4 warm-up tracksuit looks for winter team orders

The warm-up tracksuit is the piece your team wears the most and photographs the most. It goes on the coach to away games, into the team picture and over the kit before the whistle. Here are seven full-zip sets from our catalogue, grouped into four looks, with the points we check before any team order goes into production.

Why the warm-up set gets ordered first in winter

Once the weather turns, players spend more time in the tracksuit than in the playing kit. Travel days, cold sidelines, cup finals where the whole squad lines up for a photo. That's why clubs often order tracksuits before anything else for the second half of the season.

Every set below is fully sublimated. The colour is dyed into the polyester, so fades, prints and stripes go right across seams and zips line up with the design. Names, numbers, crests and sponsor logos go into the same print.

Look 1: Gradient fades

A fade is the safest way to put two club colours on one garment. The darker shade sits at the hem and cuffs, where tracksuits pick up dirt first, and the lighter colour sits up by the crest.

For something with a bit more going on, the topographic version puts mountain contour lines across the chest and shoulders. Mountain and topo prints have been a strong winter theme on team kit this year, and navy with a pink accent is a colour pair we're seeing more of.

Look 2: Geometric prints with bright piping

Two-tone sleeves and a fluorescent trim make a set easy to spot across a busy car park or a tournament venue. Coaches like this when they need to find their squad quickly.

Look 3: Retro chevrons and sashes

Throwback warm-ups are back. Bold angled panels down the sleeves and legs give that old-school look, while the fabric underneath is a modern stretch polyester.

A diagonal sash does a similar job across the chest. On this set it sits over a halftone dot fade, in cobalt blue and pillar-box red, two of the colours named for winter this year.

What to check on a retro design

• Panel lines. Ask where the chevron or sash meets the zip. On a good mock-up the stripe lines up on both sides when the jacket is closed.
• Crest position. A sash takes up chest space. Decide early whether the crest sits above it or on the opposite side.
• Leg stripes. Matching side stripes tie the jacket and pants together. Check they run the full length on every size.
• Collar colour. A contrast stand collar shows up well in photos. Make sure it's on the mock-up you approve.