Photo: Phil Oh
Welcome to Vintage to Vogue, which sees the Vogue team take on a different trend or occasion each month and show you how to shop it second-hand.
Whether it’s a lingering buzz that followed the Lionesses’s nail-biting world cup final in August or the headline-grabbing hype of David Beckham’s recent Netflix documentary, it’s clear that the UK’s fascination with all things football has extended beyond the pitch this year. But football and fashion? These are two worlds that have historically existed at opposite ends of the cultural spectrum.
Yet take a look at the street style shots from the most recent fashion week and you will see fashion editors, buyers and influencers alike all repping, not just football jerseys, but sportswear of all varieties: from rugby shirts and tracksuits, to motorcross-inspired separates. In Vogue House, the high-low sportswear look has become an unofficial team uniform, with editors pairing Adidas Originals trackies with oversized shirts and rhinestone-embellished flats, or tucking striped rugby shirts into denim maxi skirts. On the autumn/winter 2023 runways, meanwhile, we saw brands such as Martine Rose, Wales Bonner and Stella McCartney repping a plethora of athletic styles, catapulting even the humblest sports jersey into the high-fashion stratosphere.
And while we have certainly lusted over these fresh takes on football favourites this season, we also can’t deny the thrill of sourcing the real deal on the pre-loved market. Indeed, take a look in any vintage stores right now and you will see rail upon rail of secondhand sportswear staples, all ready to be given a new lease of life and that look just as good, if not better, than their new counterparts.
“Vintage football jerseys are now more visibly accessible from specialist stores, but also sites such as Depop and Vinted,” explains Felicia Pennant, founder of Season Zine and features editor at Matches. “Plus, designers like Hattie Crowther, Sophie Hird, Renata Brenha, Alyssa Groeneveld and others are tackling football jersey waste by upcycling jerseys in their progressive designs.”
So what should you look out for when sourcing your own secondhand sportswear pieces? Adidas Originals is a Vogue go-to and probably one of the simplest ways to dip your toe in the trend – you’ll find plenty of colourful tracksuit bottoms and zip-up tops in vintage stores, just remember to check both the men’s and women’s sections. The rugby shirt is another easy way in, with preppy iterations from brands such as Polo Ralph Lauren available in abundance secondhand – we recommend sticking to a more slouchy, oversized fit to get that runway-ready look. But, if you want to go all out with an OG football jersey, take your styling cues from the experts.
“Make the jersey the star and take it out of context by pairing it with a midi-skirt (reference the AW23 Wales Bonner show) instead of jeans, or keeping it tight with tailoring for work, or as an oversized dress with heels for a night out,” Pennant explains. “Just treat them like any other trophy top or minidress – you can match and clash colours and textures to your heart’s content. If you must go down a more traditional casual route, think Mel C-core not Bloke-core.”
Eclectic, cool and so very “London” – but whatever you do, don’t call it athleisure.
Originally published in Vogue.co.uk
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