The style rules for joining Fashion FC

From the pitch to the catwalk and now our wardrobes, a football shirt is the must-wear piece of the summer. Just add heels...

- BY JESSICA BURRELL

I am by no means a football fan. I don't have a team and wouldn't know what the offside rule was if it kicked me in the perineum. And yet, increasingly, I find myself drawn in by the bright tones of a football jersey, intrigued by the slimline silhouette of a football boot and, in the wildest moments, even contemplating a Beckham-style headband.

It’s hard to tell when or why this happened. Maybe it’s World Cup fever infiltrating sartorial thoughts, or some kind of Arsenal victory celebration by osmosis. Or maybe it's the fact that football feels like it’s having a bona fide fashion moment.

Look at Burberry’s autumn 2026 campaign, A Good Sport, which features England and Arsenal stars Leah Williamson and Declan Rice, with Rosie Huntington-Whiteley supporting from the sidelines and Lucy Punch queuing at a burger van.

This is a mood menswear label Labrum tapped into back in 2024. Its SS25 collection, created in collaboration with Arsenal and Adidas (both fashion FC buzzwords), was unveiled at Emirates Stadium, with Rice making his catwalk debut in a sharp navy suit laced with white fabric.