Football kits are rapidly becoming fashion items across the globe as the popularity of retro shirts continues to grow. The designs are becoming intrinsically based upon the consumers' desires and most modern-day strips are tailored towards what will generate the most volume of sales.
So because of that, in recent years, the release of kits has become a main story across the industry as fans eagerly await the new style.
West Ham have certainly had their fair share of swanky and stylish efforts over the years and today at Football FanCast we've decided to take a look and rank some of their best strips.
The design information has been added wherever possible.
15 Away kit 2022/23
Probably not to everyone's taste but Umbro have tried something different here and we at FFC love it!
A white jersey can often be rather uninspiring but the splash of colours makes for a quirky feature and that's exactly what an away kit should be.
It will certainly be popular among Hammers fans, though, as it was worn during their historic Conference League triumph in Prague earlier this year.
Jarrod Bowen scored the late winner against Fiorentina to end the club's 43-year wait for a major trophy.
Design Information: "The Third Kit’s striking design features a White Shirt with a vibrant spark – inspired by the Club’s roots deep in the heart of London’s East End at Thames Ironworks."
14 Home kit 2013/14
Collared shirts feature very predominantly in our rankings! But they are marvellous additions to any football jersey and this home strip from a decade ago is a super one.
The evergreen Kevin Nolan sports this classy strip in the image above and led his side to a League Cup semi-final that season before suffering a bruising 9-0 aggregate defeat to eventual winners Manchester City.
13 Home Kit 2017/18
Donned by former West Ham midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate, this Umbro-made strip has a clean and classy look. The claret and blue are broken up pleasantly and the subtle white detailing on the collar is a neat feature.
David Moyes was appointed Hammers boss on a six-month contract in November of that year after Slaven Bilić suffered the sack.
Moyes guided his side to a 13th-placed finish but wasn't offered a contract extension. He rejoined the club the following year, succeeding the man who replaced him, Manuel Pellegrini.
The former United boss has been in post ever since and has delivered European Football to the London Stadium and the aforementioned Conference League trophy.
Design information: "The claret and blue kit takes inspiration from the famous strip worn by Billy Bonds and Trevor Brooking in the 1976 European Cup Winners’ Cup final, with both West Ham legends featuring in the video campaign for the new kit."
12 Away kit 2010/11
A clean look here, manufactured by Macron, who delivered a sky blue and white away number with a claret stripe. The blue ribbed collar and sleeves are super additions and the old Premier League badge is worth noting, too. Iconic.
But the season ended in misery as the club finished rock bottom, thus suffering relegation to the Championship for the first time in seven years.
Blackpool and Birmingham joined them in the second tier.
11 Away kit 2014/15
This contrasting blue strip was sported in Sam Allarydce's final season at the East London club as they finished a respectable 12th.
The navy racing-esque stripe down the shirt is a cool quirk whilst the white sponsor breaks up the colours pleasantly.
A great effort by Adidas.
Diafra Sakho scored nine goals that year and finished as the club's top scorer.
10 Away kit 2003/04
Gold accents on football shirts are just magnificent. Reebok created a lovely away strip, here, and Jermaine Defoe, pictured above, enjoyed a fruitful campaign sporting it.
The diminutive-framed striker scored 11 goals in 19 appearances before joining Tottenham Hotspur in the winter transfer window for £7m.
Alan Pardew led his side to a fourth-placed finish before suffering a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the playoff final to remain in the second tier for a second successive season.
9 Away kit 2021/22
This Umbro-made away strip sports a lovely white and pale blue contrast with thick stripes running down the centre of the jersey. The ribbed claret collar and armband are pleasant features.
The club finished seventh wearing this strip and were just two points adrift of sixth-placed Manchester United.
Mark Noble, pictured above, announced his retirement at the end of the season marking a remarkable 18-year career at the East London club, with two loan spells at Hull City and Ipswich Town during that period.
Design Infomation: "Inspired by the past, and our iconic 92-93 season Away shirt, the classic West Ham Away visual continues this season."
8 Home kit 1996/97
What an iconic sponsor Dagenham Motors is…
The sponsor on jerseys can often be a hindrance but in this case, it's actually an asset. The prominent badge is a lovely feature whilst the wide collar also adds value to the strip.
Though, the Irons only just survived relegation donning this number, finishing just two points ahead of the drop zone.
Paul Kitson ended the season as the top scorer with eight.
7 Home kit 1998-99
Manufactured by Pony, this number is the epitome of a classic retro shirt. The baggy oversized fit, the collar, the shirt sponsor and the old badge all contribute to a beautiful nostalgic jersey.
Trevor Sinclair, pictured above, racked up a healthy goal return that season, netting seven times and setting up five assists, helping his side achieve an eighth-placed finish.
6 Home kit 1986/87
This timeless number, sported by striker Tony Cottee, is a lovely strip that has grown with the eras. The v-neck collar paired with the Adidas original logo makes for a proper retro jersey and the sponsor isn't prominent, either. The classic three stripes running down the sleeves are worth noting, too.
However, the Hammers' campaign that year wasn't exactly one to remember, unlike their kit. A 15th-placed finish, under the stewardship of John Lyall, was rather underwhelming given they'd finished third the previous campaign.
Billy Bonds was voted Hammer of the Year.