Chicago Sports: Ranking the Best Jerseys in the Windy City

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It's the ultimate piece of sports apparel. 

The sports jersey shows where our allegiances lie. It indicates something about our fandom that other shirts and sweaters might not. 

Chicago sports uniforms are historically some of the most identifiable in all of sports. If they don't look how they did when the original sets came out, but at least they imitate some of the symbolic elements associated with our favorite clubs. 

Here are the best jerseys currently worn by Chicago teams. 

14. Cubs Away

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Boring!

The MLB requires that each team have a gray uniform to wear on the road. Unfortunately, the Cubs are no exception to the rule. 

The Cubs began wearing this style jersey in 1997 after other failed ventures with road grays. Luckily for our viewing pleasure, these jerseys are worn the least by the North Siders as they're more likely to wear the alternate blues while on the road. 

13. White Sox Away

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The White Sox's version of the road gray is better than the Cubs', but not by much. 

"Chicago" written in cursive adds some flare to the visually unappealing gray. Luckily, gray is one of the primary colors of the White Sox set, so it looks a little better than most other teams' grays.  

This version of the road jerseys debuted in 1991. They've remained basically the same until this year, when the Olde English Sox logo replaced the alternate logo featuring the sock on the left sleeve. 

12. Bears Alternate

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The rarely used third jersey of the Bears is one of the best in the NFL.

The jersey, which debuted in 2005, has been worn once a year near Halloween, with last year being the only exception. Last season, the Bears' alternate was the home jersey from the 1940s. 

The orange is a nice change of pace to the blue and whites the Bears have worn for their entire history. Wearing it once a year is the right idea though, because that color can definitely strain the eyes. 

11. Bulls Alternate

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The Bulls' black alternate makes them look sleek and mean. 

This variation of the black was debuted before the 1999-00 season. The original black jersey featured red pinstripes and said "Bulls" across the chest instead of "Chicago." Those started in 1995-96. 

Though the Bulls wear this jersey less than ten times a year, it's still one of the best looking in the league. 

10. White Sox Home

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Of all the pinstriped white jerseys in MLB, there are few better than the White Sox's. 

When the White Sox moved across the street to New Comiskey in 1991, they donned the whites they wear to this day. This design was made into a vest that was worn for a few years.

These vests have not been seen for quite some time. 

9. Cubs Home

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The Cubs' home pinstriped jerseys are one of the few I alluded to that were better than the White Sox's. 

Subtle, blue pinstripes mixed with bright blue lettering and a vibrant logo make this home jersey one of the best in the National League. 

This style was adopted by the Cubbies in 1990 and have been worn at Wrigley Field ever since. 

8. Bulls Home

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When Michael wore it, history was made. Now Derrick Rose and co. wear the home whites at the United Center, looking for greatness of their own. 

The home jersey has looked basically the same since the team's inception in 1966. There have been minor variations and alterations throughout team history, but they've fundamentally had the same design. 

7. Bears Away

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The Bears, like the Bulls, have rarely messed with perfection in their white jerseys over the years. 

These white jerseys have been worn almost entirely away from Soldier Field since they first were worn in 1957. This design has been the only style the Bears have ever used for their white away jerseys. 

With all the flash and flare of new jerseys in the NFL, the Bears still have the best jerseys because they stick with tradition. 

6. Cubs Alternate

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Now that is what you call Cubbie blue.

These jerseys debuted in 1997, after three years with a blue jersey that had "Cubs" written in cursive across the front. A change was definitely the right idea.

This jersey is loud, but in a good way. The Cubs may think so too, as this jersey is worn probably the most considering it's worn at home or on the road.  

5. White Sox Alternate

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The good guys wear black. 

The White Sox have said that since 1991, when the primary color scheme was set to include black again. These jerseys debuted during that season. 

This jersey looks good with both the road gray pants and the white pinstriped ones. The White Sox wear this jersey the most by far, with good reasoning: it's one of the best looking alternate jerseys in baseball. 

4. Blackhawks Away

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Whether they've worn them at home or on the road, the Blackhawks have always looked elite in their white sweaters. 

The style was worn at home from 1955 to 2003, when the Blackhawks and most other NHL teams switched and began wearing colored jerseys at home. 

The white sweater has had Chief Black Hawk on the front with the C's on the shoulders since this jersey came into play, with several alterations throughout its history. 

3. Bulls Away

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What would a team named the Bulls be without red? 

Of all the Bulls' jerseys, the road jersey is the most iconic. MJ's "the shot", the real "last shot", and countless other Bulls memories have been made in red. 

This jersey has basically looked the same circa 1985, with minor alterations having taken place since then. The jersey before looked similar, but had "Chicago" written in cursive across the chest, like the White Sox' road jersey does now.

This may be one of, if not already, the best jerseys in the NBA.  

2. Bears Home

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The Bears are the first franchise in the NFL and probably have the most extensive history in the league. 

Most of that history has been made in Navy Blue. This jersey has been around since 1949, with modernization over the course of its history to give it an updated look. 

These blues are usually worn at home, but they sometimes appear on the road like they did this past Sunday in New Orleans. It really doesn't matter where the Bears wear their iconic navy blue jerseys, because they look good in any stadium. 

1. Blackhawks Home

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The Blackhawks' red sweater is not only the best jersey in Chicago, but the best jersey in the NHL. 

It has been featured on numerous lists and countdowns over the years as one of the best jerseys in all of sports, with good reason. It, like the white jersey, came around since 1955 and has been nearly the same ever since. 

The red jersey is worn at home now to a red backdrop of fans rocking the United Center. The Blackhawks may never have another uniform design again. Look for more Blackhawks memories to come in these reds.