Whether it's the iconic C of the Cubs uniforms or the navy and orange uniforms of the Chicago Bears, many of Chicago sports teams' uniforms have taken on iconic looks over the years. But how did they get here, and how did they used to look? Let's take a look at Chicago's sports teams and how their uniforms have evolved, learning how these famous teams came to look like they did.
The Chicago Bears
If there's one thing that sets the Bears apart, it's the classic blue and orange coloring of their uniforms - and their unmatched skill. The orange and blue have always been a staple of the uniform, finding their roots in the University of Illinois colors in the 1920s. Originally, the uniforms were navy blue and featured orange vertical stripes. In the 1930s, the Bears took on a bold orange look - with orange jerseys and orange pants - adopting a polarizing style before settling on their classic navy blue with orange, horizontal stripes. While that blue and orange style might be the modern look for Bears players, you can still find alternate jerseys featuring an inverted style with that bold orange front and center with blue stripes on the sleeves.
The White Sox
Meanwhile, the White Sox have seen a large variety of uniforms - partially due to their team emblem changing frequently over the past century. While one thing stays consistent - those iconic white socks - the Sox have adopted many different colors and styles throughout their tenure. These uniforms include the classic white and pinstripe baseball uniform, but we've also seen an inverted style with white pinstripes as well as an all-light-blue uniform. Today, the white-with-black-pinstripes and the black-with-white-pinstripes uniforms are the most regularly used - with the latter representing the southside Chicago jersey - but you can still find unique jersey designs like the old-school 1982-1986 Cooperstown jersey, which features the word 'Sox' across the front in a horizontal stripe.
The Chicago Cubs
For the Cubs, it's all about the blue and gray. Since the team's introduction, they've worn some variation on light gray and blue in their uniforms - most commonly wearing white or light gray shirts with a blue hat and blue undershirt, depending on whether it was for a home or away game. This look has been switched up a few times, including the infamous "pajama" road uniforms, featuring a reverse-pinstripe look with a light blue color. We've also seen an all-blue jersey with white and red accents for an away jersey, as the Cubs were one of the first teams to use a colored jersey as their primary "away" uniform.
The Chicago Bulls
The iconic red of the Chicago Bulls has been the go-to look since the team's introduction. Home games were played with a white jersey with red accents, while away games saw a red jersey with black accents. But the Bulls have played with a pretty wide variety of jerseys - including the iconic black and red alternate uniforms - modernly referred to as statement uniforms. These black uniforms used red to accent the team and player name as well as the player number, and for a time, even used red pinstripes to switch things up. The team also has a green uniform, used solely on St. Patrick's Day - one of Chicago's favorite holidays, if the green Chicago River wasn't enough proof.