When the Cubs officially became “The Cubs” in 1903, the team’s uniforms were the plainest of plain: white, standard fold-down collar with a pocket on the left breast and simplified old-English C adorned the pocket of the gray road uniform. Since then Cub threads have seen myriad alterations. The 1930s and 1940s saw the most modifications and experimentation with color and logos. However, it wasn’t until around 1969 when home uniforms took the form familiar to what Cubs fans see today, with pinstripes and the red and blue circular Cubs logo. The late 1970s and 1980s saw some unique road jersey versions. Click through the years below to see every uniform — home, away, alternate and World Series.
1903
Significant features
First Cubs logo, an old-English C on breast pocket.
1904
1905
Significant features
First “Chicago” logo across chest on road jersey.
1906
Significant features
Fisrt “C” logo on home jersey.
1907
Significant features
First pinstripes on special World Series uniform, design of the “C” changes, first “C” on cap.
1908
Significant features
First appearance of a bear inside the large familiar “C.”
1909
Significant features
First use of logo with “ubs” inside the “C.” Lettering down center of jersey unique to only this year
1910
1911-1912
1913
Significant features
Switches to text on uniform fronts.
1914
Significant features
First shoulder patch.
1915
1916
Significant features
New “C” and bear design.
1917
Significant features
American flag shoulder patch.
1918
Significant features
Introduced dramatic color modifications and new “C” design. Only season where home uniform had red pinstripes.
1919
Significant features
Light blue introduced on road uniform.
1920
1921
1922
Significant features
New “C” logo.
1923
1924
Significant features
New “C” logo.
1925
Significant features
New “C” logo, National League 50-year patch on shoulder.
1926
1927-1928
Significant features
Stripes introduced on sleeves, bear returns to the inside of the “C” logo.
1929
1930
1931
Significant features
First script logo on alternate road uniform.
1932
1933
1934
Significant features
New red pitching bear “C” logo on home jersey.
1935-1936
1937
Significant features
New “C” logo, similar to what exists today
1938
Significant features
First shoulder stripes or piping
1939
Significant features
Centennial shoulder patch for the creation of baseball.
1940
1941
Significant features
New “C” logo, road uniform colored light blue.
1943-1944
1945
Significant features
Duck shoulder patch commemorating returning WWII veterans worn by a few Cubs players on alternate uniform.
1946-1950
1951
Significant features
National League 75th anniversary Willabee Ward glove patch on shoulder.
1952-1956
1957
Significant features
New “C” logo on jersey and hat, pinstripes become standard on home uniform.
1958-1961
Significant features
Stripes gone from socks.
1962-1968
Significant features
First bear cub head shoulder patch.
1969-1971
Significant features
First player numbers on front of road jersey.
1972
Significant features
Bear head logo slightly modified, smoothed out.
1973-1975
1976
Significant features
America Bicentennial patches on shoulders.
1977
Significant features
Road uniform goes solid light blue.
1978
Significant features
Reversed white pinstripes added to road uniform.
1979-81
Significant features
New “C” logo, and new angry expression on bear shoulder patch.
1982-1989
Significant features
Road jerseys go from light blue to solid dark blue.
1990
Significant features
Road jersey becomes standard gray, what exists today.
1991-1993
1994-1996
Significant features
New bear head logo design, new script logo on road jersey.
1997-1999
Significant features
New walking bear shoulder patch.
2000-2003
2004-2006
Significant features
Full-length option pants start to appear around this time.
2007
2008-2015
2016
Significant features
Cubs 100-years-at-Wrigley commemorative shoulder patch.
NOTE: The Tribune studied the Baseball Hall of Fame’s database of uniforms, a respected sports logo tracker and stacks of file photos to put together this analysis of the Cubs evolving uniforms. Naturally over the course of more than a century there are some discrepancies in logos, jerseys and other uniform parts that come up. In the face of that, the Tribune tried to be as inclusive as possible with logos and uniform types, but this list cannot account for every single alternate uniform, changes in uniforms during the season, flashback uniforms, precise uniform color, player preferences and league norms during different time periods. This is especially the case from the 1980s to date, as the proliferation of alternate uniforms makes it impractical to attempt to catalog each style.
SOURCES: National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Baseball Almanac, Chris Creamer’s Sportslogos.net, Tribune reporting
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