The uniforms of a team carry a lot of responsibility. The uniforms have to be comfortable, stylish, and represent the team in a meaningful way to make the team stand out to fans. When you are in charge of ordering the uniforms for the team, that is a pretty big responsibility resting on your shoulders. Let's take a look at the matter of button-down vs. regular uniform shirts to eliminate one aspect of concern from your list when ordering.

Consider the Sport

When deciding between button-down vs. regular uniform shirts, you should consider the sport. In actuality, you won't find button-up uniform shirts in most sports. Football, soccer, lacrosse, and basketball all use regular uniform shirts. The only true exception where button-down shirts are seen is the sport of baseball. If your sport isn't baseball or softball, you don't need to worry about the button aspect when ordering uniforms for the team. If the sport is baseball or softball, there are a few things to keep in mind when ordering in relation to buttons.

Buttons vs. Regular

There has been much debate over the years from fans of the sport as to why baseball uniforms have buttons. The general consensus has been that baseball is an all-American sport based on tradition and changing the uniforms would break with tradition. While MLB uniforms still stick with the button-down style, local leagues are starting to break with tradition and try something different on a smaller scale. In fact, many college and local teams have started mixing the look of the traditional button-up shirt with the newer, more modern pullover jersey style.

There are a few benefits to either style worth noting when ordering team uniforms. For starters, the regular, non-button options are easy to put on for most athletes, offer optimal movement, and present a clean look in terms of logos not being separated by buttons on the shirt. On the flip side, button-up shirts have benefits such as keeping with baseball tradition, presenting a dressier look over pullover options, and giving the player more versatility in how they wear it. There is no right or wrong choice when choosing between the two uniform options and will most often come down to a matter of preference.

Choosing Different Button Options

Once you decide if you want buttons or not, the decision-making process doesn't end there. If you have decided to go with a button-down option, there are two types available and you should consider them carefully when choosing for your team.

• Full button. The full button option is just what it sounds like where the buttons go down the entire front and the shirt can be fully opened. A full button option is the more traditional option on the scene for those looking to stay with baseball tradition. The full button leaves players with the option to leave a few buttons undone as they play so there is no restriction of movement in the arm or chest area.
• Two buttons. The other option is a two-button shirt which does not open all the way and is more of a pullover shirt. The buttons are located at the top of the shirt by the neck. This option not only blends the more modern jersey style with the traditional button style, but it also lets players have more control over their uniform than a typical pullover. They can choose to wear the shirt buttoned to keep warm during cold games or unbutton the two buttons when playing in warmer weather or when they just want a bit of a looser fit in the chest area.

Whether you are looking at full button, two buttons, or no buttons at all, it is important to remember that there is no right or wrong choice when it comes to choosing uniforms. The bottom line is that you need to choose the style of uniform that is right for your team, even if it means breaking with a long-held tradition. You can even take a team vote into consideration when choosing between the full button, two buttons, or pullover style. This is a great way to bring the team into the fold and let them take ownership of their appearance while playing.