Cover We’re seeing football jerseys everywhere right now, not just in stadiums but in everyday wardrobes styled in ways that feel way more fashion than fandom. (Photo: Getty Images)
We’re seeing football jerseys everywhere right now, not just in stadiums but in everyday wardrobes styled in ways that feel way more fashion than fandom. (Photo: Getty Images)
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Football or even basketball jerseys are styled with baggy jeans and even mini skirts. What used to be match-day wear is now something people build entire looks around, with layering and styling giving each jersey a more personal edge
We’re seeing football jerseys everywhere right now, not just in stadiums but in everyday wardrobes styled in ways that feel way more fashion than fandom. Vintage kits are suddenly in demand again, sometimes just because a favourite celebrity has been spotted in one. The blokecore trend has only made this louder. Football or even basketball jerseys are styled with baggy jeans and even mini skirts. What used to be match-day wear is now something people build entire looks around, with layering and styling giving each jersey their personal touch.
Read more: From pitch to front row: footballers in fashion
When I think of celebrities in jerseys, names like Dua Lipa and Rihanna immediately come to mind. Then there's Snoop Dogg in that iconic long-sleeved Manchester United jersey during his concert for Orange RockCorp. But how did this single piece become such a fashion staple? We all know this isn't exactly new, so what made it suddenly feel so current again?
Hip-hop did it first
Above Tupac Shakur (Photo by Barry King/WireImage)
Tupac Shakur (Photo by Barry King/WireImage)
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We all know how rappers in the ’90s made baggy jeans and oversized tees a whole thing. It wasn’t just a trend, it became part of streetwear culture and honestly, it still lives in how we dress today. By the early ’90s, during hip hop’s Golden Age, jerseys had already started moving into everyday style.
Worn oversized and relaxed, NBA, NFL and football jerseys became part of the look, not just fanwear. Artists like Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z wore them as if they were always part of their identity, turning sportswear into something that said more about style and self-expression than just sport. Even groups like Naughty by Nature leaned into custom jerseys as part of their image, and fans followed that same energy. From there, jerseys stopped being just about supporting a team; and started becoming part of culture.
Jay-Z (Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
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When football entered pop culture
Above Ashlyn Castro (Photo: Getty Images)
Ashlyn Castro (Photo: Getty Images)
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By the early 2000s, football wasn’t just a sport anymore. With celebrity footballers, growing paparazzi culture and the WAG (Wives and Girlfriends) era, the game started living as much off the pitch as it did on it. This was also when jerseys began showing up outside stadiums in a different way, seen in airport looks, casual off-duty moments and all over tabloid pages.
And it’s not just the boys. It’s the girls too, reworking jerseys in their own way, cropped, oversized, or styled in ways that shift them from sporty into something more effortless. WAGs especially became part of that visual shift, often photographed in their partner’s shirts or styling jerseys with their names or lucky numbers on the back. It wasn’t really “fashion” yet, but it marked the start of jerseys becoming something more personal, tied to identity and relationships.
See also: Beyond the sidelines: the most fascinating sports WAGs beyond basketball and football
When fashion took notice
Above The Off-White mesh blue world paint soccer jersey (Photo: Ssense.com)
The Off-White mesh blue world paint soccer jersey (Photo: Ssense.com)
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Let's be honest, football jerseys have always looked good. Brands like adidas, Nike and Umbro gave us some of the most iconic kits in football history, with designs that people still hunt down years later. Some aren't even looking for the team, they're looking for that jersey.
Then fashion stepped in.
As streetwear started dominating the conversation, designers began seeing football jerseys as more than just something you wore on match day. Virgil Abloh was one of the first to blur the lines between sport and luxury, proving that athletic pieces deserved a place in high fashion too. It wasn’t long before brands like Balenciaga, Palace and Martine Rose started embracing football-inspired silhouettes and aesthetics in their own collections.
Don't miss: Krit Amnuaydechkorn’s brand collaborations: Balenciaga, Skintific and more
Instagram and TikTok also played a big part in how jerseys evolved. What once lived purely in sports has now fully slipped into fashion, showing up in feeds, street style and everyday wardrobes.
Aliya Qarina is the Junior Style Writer at Tatler Malaysia with an interest in fashion and beauty. Her writing often focuses on contemporary style, beauty culture and emerging trends.
