The Rossoneri have been no strangers to a beautiful kit over the years. From the iconic red and black stripes that give the club its nickname to the all white strips that have featured in so many of European football's biggest nights. 

So as we enter into the 122nd year of one of football's great clubs let's take a look back on some of the finest kits Milan, and the game, have ever seen.

1999/2000 Home Centenary

The shirt that should still be the template for anyone hoping to pull off a throwback centenary kit. The club's founding flag of St George badge was brought in and a fairly big floppy collar was added. The overall effect is fantastic. What’s more the decision to move the Scudetto shield patch from its normal front and centre placement to the arm was a very good move. Top, top work from all involved.

1990/1992 Home Shirt

An out and out classic. When Adidas came in at the turn of the 90’s they did the smartest thing they could, basically nothing. The design featured a more structured collar than Kappa’s efforts of the preceding two years and other minor tweaks were added but really they just let the good times roll. 

1988/1990 Home Shirt

The home shirt worn by the Rossoneri from 1988 to 1990 is the most iconic kit in the side's history. It’s the kit in which the iconic dutch trio of Van Basten, Gullit and Rijkaard would set Milan on a course of European domination and it is basically faultless. The collar may be very of its time but it worked perfectly with the laid back elegance with which Milan would dismantle teams.

2013/2014 Home Shirt

Adidas were really trying to make gold happen during the 2013/14 season and while the *extremely shiny* all gold third kit may have ended up a bit of an eyesore, the touch of gold on the home was pretty classy. Throw in some pleasingly spaced stripes and a hint of an Italian tricolour and you're onto a winner.

1995/1997 Away Shirt

Based on a kit worn way back in the 1942/43 season, the away shirt worn by the Rossoneri from 95 to 97 was an absolute beauty. The thick red and black band running down the middle offset beautifully with the all white of the kit and the Scudetto patch and star combo are always a treat.

1988/1989 Away Shirt (European Cup final)

Milan love to wear white in European cup finals and although this tradition dates back to 1963, it was the 1989 final that really started the trend that has seen them don white in all but one final since. The kit used in the 89 final was actually a one off - the red and black horizontal band normally used in that season's away kit was ditched and this very classy, virtually all white number was brought in. Milan demolished Steaua Bucharest, and looked damn good doing it.

1983/1984 Home Shirt 

A dominant player in the 80’s Italian football scene, Ennere churned out some beauties throughout the decade, few though have the lasting appeal of Milan’s 1983/84 home kit. It's just a very classy football kit with its billowy sleeves and super wide collar, probably not great in the rain though.

2002/2003 Home Shirt

Maybe this one is born out of nostalgia for the side who wore it as much as the design itself but the 2002/03 seasons kit was damn nice in its own right. The design carried over the all black arms of the previous years kit but utilised vertical stripes that bordered on basically being two tones of red to soften the overall effect. It may not have been one Milan’s most traditional kits but Rui Costa and co sure wore it well.

1985/1986 Away Shirt

While Milan had been flirting with horizontal stripes throughout the early half of the 80’s the 1985/86 season would see them go all in with a kit covered in vertical pinstripes. Designed by the company owned and named after club legend Gianni Rivera the design saw infrequent usage and ultimately the flirtation with vertical stripes was short lived, which is a bit of a shame really

1995/96 Third Shirt

It’s not easy to pull off a yellow kit but in the 95/96 season, Milan nailed it. The warm shade of yellow was paired with the classic red of Milan for the numbering and trim and it all looked great. It also didn't hurt that pretty much the first thing Milan did it in was win the European Super Cup against Arsenal.

You can shop our AC Milan collection here.

Words by Andy Gallagher