Kurarin Vintage shop guide

A local Japanese vintage clothing lover introduces Japanese vintage shops. I visited second clothing stores in various regions and recommend the best ones.

Top > Vintage and Second-hand shops > Summary of UMBRO's history, vintage tag era identification, and past logos [Vintage soccer uniforms, Manchester City, boots, fakes, how to identify fakes, game shirts, imitation products]

Summary of UMBRO's history, vintage tag era identification, and past logos [Vintage soccer uniforms, Manchester City, boots, fakes, how to identify fakes, game shirts, imitation products]

Vintage and Second-hand shops

I like vintage Umbro jerseys, track tops, and nylon jackets

My favorite Umbro. I fell in love with it when I was in middle school, and used to stock both spikes and clothing from Umbro. Vintage soccer items have become popular in recent years, and Umbro seems to be particularly popular.

However, unlike Adidas and Nike, the brand has not received much attention as a used clothing brand, so there was no comprehensive information on it. So, using my Umbro collection that I have collected over the years, I systematically organized the tags and other age identification, and compiled the information myself.

By the way, I started liking Umbro because it was worn by my favorite player, Yusuke Mori, who plays for the local Kawasaki Frontale. He was like an idol to me. Yuki Kojima, also known as Umbro Kamen from the manga “Whistle!”, is also a favorite character. No, but Shige-san (lotto) is also cool.

History of Umbro, origin of the brand name

Founded in 1924 in Wilmslow, a suburb of Manchester, England. The company was founded by brothers Harold C. Humphries and Wallace Humphries, who named the company Humphreys Brothers Company. The brand Umbro was created by taking the letters um and bro from Humphrey Brothers. It's like an abbreviation.

At first, it was a small company that was involved in the delivery business and had nothing to do with uniforms or soccer. After that, he started a uniform business. Both Manchester City and Portsmouth, who reached the 1934 FA Cup final, wore Umbro kits. It seems that it became popular in England around this time.

Produced military wear during World War II. The company also engaged in activities such as providing company cafeterias to the military. Even after the war, the company continued to provide many soccer uniforms, and its market share in England continued to grow. In addition to soccer, we now offer more sportswear for the British Olympic team, track and field, tennis, and more.

At the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, the Brazilian national team won for the first time wearing Umbro uniforms. This was the tournament where 17-year-old Pele made a brilliant debut. They also won the 1962 Chile Championship for the second time in a row.

In 1959, the world's first replica uniform kit was released. Nowadays, replica uniforms are commonplace, but Umbro was the pioneer. Old Umbro uniforms from the 80s and 90s also have "Replica Kit" written on them.

1966 World Cup in England. The England national team won the tournament for the first time wearing uniforms from their home country's brand ``Umbro''. Almost 60 years later, England have surprisingly only won the tournament once. It appears that 15 of the 16 teams participating in this tournament wore Umbro uniforms. Furthermore, 85% of clubs in the domestic league use Umbro uniforms, and their popularity is increasing worldwide.

Around 1970, Yvon Chouinard, founder of the outdoor brand Patagonia, came up with the idea that a rugby shirt would be easy to wear while rock climbing in Scotland. When I first purchased Umbro rugby shirts, they were sold out immediately (Source Let's send our employees to surfing Diamond Inc. P62)< /p>

In 1974, one of the company's founders, Harold Humphreys, passed away and was succeeded by his sons Stuart and John. At this time, the familiar double diamond logo was born. Continuing to provide high-quality uniforms, the brand has grown into a brand known as the "Dior of soccer."

When Alan Shearer, a famous striker in the 1980s, was 17 years old, he sent a letter to Umbro asking for sports equipment, and Umbro provided him with spikes for free. Shearer then turned pro and officially signed with Umbro.

In the late 1980s, shorts nicknamed umbros seemed to be popular in America.

In the 1990s, Umbro became a top global brand due to the talent and popularity of club teams such as Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United, as well as national teams such as England, Sweden, and Ireland. This period was the golden age for Umbro, and second-hand uniforms are especially expensive.

Image citation https://note.com/orm_tokyo/n/ncafd9f34fde2

In addition to that, the Britpop movement of 1990 is also one of the reasons for Umbro's popularity. Britpop is a genre of music represented by Blur and Oasis. In particular, the Manchester City jersey, drill top, and nylon half coat worn by Liam Gallagher are famous in the used clothing industry. The styling at the time was called Britpop fashion, and it has become a genre of vintage clothing. Later, Liam's own brand ``PRETTY GREEN'' collaborated with Umbro.

UMBRO Wear “UMBRO×PRETTY GREEN Collection”｜UMBRO｜</ p>

In Japan, the company names Acros and Suzuki Sports are listed on tags from the 1990s, but the details are unknown. In 1998, Descente, whose license agreement with Adidas ended, began handling Umbro. In 1999, Descente acquired the trademark usage rights in Japan and is now the distributor in Japan. In 2013, we acquired Umbro trademark rights in Korea. In 2014, he signed a contract with Kakeru Aizawa, the main character of the manga ``Knights of the Area.'' Maybe that's why I get the impression that there are a lot of Umbro teams in the professional league in the game (lol)

Quote/Reference Umbro - Wikipedia

In 2000, the logo was changed, and the uniforms and other designs were brought closer to the current design.

In 2007, it was acquired by Nike, the world's major sporting goods manufacturer.

At the end of 2012, it was sold to the American Iconix Brand Group. In Japan, DESCENTE has an independent contract, so there seems to have been no major impact.

In Japan, Gamba Osaka has been wearing Umbro since 2003. Umbro became well-known in the 2000s due to the popularity of Gamba Osaka, which won its first J League title in 2005 and entered its golden age after that, and the popularity of England representative Beckham who wore the Umbro uniform at the 2002 Japan-Korea World Cup. became.

After being sold by Nike in 2013, Umbro added lowercase umbro to its logo and returned to its classic design. Around 2010, around the time of Nike's acquisition and sale to Iconix Brand Group, fewer teams around the world started using Umbro uniforms. Umbro only represented England at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

In 2013, the England national team, who had been using Umbro for many years, switched to Nike. The Swedish national team also went to Adidas.

In the J League, Kashiwa Reysol, who had been an Umbro for many years, changed their name in 2010, and Sagan Tosu also changed their name in 2012. I loved Reysol's Umbro uniform, it was so stylish. Furthermore, Gamba Osaka, which has the most image of Umbro, will switch to Hummel from 2023, and it seems like there are fewer J. League teams using Umbro these days.

On the other hand, elements such as its design, Liam Gallagher wearing it, and its background with England's history have made it attractive, and it has many loyal fans. It has grown into a fashion brand that extends beyond soccer uniforms through a wide range of developments, including collaborations with street brands. It is a particularly popular brand in Korea, and is popular as a fashion item that goes beyond sports.

Photo quote HISTORY | Football brand Umbro Japan official website | umbro

Our Story | umbro Umbro's English website has a more detailed history.

Reference Umbro sells like hotcakes in South Korea Evaluation that it's not a "plain soccer brand": Asahi Shimbun Digital< /p>

Umbro logo, meaning, and tag age determination

*The information listed below is not official information from Umbro or Descente, but includes information and speculation based on my own personal research. I'm here. Please read this information for reference only.

Since our founding in 1924, we have had a diamond-shaped logo, and since 1974 we have changed to a double-diamond logo. The diamond rhombus represents the company's intention to become a brand that continues to shine, and the two diamonds represent the two founder brothers.

Image quotation, reference Umbro Logo and symbol, meaning, history, PNG, brand

Most of the second-hand soccer-related clothes found are from the 90s onwards. Vintage items from the 70s and 80s are rare and difficult to find, so they are expensive.

There is no official data, but from my collection and experience, I can guess that the lowercase logos from the 1980s are made in England, and some are made in America. After the 1990s, production shifted to Asian countries such as China, Korea, Thailand, and Japan. Since 2000, most of the products have been made in China, with some made in Turkey.

If I introduced all my personal belongings, it would be about an hour long video. Vintage Umbro is not introduced all at once, so I hope you can find at least one item you like and find some hints for finding old clothes.

Umbro, tag and logo types, age identification

Although there are minor changes, there are mainly four types of Umbro logos. Before the 1970s, it was no longer a double diamond.

Big diamond lowercase letters from the 70s and 80s.

Big diamond capital letters from the 90s.

Thin diamonds from the 2000s.

Big round diamond of the 2010s. Letters are lowercase.

It's rare to actually see logos from before the 70s. With the recent boom in nylon jackets, the number of Umbros being seen at second-hand clothing stores has increased a little, but because the year is not systematically sorted out, they are often sold by mistake. There was also a thrift store that said the 2020 model was 80s.

Deca logos from before the 2000s have double diamonds with sharp corners. The difference is that the corners have been rounded since the 2000s. Logos from 2013 onwards have almost the same lowercase letters, so you can tell the year of the logo by the corner of the double diamond.

Quote How to tell if Umbro is vintage: Labels, Logos and Tips – OneOff Vintage

The logo tag that says "Tailored in England" is also a product made after 2008.

Vintage Umbro age identification, country of origin, tag notation, zip maker

There are almost no differences in the tags, and the year can be determined just by the difference in the logo. Before the 2000s, most tags were uniformly blue. The inner tag is often missing, and the country of manufacture is often unknown, but if the logo is from the 90s or later, it can be assumed that it is made in Asia.

Vintage Umbro from the 60's and earlier

Quote https://www.instagram.com/p/Cckc8NSv6Fq/</p >

It is rarely seen, but it can be seen in vintage shops very rarely. Soccer shirts from the 1960s often didn't have brand names on them, and there were almost no replica uniforms. It seems that more work and outdoor items for boy scouts are appearing on the market than soccer-related items.

Quote https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm5V_e_PlsQ/</p >

You can find wool sports jackets and work and military items, some of which were produced by Umbro, in vintage vintage clothing.

Tag before Double Diamond. My guess is that it was made around the 70s or 80s, but my personal guess is that this tag was probably still in use in the 80s, based on the feel of the fabric and seams.

Big diamond lowercase tag from the 70s and 80s

Umbrellas from the 70s and 80s that are hard to find even in replica uniforms. Items whose prices have skyrocketed in recent years. Zippers are often anonymous.

Mainly made in England in this period. It is also written on the tag. The tag “THE CHOICE OF CHAMPION” is rare.

The size and font weight of the tags are not very standardized and vary quite a bit.

There is also a pattern in which the embroidered logo on the chest and the logo on the neck tag have different lowercase and uppercase letters. Is it a transitional model?

There was a jacket made in China even on the replica kit tag with the lowercase logo. The zip is SCIL. It's a lowercase logo, but is it from the 90s?

1992 Scotland national team uniform. It was adopted around 1990, but the logo remained in lowercase. It may be difficult to accurately distinguish between 80s and 90s based on lowercase or uppercase letters. Around 1990, both lowercase and uppercase letters existed, and production began in the United States and China in addition to the UK, so it may have been a transitional period where various details were mixed.

This is also a British product, so some British products may have remained in the early 1990s. You can probably find some made in America from around the 1980s.

American swing top from the 1980s. This is also a rare Umbro. Big diamond lowercase embroidery and tag. It's a paper tag that looks like American vintage clothing, and it says "Made in America" in English and French. FABRIQUE AUX EU means MADE IN USA in French. When you see EU written in it, you think it's Europe.

It has the RN (Registered Number) found on American vintage clothing from 1959 onwards, RN14627.The same number is also attached to the 90's Umbro made in USA. I looked it up on a database site, and a different company called STONE MFG CO came up. I wonder if the number has changed or if it was imported or manufactured at the time.

The zip is YKK. It comes with a chin strap, and the double diamond tape hidden under the collar is cool.

f:id:kurakurakurarin1991:20230410215439j:image

I also found a product made in Hong Kong with a tag from this era. The RN number was the same as the American one.

There was also a product made in New Zealand with a lowercase logo. A rare fisherman smock with hand warmers.

No longer bootable? It seems like a mysterious tag (lol).The material description on the tag is clearly written in German or Spanish, so I think it's a genuine product based on the texture of the material and the accuracy of the embroidery. The zip has no manufacturer information.

Rare champion tag. It says "made in eec". Although it is not certain, EEC may refer to the European Economic Community. The zip has a rare YKK double diamond.

Unusual tag. The zip is the one often used in SCIL's 90s. The material is listed in English, so I guess it's made in the UK. The 1970s was a period of transition for Umbro, and perhaps it was the time when various types of tags and production began in Europe other than the UK, and various tags appeared.

Manchester City is especially popular among vintage soccer uniforms and game shirts. I had a variety of products on hand, including genuine products, boots, imitation products, and score draws, so I compared the details.

Although this is just my personal opinion as an amateur, I compared the uniforms that are considered to be genuine with other uniforms such as score draws. The points I was particularly interested in are listed below, but the video explains them in more detail.

Uniform used by Manchester City from 1989 to 1991. Unusually, the main sponsor, Brother, is not included.

Flocky print with ridges, team logo with three-dimensional feel on the letters.

Lowercase tag, made in the UK, inner tag that you don't see anywhere else.

Another genuine product from the same generation, the Brother, had stained prints.

Manchester City uniforms from 1991 to 1993.

There are three lines on the right arm. Replicit Umbro tag, made in the UK, no tag inside the armpit, second tag at the neck, lowercase Umbro, ribbed flocky print.

Brother's flocked print has different levels, and the team logo has a three-dimensional feel to the letters. The reprint of Score Draw has a slightly different shadow logo pattern.

Often seen in Umbro uniforms from the early 90's, the body is made of polyester and the neck fabric is switched. Only the lining is cotton twill, and the neck is polo shirt type cotton.

There are imitations of score-draw retro reproduction vintage uniforms

There is a brand called Score Draw that officially reproduces retro uniforms.

https://www.instagram.com/scoredrawretro/

The official Score Draw product is characterized by not having the supplier's logo, but the counterfeit product has the Umbro embroidered logo and a different neck tag.

They often have strange paper tags attached. The URL is unbro and it's funny how the spelling is different. The position of the logo is also off.

Authentic Score Draw product. The tag includes the team emblem, and the back of the tag is carefully finished.

Is this a rare and mysterious item, an imitation of the original Score Draw product with the Umbro logo print added? I've also seen it. The current Umbro logo is printed on the genuine product, so I wonder if this is a counterfeit product or a genuine product, and what should I call it? (lol)

90's big diamond capital letter tag

The tags from this era are the most commonly seen on vintage Umbro.

Rare pullovers and sweatshirts. On the left is a rare vintage item called a drill top. In the 1990s, soccer became a commercially important business worldwide, and clothing began to be mass-produced in Asia. A characteristic of this period is that some items have large logos embroidered on them.

Just like used clothing and vintage clothing, this was a time when the industry was undergoing major changes worldwide. The same goes for soccer, and many replica uniforms have begun to be manufactured and sold.

The tags are almost uniformly blue with white embroidery. There are multiple types of size notation. My guess is that the top row may be European standard, and the bottom row (red text with white frame) may be American standard? The white frame size is sometimes written as YM or AM. This means Youth M size (for boys) and Adults M size (for adults).

Paper tags often found on American vintage clothing are often attached, and most Umbro products made in the United States have the tags on the bottom row. Levi's denim also has different tags, so it may be that the jurisdictions were similarly different between the United States and Europe.

Sometimes there are gray logo navy blue tags and black logo white tags.

A silver tag on a blue background that I have only seen once. The country of manufacture was not written.

You can also find tags that say "Made in China" in French and "Assembly in MEXICO" tags often seen in the 90s. Many countries of origin are listed as China, Thailand, and America. There are also ones made in Malaysia and Korea. Some tags are written in Spanish or Finnish, but the country of manufacture is often unknown. It seems that the product was produced in China, and the language of the tag was changed to suit the exporting country.

White tags often have a second tag attached to them. The material of the inner tag is different from the others. There seems to be a Romanian version as well.

1993-1995 Manchester United away shirt. The shadow stripes are cool in black. Despite the capital letter logo, it was made in the UK. Does that mean that there was some British manufacturing in the early 1990s?

Brazil representative around 1991. Umbro was also used at the 1994 World Cup in America. Mysterious G size. What is G? I think it's the initial letter of the size notation in Portuguese. The tag is written in Portuguese, but it has disappeared and some parts have been cut off, so the country of origin is unknown. I also found an ACROS made in Japan and a replica kit made in the UK with the same design on the internet. The 1994 model also seems to be made in Brazil.

Most zips are unmarked, but there are also YKK VISLON zips and SCIL zips. SCIL is a zip that you don't see on used clothing, so I looked into it, but I couldn't really understand it. Looks like a zip maker from China or Taiwan. I get the impression that they are often made in China or Japan in the 1990s. YKK produces most of the products in Thailand.

Although it has a large capital letter logo tag from the 90's, the inner tag is a sweat shirt with a lowercase letter tag from the 80's.

Spanish and the city of REDONDELA in Spain are listed. Was it also produced in Spain, or was it written by a distributor?

I also found one made in South Africa!

 

In the 1990s, in addition to Descente, there were also Suzuki Sport and Across's Japanese-made Umbro

It seems that Japanese-made Umbro products existed in the early 90's before Descente started selling Umbro.

Windbreaker top and bottom with 90's tag. The zip is made by SCIL.

The

tag is ACROS Co., Ltd. Another company may have held the license before Descente handled it.

Game shirt with 90's tag. A rare purple tag. The inner tag is in Japanese. Made by Acros. OK size? UK size? The mysterious size notation is L.

Quote https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/s1074200968< /a>

On the internet, I found that the 80's lowercase tag was also treated as acros. I thought it was Across International, which currently sells Reebok and other products, but the company was founded in 2000, so that's not the case. I couldn't find out anything about this company called ACROS even though I looked into it.

Reference Company information | Acros International Co., Ltd.

Half pants that look like gym clothes.

I don't see this Choice of Champion tag very often.

There is a company name called Suzuki Sports, but I couldn't find this company even after looking into it.

90s nylon pullover hoodie with big diamond capital letter logo. This is a Manchester United model, and it is manufactured by Sony Creative Products Co., Ltd. Sony Creative Products is an existing company that handles character licensing and goods production. A tag seen on Manchester United goods in Japan around 1996. Did Sony own the rights to Man U at the time?