Women's handball shirts

Fitted, straight or mixed: three cuts to try

The fitted cut follows the waist and hips; it does not billow and gives defenders less to grab hold of. The straight cut falls without marking the waist, making it more comfortable for training. The mixed shirt, commonly found in team ranges, is cut longer and wider at the shoulders, which often requires going down a size. The gender filter on the page separates women's cuts from mixed cuts.

Short sleeves, capped sleeves or sleeveless

Short sleeves remain the standard for match shirts. Capped sleeves, which are shorter, expose the shoulder for backs shooting in suspension. The sleeveless shirt is mostly seen in training and beach handball. If you wear a long-sleeved undershirt during a match, it should match the dominant colour of the shirt.

Goalkeeper: a shirt that must stand out

The goalkeeper wears a colour that distinguishes her from the field players of both teams and the opposing goalkeeper. Her shirt often has long sleeves, which protect the arms during ground saves, and a slightly looser cut. A field player replacing her must wear an identical shirt, with cutouts covered in transparent fabric to show her number, without any holes.

New Referee: the FFHB referee kit in women's cut

The FFHB referee shirts from Hummel are available in women's cut, in black, yellow, green, pink or sand. A pair of referees wears the same colour, chosen to distinguish them from both teams: having two or three shades in their bag allows them to adapt to each match. The cut leaves the arms free for gestures and the lightweight fabric breathes during runs.

French team, Brest, Flensburg: wearing your team colours

The French team shirt, signed by adidas, comes in a women's cut in royal blue for home games, white for away games, and pink for the third kit. Brest Bretagne Handball, dressed by Craft, also has its shirts, like Flensburg, Magdeburg or Chambéry. These are supporter versions: the team's design, for the stands as well as for training.

Club shirt set: think about printing as soon as you order

For a club, the match shirt is ordered as a complete set, including goalkeepers. Team ranges like Power, Progress or Iconic come in several colours and in women's cut, which allows for dressing senior girls in the same reference as the boys. Numbers on the back and on the chest, club name, partners: remember to plan for printing space before choosing a very graphic model.

Six brands, six ways to cut a women's shirt

• Hummel offers the Core Poly in women's cut, in navy, red, white, black, pink or grey, and the FFHB referee kit.
• adidas dresses the French team and designs the Adizero Aspyre training shirts.
• Kempa, a German brand focused on handball, designs team shirts for clubs.
• Errea, an Italian teamwear brand, offers shirts in many colour combinations.
• Joma, a Spanish brand, focuses on team shirts that are easy to print.
• Mizuno, textile partner of the LNH, completes the selection.

Matching shorts, undershirt, socks: what goes with the women's shirt

• The matching shorts can be found among the women's shorts.
• The women's socks should match the same colour for the whole team.
• The undershirt in the right colour is found in the women's baselayers.
• The bras should be worn under the shirt.
• For training, the women's t-shirts and polos protect the printed shirt.
• The women's sweats are worn over the shirt off the field.
• The goalkeeper finds her bottoms among the women's trousers.
• The women's jackets and tracksuits are worn on top during warm-ups.

Renewing the shirt set without breaking the bank

Discounted women's shirts can be found in the women's sales and in the women's clearance. Supporter shirts also go through the special supporter offers, and the Black Friday for women allows for a complete refresh.

Frequently asked questions

What size of women's handball shirt should I choose?

Take your usual size in women's cut, and one size down in mixed cut. The shirt should fit close to the body without squeezing the chest or restricting arm movement. Always check the length on the size chart.

Can a supporter shirt be worn in a match?

In competition, all players wear the team's shirt, which is numbered. A supporter shirt is therefore worn during training, in the stands or for leisure. It remains comfortable to train with the colours of your favourite team.

Why are handball shirts so tight-fitting?

A loose shirt gives defenders a grip and can get caught on the arm during a shot. A fitted cut reduces these snags and dries faster. This is also why match ranges often have a women's version.

How to wash a printed shirt?

Turn it inside out, wash at no more than thirty degrees and without fabric softener. No tumble dryer or iron on the print. Let it dry in the shade to keep the colours.

Can you wear a t-shirt under the shirt?

Yes during training. In a match, only an undershirt in the dominant colour of the shirt, short or long sleeves. A t-shirt of a different colour that shows is not accepted.