Can the England Soccer Team Win in Fashion?
LONDON — A win could be coming home for the England soccer team as they prepare to face Spain in Sunday’s finals of the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship, otherwise known as the Euro 2024.
But in the fashion leagues of sport, the England team is far behind, even if some of its players have become fashion stars as of late.
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Players Phil Foden and Eberechi Eze recently featured in Burberry’s soccer-themed series, while Bukayo Saka has become a recurring guest at Daniel Lee’s London shows and Jude Bellingham has fronted a Skims Mens campaign.
In May, Marks & Spencer unveiled its Euro 2024 clothing range featuring Marcus Rashford, Conor Gallagher and Aaron Ramsdale wearing navy and beige bomber jackets with white knitwear staples. A team portrait followed last month, where all the players wore a variation of the range in Germany, ready for the cup games.
The British retailer has been the official suit supplier for the England team since 2007, where the players have routinely posed for official team portraits in three-piece suits, which they’ve ditched since the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The players are contracted to wear Marks & Spencer off the field this summer.
“The partnership with M&S is a nice relatable touch and it’s a great moment for the high-street store. But since the players are carrying Louis Vuitton and Bottega Veneta bags in their downtime, it feels a little detached from their reality,” said Peter Bevan, a London-based stylist.
In a recent Instagram post from the England soccer team, several players were photographed in their training kits carrying Goyard and Louis Vuitton backpacks.
Still, in comparison to other soccer teams, the England team has been given the short hand. Their counterparts, such as the Italian team, are dressed in formal attire from Emporio Armani while the Japan Football Association recently unveiled a collaboration with Yohji Yamamoto’s Y-3 for the Paris 2024 Olympics Games.
“When the contract does end, it will be interesting to see who else will come into the mix to design the men’s [pieces]. Martine Rose ended up designing suits for the U.S. team last year, which would have been a [great] tie in for the Lionesses, but the M&S contract got in the way,” said Felicia Pennant, founder and editor in chief of Season Zine and editor in chief of SoccerBible.
“It would be nice to see a label like Paul Smith or Dunhill create the suits in the future which would feel more consistent with the players personal taste,” added Bevan.
Fashion has become a competitive sport in itself for many athletes.
The highly watched NBA Tunnel walkouts have become a spectacle with fashion and sports fans tuning in for the athletes’ unique looks.
Even at the Wimbledon Championships, which has a strict white dress code, players such as Jannik Sinner have come out in their custom Gucci duffel bags and Coco Gauff asked her sponsor New Balance to make her a cutout dress inspired by Serena Williams’ dress at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships.
“Fashion as a medium can really transcend sport and gain [the players] wider cultural relevance, cultural currency and also [giving them space to] express their style,” said Pennant.
If England wins Sunday’s finals against Spain at the Euro 2024, it is likely to open more fashion opportunities for the team and its players. More importantly, they can finally call in a win that isn’t the 1966 World Cup, which is the last time the country won a major football tournament.
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