In the summer of 1988, a trade sent Wayne Gretzky from Edmonton to Los Angeles, and Canadian hockey fans have never quite let it go. The deal changed the Kings on the ice, but it also changed how they looked. Within months, the team traded its purple and gold for black and silver, and a franchise that had often been an afterthought in a basketball and baseball town suddenly had a look people wanted to wear.
That moment sits at the heart of any conversation about vintage Los Angeles Kings clothing. The black and silver crown and shield became one of the defining images of late-eighties and early-nineties sportswear, worn far from any rink. But the earlier purple and gold years, and the stranger experiments that came later, have their own following. Here is how the eras break down and how to wear them now.
Forum blue and gold
The Kings arrived in 1967 as part of the NHL's big expansion, and for their first two decades they played at the Forum in Inglewood, dressed in purple and gold. The team called it "Forum blue," which is a nice bit of branding for what everyone else saw as purple. It matched the colours the Lakers wore in the same building, and it gave early Kings clothing a warm, very Californian look.
Fan merchandise from those years is relatively scarce compared with what came later. When you do find it, it tends to be simple: crewnecks and tees with a crown logo, caps, the occasional pennant or jacket. The purple has often faded toward a dusty violet, and the gold toward a mustard yellow, which can look wonderful on a soft cotton tee.
These pieces suit people who like their sportswear a little off the main path. They are not as instantly recognisable as the black and silver, and that is part of their charm. A purple and gold Kings sweatshirt says you know the team's history, not just its most famous moment.
The Gretzky effect
When Gretzky arrived, the Kings shifted to black and silver almost immediately. The new look had a shield-shaped crest with a crown and bold lettering, and it was clean, hard-edged and modern. It also arrived at a time when black sportswear was everywhere in Los Angeles.
The Raiders had moved to LA earlier in the decade and brought their silver and black with them. Together, the two teams' colours became tied up with the city's music and street culture, especially in West Coast hip-hop, where Kings and Raiders gear was a common sight. People who had never watched a hockey game wore Kings caps and jackets because of what they signalled about the city.
On the ice, the Gretzky years brought the Kings their first trip to the Stanley Cup Final, in 1993, where they lost to Montreal. Clothing from that run, and from the years around it, is among the most popular vintage NHL apparel anywhere. If you are looking for one Kings piece, this is where most people start.
Some jerseys follow a team into a city. The black and silver Kings look seemed to follow the city into the team.
Purple returns, and a few experiments
The mid-nineties brought a famous misstep: an alternate jersey with a bearded king figure on a diagonal, grey and purple design. It was worn briefly and became a running joke among fans, often compared to a fast-food mascot. Today it has a cult following, and anything connected to it has a certain ironic appeal.
Later in the nineties and into the 2000s, purple came back as an accent alongside black and silver, with new crests and crown designs. These pieces are less sought after than the classic Gretzky-era gear, but they make up a lot of what you will find, and they are often in better condition. A purple and black Kings hoodie from this period can be an easy, colourful layer.
More recently, the Kings won the Stanley Cup in 2012 and again in 2014, which revived interest in the team and returned black and silver to the centre of its identity. Championship-era merchandise is not yet old in the true vintage sense, but well-worn examples are starting to show up and are worth a look.
Garments to keep an eye out for
Here is where to focus when you are hunting for vintage Los Angeles Kings clothing:
- Satin and nylon jackets. Black jackets with the shield crest are the classic find. Look for intact snaps, firm ribbed cuffs and a clean lining.
- Crewneck sweatshirts. Heavy black or grey crewnecks with a large crest are easy to wear and still fairly common.
- Pullover anoraks. Half-zip nylon pullovers with kangaroo pockets were popular in the early nineties and layer well over hoodies.
- Snapback caps. Black caps with the silver crest are a simple, recognisable way in.
- Replica jerseys. Gretzky-era black and silver jerseys are prized; purple and gold ones are rarer.
- Graphic tees. From simple crest prints to busier nineties designs with hockey sticks and lettering.
Expect to see more black and silver than anything else. If a purple and gold piece or a mid-nineties oddity turns up in good condition, it is worth taking seriously, because those are harder to come by.
Dating and condition
The colour palette does most of the dating work for you. Purple and gold means the earlier years. Black and silver with no purple suggests the late eighties into the mid-nineties. Purple mixed back in usually points to the later nineties or 2000s. Within those windows, collectors look at tag design, fabric weight, stitching and the style of print, while remembering that no single clue confirms an exact year.
Black fabric is the thing to inspect most carefully. Over time, black cotton fades unevenly, often toward a warm brown or a dull grey, especially on shoulders and the top of caps. An even fade looks natural. Patchy fading, particularly around a logo, can be distracting.
Before buying, check:
- Ribbing at cuffs, collar and waistband for stretch and fraying.
- Prints for cracking that has turned into flaking or peeling.
- Embroidery and appliqué for loose threads or lifting edges.
- Snaps, zippers and drawstrings on jackets and anoraks.
- Underarms and seams for thinning fabric or small holes.
How it fits
Hockey merchandise from this period was made to be roomy, and replica jerseys especially were cut to go over equipment or thick layers. A vintage large jersey will be very wide in the body and long in the sleeves. For most people, that is fine worn loose over a hoodie, but measure across the chest and down the back if you want something closer to your size.
Crewnecks and jackets run generous too, often with dropped shoulders. A satin jacket that feels slightly big on its own will usually feel right over a sweatshirt. Anoraks are the most forgiving: they are meant to be loose, and the elastic cuffs and hem keep them from looking sloppy.
Wearing the Kings in everyday life
Black and silver is easy. A black Kings crewneck with grey or black denim, plain white sneakers and a simple cap is a reliable, low-effort outfit. For something a little sharper, wear a crest tee under an unbuttoned grey overshirt or a dark wool coat, letting just the logo peek through.
A satin jacket works best with matte, sturdy pieces. Try it over a heavy grey hoodie, with straight work trousers and boots. The shine of the satin against the cotton and canvas makes it feel considered rather than costume.
Purple and gold pieces call for softer partners. Cream, khaki, olive and washed blue denim all sit well beside faded purple. A purple Kings tee with light jeans and a cream knit cardigan can look relaxed and warm, especially in spring or late summer.
If you like the wider LA look of the era, a Kings cap pairs naturally with other black and silver sportswear. Just keep the logos to one per outfit so it looks like a style rather than a souvenir shop.
Looking after black and silver
To slow fading, wash black cotton inside out in cold water and hang it to dry out of direct sunlight. Never put satin or nylon jackets in the dryer; spot-clean them and let them air out. Caps should be hand cleaned only, with a soft brush and mild soap on the sweatband.
Store jackets on wide hangers and fold heavy sweatshirts on a shelf. Keep silver prints and embroidery away from rough fabrics in your closet that might catch or rub them.
A Canadian view of an LA team
There is something fitting about wearing Kings gear in Canada. The team's most famous era began with one of the most talked-about trades in Canadian sport, and for many fans here, the black and silver jersey is forever tied to that summer. Wearing it today can feel like a small nod to that shared history.
Vintage Los Angeles Kings pieces turn up from time to time at our shops on Queen West and in Mississauga, along with plenty of other vintage NHL apparel, though we can never promise what the next drop will hold. Whether you go for the classic crest, the Forum purple or the much-mocked mid-nineties king, choose the one that fits well and suits the rest of your wardrobe, and it will earn its place quickly.
