While the Green Bay Packers are renowned for their iconic and timeless uniforms, the team has a rich history of throwback and fauxback jerseys that offer fascinating glimpses into their past. With the exciting news of a brand-new alternate helmet set to debut, it’s the perfect time to explore the captivating journey of the Packers’ throwback uniforms. Like many NFL franchises, Green Bay initially embraced throwback uniforms in 1994 during the league’s 75th-anniversary celebration, showcasing a variety of historical styles.
In that celebratory 1994 season, the Packers donned two distinct throwback uniforms, drawing inspiration from their ensembles worn between 1937 and 1948.
Green Bay Packers 1994 Throwback Uniforms featuring white jerseys and gold helmets worn during the NFL's 75th anniversary season.
Although white jerseys were part of the Packers’ wardrobe during the 1937-48 period, the specific white jersey design seen in the 1994 throwback was a unique creation for that anniversary season. Amidst the widespread adoption of throwbacks across the league, Green Bay’s venture into their sartorial history was a notable, if understated, moment. However, it did give rise to an unforgettable Halloween moment when player Ken Ruettgers ingeniously carved a pumpkin design into his throwback helmet.
The Packers revisited throwback aesthetics for a pair of Thanksgiving Day clashes against the Detroit Lions in 2001 and 2003. The 2001 uniform was more of a “fauxback,” cleverly reimagining a past style rather than directly replicating it. For this look, the Packers removed decals from their standard gold helmets and introduced a clean white jersey accented with forest green numerals and tan pants.
These uniforms echoed the style worn in 1938 and 1939, although those earlier versions featured numbers in a kelly green shade, slightly different from the darker hunter green used in the fauxback.
Green Bay Packers 2001 Fauxback Uniform featuring white jersey with green numbers and gold helmet without decals, worn for Thanksgiving game against Detroit Lions.
For their 2003 Thanksgiving game, the Packers presented another set of throwback uniforms.
Green Bay Packers 2003 Throwback Uniforms featuring striped sleeves and socks, worn for Thanksgiving game against Detroit Lions.
These uniforms bore a closer resemblance to their contemporary style but incorporated jerseys with distinctive five alternating green and gold stripes on the sleeves and narrower stripes on the pants. By this time, the team had transitioned to solid green undersocks. For the Thanksgiving throwback, they sported throwback socks adorned with gold, white, gold, white, and gold stripes. While not explicitly stated as such, this design closely mirrored the uniforms the Packers wore in Super Bowl II against the Oakland Raiders.
In 2010 and 2011, the Packers took a more adventurous step, debuting a new series of fauxbacks intended to evoke their 1929 uniforms.
While the jersey didn’t precisely replicate the 1929 style, it did feature the distinctive small, circular number on the jersey front. To comply with NFL regulations regarding number size, the team incorporated a larger gold circle with the number on a blue jersey, paired with brown helmets and tan pants. This color combination aimed to mimic the leather helmets and canvas pants prevalent in that era.
Green Bay Packers 2010 Fauxback Uniform featuring blue jersey with circular number and brown helmet, worn during NFL game.
This uniform set was worn for two seasons but was absent in 2012. In 2013, the NFL’s “one-shell rule” was implemented, potentially preventing the Packers from continuing the “throwback” or requiring them to pair it with their existing gold helmets.
Green Bay Packers 2013 Fauxback Uniform with gold helmet, blue jersey, and tan pants, adapted for NFL's one-shell rule.
Ultimately, they opted to combine the fauxback jersey with their standard gold helmet. While still a fauxback design, the gold helmet integration created a more cohesive look. Interestingly, the team retained the green facemask instead of switching to gray. This “franken-uni” was worn in both the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
By 2015, the Packers were clearly enthusiastic about throwbacks, introducing another version that closely resembled their 1994 uniforms.
These new throwbacks were quite similar to the 1929 fauxbacks, essentially replacing the “circle number” with full-sized gold numbers but adding a prominent gold yoke design. These proved to be popular among fans, and the team wore them for five seasons, until 2019.
Green Bay Packers 2015 Throwback Uniform featuring gold yoke design on jersey, worn during NFL season.
Finally, in 2021, and continuing through 2023, the Packers unveiled their current throwback uniform: an all-green jersey and pants combination. This look was inspired by the team’s uniforms from 1950 to 1953.
Green Bay Packers 2021 Throwback Uniform featuring all-green jersey and pants combination, evoking 1950s style.
These uniforms utilize the Packers’ current gold helmet shell with the decals removed and a gray facemask. The green jersey and pants are in a slightly lighter shade, maintaining the classic “Green Bay green” aesthetic. Despite being a throwback, the mono-green design from the neck down aligns with contemporary uniform trends.
And there you have it – a comprehensive overview of the throwback uniforms the Green Bay Packers have showcased throughout their history. The only other significant departure from their traditional aesthetic occurred in 2016 with the introduction of white pants and socks to create a “Color Rush” uniform.
This all-white “Color Rush” look will now be enhanced by the Packers’ new white helmet, completing a striking alternate uniform set.
