Best and worst jersey designs in German football

One title, 18 teams. Who has the most attractive jersey in Germany's professional soccer league, the Bundesliga? Dusseldorf's University of Media and Design has already picked a victor for the best jersey in 2015/2016. Here's a hint: The winning jersey is red and white, but doesn't belong to FC Bayern. The jury based its choice on design, material and fit. Here's the ranking.

FC Augsburg takes up the rear in the ranking for the best soccer jersey for the upcoming Bundesliga season. Experts agree: It's boring. Hopefully the team will make up for their uniforms with spectacular kicks, passes and saves.

FSV Mainz 05 came in just shy of last place. Their jerseys are not innovative and have too much red and too few details in white, according to the jury. "They're too simple," criticizes sport designer Martina Becker, a professor at the Dusseldorf design school. The material resembles plastic and the look lacks passion, she adds.

Cologne's team is just shy of expulsion. "They tried very hard with the silhouette of the Cologne Cathedral integrated into the thin diagonal stripes. But even if you look closely, it's difficult to recognize," says designer Martina Becker. Did you find the cathedral?

Darmstadt hasn't come up with a particularly convincing jersey either. "The lilies on the lower right edge look like a water mark and seem too feminine, and the white-and-blue stripes on the sleeves and collar are too stilted," according to Becker. But perhaps the water mark disappears when the jersey is full of sweat?

The team from Mönchengladbach in central-western Germany don't have it easy. Integrating their sponsor's yellow logo is nearly impossible, according to sport designer Becker. Framed in black accents on the collar, V and shoulders gives the jersey a rather sad appearance.

The VFB has hardly changed their jersey at all this season. Nothing new means number 13 on the list of most attractive uniforms. They came in 14th with their soccer skills last season - so let's hope they at least update a few of their moves on the pitch, if not on their backs.

Emerald green - symbol for renewal, rebirth and luck - is a new color for Bremen. That sounds promising indeed. But, even though white shoulders and sleeves relax the look a bit, the experts see room to grow. That should motivate the team for the upcoming season, right?

While green certainly proved lucky for Wolfsburg - second in last year's Bundesliga ranking - they've traded it for white this season. But Martina Becker and her design students feel the new jersey resembles that of Brazil's national team just a tad too much. Originality is key when it comes to stand-out designs.

Even though it's been a while since the HSV has reached the middle of the table with their playing, they've managed it with their jerseys. This season they've banked on a retro look that's more sporty than spectacular.

This jersey has gotten mixed reviews. Taste aside, the designers in Dusseldorf think Hoffenheim are courageous to wear the white shirt with staggered, fading blue stripes. At least it could double as a cycling jersey. And that's enough for Number 9.

Schalke have kept last season's jersey and stayed true to royal blue - which is also their nickname - combining it with pin stripes and a wide collar. Loyalty has earned them eighth place.

The idea is good, according to the experts. But the wide block stripes in black and red are too cumbersome and the look could be jazzed up a bit more. Coming in fourth, Leverkusen did better on the pitch last season.

Hannover 96 have gone rather frivolous this season. The white double neck line is classy, but the row of buttons and striped cuffs are perhaps just a bit too much of a good thing, according to the experts.

"Looking good!" The material is nice to touch and the mesh insert under the armpits are functional, says designer Martina Becker. The sponsor logo is well integrated, and the yellow jersey with the subtle black stripes works well. The overall impression of the away jersey was a good one - although it lost points for the black polo neck.

The blue-and-white team from the German capital is certainly an eye-catcher this season: classic blue with red accents, and longitudinal strips increasing from two to five. The additional color and flair has catapulted Berlin upwards to number four.

Indeed, Bayern is back near the top yet again. While they have a fairly plain jersey this season - red, with a white sponsorship logo - "it is in good taste," according to Martina Becker.

Frankfurt only narrowly missed out on the title, winning over the experts with their 70s retro-inspired look of black with broad red pinstripes. Even the tight-fitting cut works well: "It simply looks great," concludes Martina Becker. That is, at least on the players: For those fans with beer bellies, the revealing cut doesn't exactly complement.

This season, FC Ingolstadt takes the trophy for the most impressive jerseys. The jury had nothing to criticize on the traditional red-and-black shirt with wide vertical stripes. The black shorts and socks complete the outfit immaculately - an absolute eye-catcher. Now it just remains to be seen whether Ingolstadt can keep up on the pitch.