Football jerseys are now being worn with pleated skirts, tailored pants or jeans, just like any other ultra-trendy T-shirt. Photo: AFP
Will we ever see Anna Wintour in a Paris Saint-Germain jersey? The idea might raise a smile, yet it's becoming increasingly plausible.
This staple of the football fan's wardrobe has earned a prime place in fashion followers' closets, even making an appearance at fashion week, both on the front row and on the runway.
All of which is raising the football jersey to the status of fashion must-have.
From overalls and jumpsuits to slides with socks, cycling shorts and Crocs, for several years now, the fashion world has been delving into the closets of the perpetually uncool to appropriate their staples and transform them into pieces that are as fashionable as they are bankable.
As a result, the fashion world's high priestess Anna Wintour was spotted for the first time during lockdown wearing jogging pants in her plush library.
And this clash of genres seems to appeal to both fashion fans and luxury designers, who continue to seize on the codes of the street.
The latest such item finding its way into fashion is the football jersey, which in the space of just a few months has become the hottest item around.
Read more: How fashion is obsessed with footwear that are a little less than conventional
Fashion and football, a winning combination
The love affair between fashion and football is nothing new, but it seems to have gathered pace in recent years, with collaborations, collections and high-profile ambassadors.
Football may be a sport of the people, but it's also a sport that moves – and galvanises – crowds.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the two most followed personalities on Instagram, with 604 million and 486 million followers respectively. The numbers are dizzying, and they're of obvious interest to some of the world's leading luxury brands.
Indeed, it's no coincidence that star player Kylian Mbappe (108 million followers) has become a fashion and fragrance ambassador for Dior, then Oakley, and recently the face of Rimowa.
And even labels that might seem alien to the world of football, such as Balenciaga, Yohji Yamamoto, Stella McCartney and Koche (a label; which, for its part, has never hidden its passion for the game) have launched collections that borrow heavily from football clubs, whether real or imaginary.
These collaborations have not gone unnoticed, have enjoyed broad appeal, in turn helping to propel the football shirt to the forefront of the fashion scene.
In addition to providing a way to support your national team or club of choice, these one-off collections also enabled people to show their colours while sporting ultra-fashionable pieces.
A rare feat considering the usual garb associated with supporters, whatever the sport. Koche's upcycled football shirts, in partnership with AC Milan and the Puma brand, proved just as seductive as those proposed by the fictional Balenciaga Football Club.
And unsurprisingly, the trend has caught on, giving rise to blokecore, an aesthetic even sported by Kim Kardashian.
Read more: Fashion’s twisted creativity can result in glorious artistic designs
From the pitch to fashion week
In fact, Kardashian was spotted wearing a vintage Roma jersey, then a Paris Saint-Germain shirt, before showing up to Florida's Drive Pink Stadium for Lionel Messi's Inter Miami debut.
And that's all it took to motivate even the most reluctant of fashion fans to embrace the beautiful game.
As a result, football fans became ultra-stylish, both in the stands and on the streets.
But the birth of blokecore should actually be attributed to social media user Brandon Huntley, who filmed himself wearing a football jersey, jeans and sneakers, and billing the look as the hottest trend of 2022.
The phenomenon has now swelled so much that the aesthetic has over 500 million views to date, first of all winning over social network users before being adopted by avid fashion fans.
Today, it's no longer just a question of wearing a football jersey with jeans or jogging pants, but of combining it with the fashion trends of the moment.
Think a pleated skirt, baggy or cargo pants, shorts, or even wearing it over a dress, or solo with a pair of boots, loafers or ballet flats.
The key is to mix genres and go bold, pairing this sports-inspired staple with ultra-fashionable pieces (loads of jewellery, a blazer, lace, an it-bag, fishnet stockings).
Many celebrities have already adopted the trend, such as Bella Hadid and Kardashian, but the football jersey also stood out as one of the stars of street style at Copenhagen Fashion Week, and is already starting to make an impression in New York, where fashion week just took place. – AFP Relaxnews
