Chelsea’s latest crazy kit concept is punk rock third jersey

Never mind the transfers, here’s the new third kit from Chelsea.

While those in charge of the Premier League side remain hell bent on signing as many players as possible before the transfer window closes on Friday, it’s been left up to the club’s women’s team to unveil their new third alternate kit for the 2024-25 season.

Sonia Bompastor’s side, the reigning Women’s Super League champions, wore it for the very first time during Sunday’s friendly against Arsenal in Washington DC while on their preseason tour of the U.S..

Featuring jagged graphics and loud neon trim, the black kit is inspired by the frayed and furious DIY aesthetic of the punk rock scene that swept through London and beyond in the 1970s.

The boutique run by Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren that helped define the style of the punk era was based on London’s King’s Road, just a stone’s throw from Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge stadium.

Taking stylistic pointers from the era, the shirt is covered in a faux-ripped tartan print that mimics the torn and patched clothing associated with punk as worn by influential bands such as the Sex Pistols, the Clash et al.

The trim is then applied in jarring pink and yellow tones, with the minimalist Chelsea lion crest added to the chest alongside an unusual vertical Swoosh that Nike have been attaching to several of their more prominent third kit designs this season.

Chelsea’s women’s team were also able to christen the bold new jersey with a victory after a goal from new signing Sandy Baltimore just after half-time was enough to earn them a 1-0 win against their London rivals at Audi Field.

It’s another eye-catching and potentially opinion-splitting design from the club this season, following the release of their home kit which features a “blue flame” pattern across both the jersey and shorts.