When the initial ownership group of DC Power FC was named, back in May 2024, club president and part owner Jordan Stuart had the task of creating a team identity. It couldn’t exist just in the play on the field. It had to be present in the crest, the branding, and especially the jerseys that they wore on the field to represent their club. The evolution of DC Power’s jersey identity is finally starting to take shape as the team prepares to take the field for its spring home opener in the USL Super League on Sunday afternoon.

The first thing for a startup team in a brand new league was to select an apparel partner. Capelli Sport – which is the official apparel provider of the USL Super League and also outfits Carolina Ascent, Spokane Zephyr, and Tampa Bay Sun – was the right choice to help establish something that hadn’t been seen before. “There [are] less limitations on a more curated brand [like Capelli],” Jordan Stuart said in comments made exclusively to The District Press. “And we felt if we could expand upon creative liberties with the kit design and be a little bit outside the box with [the design]…that would be a fun way to kick off our brand and our identity.” 

Capelli Sport is also the kit provider for Loudoun United, which meant Stuart and DC Power FC could use Loudoun as a test case for what they wanted to have on the field. Stuart said that they were able to look at different fabrics, designs, materials, and colors to figure out exactly what they wanted and needed for their new team. In the end, they desired to use the creative freedom they received from Capelli to their advantage. “We wanted to have something that that that was more than just a single color kit, or a [kit] that had maybe different colored cuffs, or something like that,” Stuart said. “We wanted something that was that would stand out.”

In the initial years, they wanted to create an identity that was separate from that of the prototypical DC symbols, like the cherry blossoms or the various monuments and government buildings. While they’re open to incorporating them in future jerseys and theme nights, they didn’t want to attach themselves directly to DC-centric symbolism “without having earned the respect” that could be gained from a truly unique club identity.

In the end, they settled on two designs. The primary jersey is their black jersey with Power Blue sleeves and trim. It’s been paired with black shorts and black socks and incorporates the “wings” from the crest in a lightning bolt-like design extending away from the crest. Agile Defense was secured as the first front of jersey sponsor prior to the start of the season, while the team later added Giant Food and The Fruitist as sleeve sponsors.

The secondary jersey is their Lightning jersey, a dazzling design with several lightning bolts in Power Blue and other shades of blue. The collar is black to tie it to the primary jersey. It will be paired with Power Blue shorts and socks. However, the shorts and socks are interchangeable with both jerseys to create modified looks.

The black jersey is meant to align the club with the other soccer teams that play at Audi Field, both of whom wear black at home: DC United and the Washington Spirit. “Obviously having the black, it does coincide a bit with the Audi Field fortress feel, whenever Audi field is fully activated [and loud],” Jordan Stuart said. In more simple terms, black is their home jersey identity. “We don’t want another team wearing black [at Audi Field]…We want to be that to be an [intimidating] color and that’s the identity at home,” Stuart commented. “We want to also create consistency [so the] players that know when they’re wearing that black jersey, that means [we’re] playing at home and that means three points.”

However, to get to that established jersey identity, they had to overcome obstacles that are more common for teams in these times. There were supply chain issues that delayed the arrival of both jerseys until midway through the fall portion of the season. So, for the first seven matches of the season, DC Power FC had to use Capelli team templates to get by while they awaited the arrival of their custom kits. They played the first two matches in gray jerseys with royal blue shorts and gray socks, including the inaugural match of the USL Super League against Carolina Ascent.

After two matches, they played the next five matches, including the first ever home match, in a blue and white striped template that was meant to be versatile enough to wear both at home and on the road until their permanent options were available. Stuart said that their opponents recognized their unique situation and worked with them to ensure there were no jersey clashes when they were on the road. It also became recognizable with fans, with the jersey being sold at some of the initial home matches at Audi Field.

Finally, the custom jerseys arrived, in time for DC Power FC to take the field against Brooklyn FC on October 11th in their lightning kits, paired with white socks since their custom socks had not yet arrived. In those jerseys, the team won its first ever match on a last second goal.

A dazzling uniform looked great in the club’s first win, and it caught the eyes of the league. However, the lightning jersey, which was meant to be the jersey the team takes on the road, arrived too dark to serve as the away jersey and created clashes with several teams. So, that first ever win is the only time to date that the lightning jersey has been worn by the team. Stuart says that moving forward, it will serve as a third jersey that they can use at home against teams that don’t have a lot of blue in their jerseys.

The black jersey made its debut in a home match against Dallas Trinity on October 16th. They wore them over four straight home matches, establishing that as the club’s primary jersey.

Recently, the team has been testing a third stock kit that is a predominantly white jersey with blue streaks cascading up from the bottom. It’s been paired with royal blue shorts – “white shorts are not allowed in the [USL Super] League,” Stuart commented – and white socks.

Stuart said that the club initially wanted to stay away from white jerseys in general, mainly because most white jerseys on the men’s side created a see through effect when wet that he was cognizant would not work for DC Power FC. However, in testing the white jerseys over the past three matches on the road, they are hoping that they can find the right material for a jersey they can wear on the road that would avoid those issues. They are currently in the process of developing a predominantly white custom kit that would be used on the road for the 2025-26 season, while the current stock white kit will be primarily used on the road for the rest of the season.

The black jersey and the lightning jersey will continue to be used by the team through next season. Part of the reason was getting more time with them to develop that jersey identity. “We’re very happy with with those customs,” Stuart declared. “We felt that because of the late start, [we had] seven games or so that we weren’t able to wear either one of those jerseys. We almost look at the spring season as the introduction of this team into market. We do have a little bit of an identity now. We obviously have recognizable players on the roster. We have a larger staff, we hopefully will have increasingly enhanced media coverage. It takes six months to [develop everything].”

Stuart also hinted at further changes to the color palette, saying that a new color or two could be added in the future. The potential additions would “add something else to the palette and open up more creative options.” He couldn’t elaborate on which colors were being considered, but it’s all a part of the continued process of bringing the DC Power brand into the forefront.

So, for fans of DC Power FC, the question remains: how do they get their hands on these jerseys? Stuart says the team made the purposeful decision to only sell merchandise at the stadium during matches for the first season. “[Fans] can buy the jerseys at the stadium,” Stuart declared. “[We] want to encourage fans to come to the game. The bonus of coming to the game is buying the jersey of the team you’re supporting in person. So, there is some intentional reasoning behind having our jerseys be available just at games and not necessarily [online].” Stuart added that they do plan on eventually having an online store through their website, possibly by the start of next season. They’re even discussing the option of having DC Power FC merchandise permanently for sale in the DC United Club Shop at Audi Field. That will take some time with some of the standing contracts and operators in place.

So, when the team takes the field on Sunday afternoon against Lexington SC, fans will be able to buy jerseys – which Stuart says are priced in an effort to make it accessible to all fans – shirts, hoodies, hats, scarves, and team flags at the kiosks on the concourse at Audi Field. Now, they finally have the jerseys they want to take their team identity to the next level.