The Chicago Bears, originally called the Decatur Staleys when founded in 1920, wore blue jerseys with tan colored vertical striping in their inaugural season. The vertical stripes were actually stripes of leather sewn onto the uniform to help the ball carrier secure the ball.
In 1935 the Bears introduced an orange jersey with black arm stripes and black helmet and by 1958 were wearing the familiar navy blue with burnt orange. The Bears unique "rounded" number style on the uniforms and numbers on the sides of the sleeves of the jerseys date back to the 1950's.
The Bears trademark 'C' logo appeared on helmets in 1962 and its use continues through present day although the mark has changed from white to orange and the shape has changed slightly. After 11 years, the white 'C' logo is colored orange with white trim in 1973 and still has the same look today.
The initials GSH were added to the left sleeve in 1984 in honor of the late 'Papa Bear' George S. Halas, who passed away Oct. 31, 1983. The uniform has had a very consistent look from the 1970's with the exception of blue pants with the white jersey introduced in 1984 as a "road" uniform. On Oct. 7, 2002 on a Monday Night Football game against Green Bay, the Bears wore their traditional "home" blue jerseys with the blue pants for the first time.
The Bears' uniform history is as varied and interesting as the history of the team itself. The team's classic look is steeped in tradition, but there have been quite a few deviations from the norm along the way.
