fall / Winter 2011 range. They either are currently or will be available at World Soccer Shop (search on “Pele Sports”), Onionbag.com and a host of retailers near you. To find a store in your area carrying Pelé Sports products click on Store Finder at the Pelé Sports website. Click on the names of any of the items below to purchase them.
One of our favorites of the Pelé Sports Fall / Winter 2011 range, the Full Zip Hoody is made of lightweight yet warm French terry and can be worn anywhere from the soccer field, to the pub to a business casual office. The golden zipper with the Pelé Sports Pelada X (the Roman Numeral for Pelé’s famed #10) adds a touch of class to this hoody. As with all Pelé Sports pieces, accents abound such as a star print on the hood and light blue underarm vents.
If you’re taking your soccer game indoors this winter or for those warm days that pop up from time to time in the Fall, the Pelé Sports Signature Gameday Tee is a great addition to your arsenal. It’s a case of simplicity reigning supreme in the form of a 70s styled retro jersey similar to that worn by the all-conquering Brazil 1970 World Cup-winning team. Make it out of quick drying 21st Century polyester and add the Pelé signature and you’ve got a rebooted classic.
Heading into Fall 2011, the weather can be erratic. Hence sweatshirts become regular attire on and off the soccer field. Enter the Pelé Sports Side Vent Sweatshirt!
Not your standard sweatshirt, the Side Vent Sweatshirt is made up super soft quality cotton-polyester blend that feels great on the skin. It is also not heavy at all and indeed is reminiscent of the classic style t-shirts used as soccer kits before the age of polyester. Thus we think that this would be an excellent training, warm-up and post-game top for soccer players in cooler climes.
What is really inventive about the Pelé Sports Side Vent Sweatshirt are its zippered sides. As the name of the shirt indicates, they can zip down to form a vent! Need to cool down after a runout? Then zip one or both sides open to let air circulate to your torso. You can even undo the velcro snaps at the bottom of each zipper to separate the front and back panels of the shirt. We’ve never seen anything like this before!
Classy, retro and sporty, the black version of the Pelé Sports Full Zip Track Top is built for training but has a look that can work just about anywhere, maybe even with a skinny tie and button up shirt. All of its accents are subtle enough (but still scream soccer) to allow this. If you’ve got the desire to stand out in the crowd, the bright blue version may be more to your liking. Either way, this gem may be the all purpose soccer jacket of the Fall of 2011.
A great companion for any track jacket or hoody on the pitch and just as suited for the gym or even lounging, the Pelé Sports 3/4 Track Pant is another 21st Century updated blast from the past of soccer. Similar to the old school cotton track pants you may have seen greats like Zico, Beckenbauer and Pelé training with in old 1970s footage and pictures, the latest incarnation of this timeless classic from Pelé Sports in made of an extra comfortable blend of cotton, polyester and French terry.
Throw in ribbed knit a waistband and cuffs, rare area and inner thigh ventilation and drawstrings in Brazil’s famed yellow and green and your toughest decision when wearing these is is whether to rock your socks high like the legends did or keep them low to show a little skin.
For the windy and/ or rainy days of Fall 2011 when you want to stay cool and dry on and off the soccer pitch, the Pelé Sports Wind Jacket is a must. As seen in the picture below on Pelé, the mesh-lined jacket is extremely lightweight and therefore good for soccer training, pickup matches and running.
Fasteners at the waist let you loosen and tighten the jacket to your liking while concealed zippered pockets are present to keep your hands warm. Pelé Sports accents such as the famous three golden stars stitched on the left breast and contrasting colors on the inner zipper make this jacket quite stylish.
Gold Track Pants
Quite possibly the best-looking track pants on the market, the Pelé Sports Gold Track pants exude style. While black and gold colorways always seem to work, well thought of accents such as the pants’ golden drawstring tips, Pelé signature, number “10” and three stars on the back pocket, make them a work of soccer art. Since they are made out of a lightweight cotton / polyester blend, they feel as good on the skin as they look.
Simply called the Pelé Sports Track Jacket, this is a classic-styled piece that is reminiscent of the track jackets of the 1960s and 1970s. As such, it is something that should remain in style indefinitely.
What makes this jacket appealing is its simplicity. It doesn’t have anything in the way of embroidery except for the Pelé signature on its rear collar area and the Pelé Sports stars on its breast. However, the two-toned color schemes used for the jacket are what really make it stand out. Dark blue and white at the cuffs and waist and royal blue and white for the inner collar and zipper line will make the jacket rock anywhere you wear it.
Signature Hoody and Beanie
These two items go so well together that we combined them into a set!
As with all of Pelé Sports products, a hoody that another firm might slap a logo on and sell for $50 gets more high end treatment in the form of the brand’s Signature hoody. Suited for both male and female wearers, the top has a brushed polyester / cotton lining that keeps you so warm and comfortable that you could slap it on straight out of bed to enjoy an early morning soccer game live from Europe on a chilly January morning. With metallic gold tips for its drawstrings, Pelé Sports’ three embroidered stars on its left wrist are and a Pelé Sports button on its right wrist, a simple signature hoody becomes so much more!
When venturing outside in the cold for a match, run or otherwise, top off the Pelé Sports Fall / Winter 2011 collection with the brand’s signature black and gold beanie to keep your noggin warm and dry.
