Ebbets Subject has a wealthy historical past in baseball — and New York specifically. The stadium within the Flatbush part of Brooklyn was dwelling to the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1913 to 1957 in addition to the Brooklyn Eagles of the Negro Leagues.
It was additionally the inspiration for Ebbets Subject Flannels, which was based in 1988 and bought by Lids in 2022. The corporate manufactures classic athletic attire, replica baseball hats and wool flannel jerseys primarily for groups that now not exist such because the Homestead Grays and the New York Black Yankees.
On Tuesday, the corporate is being rebranded and evolving its combine past historic jerseys to extra of a baseball-inspired males’s sportswear line. The primary drop will likely be centered across the Homestead Grays, one of many Negro League’s hottest groups, and its star catcher, Josh Gibson, whose stats have been formally built-in into the MLB final 12 months.
The Black Yankees bomber jacket.
Courtesy of Ebbets Subject
Sunny Chang, design director, mentioned the rebrand is meant to “get again to what made Ebbets tremendous profitable. It has all the time provided a number of genuine duplicate items of historical past of baseball first, after which ultimately every little thing else in sports activities, from the NHL to soccer to basketball. So our job is to proceed to inform that story for a buyer that loves it however is wanting extra.”
The objective, he mentioned, is “to drag in a buyer who loves vogue however just isn’t a die-hard sports activities fan.” For instance, “if you happen to love the Brooklyn Eagles, how can we take that brand and sentiment and apply it to clothes like a jacket or work shirt and inform the story in a means that is smart.”
The Homestead Grays will likely be a key focus of Ebbets Subject’s new assortment.
courtesy of Ebbets Subject
The result’s a brand new assortment that features outerwear, jerseys, shirts and hats impressed by classic sports activities uniforms however reimagined as menswear staples corresponding to hoodies and chore jackets, a few of that are embellished with felt appliqués, chenille embroidery and classic display prints.
Chang described the items as “a bit of extra wearable and one thing the fashionable gentleman can put on day by day.”
Sunny Chang
Courtesy of Ebbets Subject
One instance is a Brooklyn Eagles cap in cotton twill somewhat than wool and a program impressed by the uniforms worn by the grounds crew that features an Eisenhower-style jacket with logos from the Homestead Grays. There are additionally varsity jackets with leather-based sleeves that can retail for $595, a satin varsity jacket for $328, a crewneck sweatshirt for $138, a mesh T for $108 and short-sleeve Ts for $54 to $58.
However regardless of the rebrand, Ebbets just isn’t giving up on its baseball roots. On April 15, the corporate will drop a Jackie Robinson capsule that includes the unique flannels he wore with the Kansas Metropolis Monarchs earlier than becoming a member of the Dodgers in 1947. “You’ll be able to see the originals in a museum and we’re making an attempt to evolve that for a brand new technology,” Chang mentioned.
A chunk from the Jackie Robinson capsule launching in April.
Courtesy of Ebbets Subject
Following that will likely be a Roberto Clemente assortment in June.
Because the firm was bought by Lids, on-line chatter centered round the truth that Ebbets Subject had moved away from its historical past in genuine duplicate merchandise to heart extra on hats, the hallmark of its father or mother firm.
Chang mentioned that when the corporate relaunches, lots of its traditionally well-liked items will return. “We’re bringing a number of previous stuff again,” he mentioned. “We haven’t replenished it shortly and we all know our clients come to us for that.”
The collections will likely be provided on the corporate’s web site in addition to the Baseball Corridor of Fame and different choose baseball-themed museums.
