“The apparel,” Polonius advised his son Laertes in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, “oft proclaims the man.”

New MLB uniforms, designed by Nike and manufactured by Fanatics, were met with mixed reviews by players as camps opened in Florida and Arizona. Officially dubbed the Nike Vapor Premier uniforms, the new look is tailored toward maximizing athletic performance, but they appear to have fallen short in the aesthetic department.

“It looks like a replica,” Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward told The Athletic. “It feels kind of like papery. It could be great when you’re out there sweating, it may be breathable. But I haven’t had that opportunity yet to try that out. But from the looks of it, it doesn’t look like a $450 jersey. So far, thumbs down.”

A major source of angst in recent days has been the revealing nature of the pants. From a video of Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh posted on the team’s X account to a picture of San Francisco Giants infielder Casey Schmitt from media day (see below), there are several examples of the slacks simply not doing their job.

Nike initially partnered with MLB in 2019 when they announced a 10-year deal reportedly valued at more than $1 billion, replacing Majestic Athletic, which had been the league’s uniform manufacturer since 1982. Nike and Fanatics, who acquired Majestic and its production facilities in 2017, spent six years working on the new uniforms, gaining input from clubs and players throughout the entire process, according to MLB.com. They used body scans instead of tape measures as the goal was to create jerseys that were lighter, more breathable and had better fitting tops. Teams were shown samples during 2022 spring training and the players union did not raise concerns then. They went on to debut at the 2023 All-Star Game in Seattle.

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi told NBC News that Nike and Fanatics are making the rounds in the coming weeks in an attempt to gather feedback on the uniforms.

“Nike and Fanatics Group is going to come through spring training facilities in the weeks ahead and find ways to work around the margins and modify the jerseys,” Morosi said.

Morosi went on to state that he believes a majority of players are coming around on the uniforms and that he expects MLB, Nike and Fanatics to take the evaluations in stride with an eye towards ensuring both the design and overall product ultimately live up to expectations.

“My impression is that most players are on board,” Morosi said. “MLB, Fanatics, Nike – they’re going to be open-minded to listening to the feedback to make it a better product because at the end of the day, they all have a very vested interest in the players feeling their best, feeling comfortable on the field, and certainly the fans liking what they’re buying as well. It’s a very important thing.”

For as much criticism as the jerseys have garnered, players such as Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Jason Heyward have voiced their support for the feel and comfortability they provide.

“Somehow, this feels even more authentic than the ones we’ve been wearing, to be honest,” Heyward said in a video posted by the Dodgers on X last week. “The material feels that much nicer; it feels like it’s going to breathe better. And I think the really cool part for the fans is the numbers on the back having that different texture.”

The MLB Players Association is still working to see if changes can be made, however, as Tony Clark, the head of the union, stated that he is doing everything in his power to make sure the uniforms are up to par.

“We are on the phone with the requisite parties that are involved in making that decision because we aren’t,” Clark told The Athletic. “We’re trying to make sure our guys have what they need in the fashion that they need it. And it’s reflective of what being a major-league ballplayer should be reflective of.”

Clark further mentioned that he is optimistic that the necessary changes will be made during spring training and that the dispute won’t drag into the regular season.

“It’s an ongoing dialogue,” Clark said. “Hopefully, we can get some things done over the course of the next six weeks of spring training. Because I’d hate to be in a place where we’re still having conversations about some of the challenges we have in that regard once the lights come on.”

“Clothes make the man,” Mark Twain famously said. “Naked people have little or no influence in society.”