The Coolest New Uniforms in Sports

When athletes go out to perform and win, it's all about their game...and their style.  Especially in team sports, a stylish look is essential.

In 2012, fans got a rich dose of new uniforms: Nike radically changed the NFL's uniforms, the Olympic teams headed to London in unique national getup and even college football had some big updates.

Here is the list of the coolest new uniforms in sports.  

No. 20: Wyoming

Brown and yellow is a strange combination, not one that you would naturally expect to win a 'cool uniform' award.  

But Wyoming pull it off very well.  The bright, splashy yellow looks great as the main color and, when brown is the base, the yellow lining is a nice touch.  

No. 19: Seattle Seahawks

After years of sporting terrible uniforms, the Seahawks finally got it right.

Seattle's new uniforms are a sleeker, more modern ocean color than in years past and the white numbers and pad lines are nicely mixed into the entire design.  

No. 18: Southern Mississippi

The pitch-black helmet with the school name "Southern Mississippi" strapped on the side really sets this uniform apart.

It is a classic, retro football look that will remind many fans of the 1970s.  

The black makes the player look ready to hammer his opponent and having the school name across the side feels pleasantly old school for this very modern era of college football.  

No. 17: Jamaica

Jamaica had the edgiest uniform of the London 2012 Olympic Games.  

Uniform designer Cedella, the daughter of iconic singer Bob Marley, went with a bright yellow and black mix that smartly incorporated the Jamaican national colors without compromising on style and flash.  

No. 16: Spain

The Spanish uniforms were widely panned by some pundits, including a few who compared them to a fast food chain's get-up, but Spain deserves credit for pushing the envelope with a splashy red base color and a royal gold design over the chest.

The "Espana" hat, however, was just awful.  

No. 15: Morocco

Simple and understated, Morocco's clean-cut look was one of the nicest at the Olympics.

The white Adidas shirt, mixed with a hint of green on the left side and the country's flag over the right, was a nice style for the Olympics. 

No. 14: Cleveland Browns

Cleveland's biggest difference: the uniform is actually brown.  The Browns wore all white uniforms last season.  

The Browns did a nice job of keeping it traditional while updating their somewhat tired and dated color scheme for the modern era.

Cleveland will still sport its classic orange-and-brown team colors but now the emphasis is on the deep chocolate brown of the uniform, which actually contrasts nicely with the new, bright orange helmet.  

No. 13: Australia

It was all preppy down under.

The Australians went with a dark blazer, white khaki pants mix, which looked good for the cameras and made everyone think of sun and golf courses.

In sort, everyone was reminded of beaches in Nantucket...and Australia.  

No. 12: Netherlands

Were they models or Olympic athletes?

In the case of the Dutch, whose stylish dark blazer, white shirt and pants mix was a major Olympic hit, the answer might just be both.  And, how did they work in Dutch orange so seamlessly?

No. 11: Great Britain

The Olympic host country got off to a roaring start with its excellent uniform.

The Adidas sweatshirt featured blue as the primary color and also made good use of white stripes and a red-and-white mixture for "Great Britain" in block letters across the front.  The jacket had the same colors but added more white and a thick, striking black line down the middle.  

It was relatively understated but pleasant and, in that way, very British.  

No. 10: Italy

The Italians' uniforms were designed by Giorgio Armani and it shows.

The polo shirt is the perfect mix between sleek and traditional while the jacket has an edge to it that set the Italians apart at the opening ceremonies.   

No. 9: Maryland

Give Maryland credit: they took the ugliest uniform in sports, which they wore throughout 2011, and turned it into a decent uniform.

The team now features a more subdued look, which emphasizes the nice contrast of red and white and mixes in subtle hints of yellow and black.  The new color mix is pleasing to the eye, whereas the old one's coloring made players look like tropical parrots.  

No. 8: Washington Redskins

The Redskins' uniforms were always some of the best in the NFL.  

Luckily, Nike did not stray far from the source—they just spruced up the colors and made Washington's uniform look updated for the 21st century.

No. 7: West Virginia

The Mountaineers went with a simple but modern look for their uniforms.  

The grey base mixed with deep blue lines, and bright yellow trim looks clean, athletic and sets off the team's colors nicely.

No. 6: New Orleans Saints

The Saints kept their color scheme but the new uniforms have a sleeker, more dangerous look.

They also added fleur-de-lis designs to their game gloves.  

The striking black base color of the uniform is familiar to fans but also goes very well with the bronze helmet and is a combination that will translate nicely to the field.  

No. 5: Nebraska

The Cornhuskers eschewed gimmicks in favor of a simple, awesome layout: powerful all-red base with an enormous "N" on the front.

The only flashy elements are the strips of black along the shoulders, which nicely accent the team's pitch-black helmets.  

No. 4: United States

The US Olympic uniform for the London 2012 Opening Ceremonies was designed by Ralph Lauren.

Polo went with an undeniably preppy look but the American athletes pulled it off well.  Exempting the strange sailor hats, which look strangely out of place anywhere outside Nantucket, the whole kit came together nicely.  

No. 3: Northwestern

Northwestern purple is absolutely iconic and the updated edition only enhances the old-school glory.  The deep purple is still there and the three black stripes across the middle add a touch of darkness to the mix.  To top it off, the whole mix works well with the blinding white pants.

Now, Northwestern just has to get down to actually winning football games.  

No. 2: San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco's uniform is iconic and, thankfully, Nike didn't really change it.

The new gloves are a bit strange but Nike should get credit for not messing with a good thing and adding performance features without compromising the stylistic integrity of the San Francisco look, white dates back to the franchise's glory days in the 1980s.  

No. 1: Chicago Bears

Call it home bias but the Bears' new uniforms are an exciting update for the franchise.

Chicago now boasts a very modern, sleek feel to the uniforms but fans will still see just enough of the team's trademark bright orange to make the new look work for the Bears.