The FIFA World Cup! Wimbledon! The NBA Finals!
Whether you’re invested or not, sport feels inescapable right now. And with that, the increasingly symbiotic relationship between fashion and sport is becoming harder to ignore.
With one of the most fashionable World Cups in recent memory currently unfolding, it got me wondering: are we simply witnessing the next evolution of athleisure?
In short, absolutely not. While athleisure may have normalised sport-inspired dressing for everyday life, that aesthetic has long since outgrown its pandemic-era associations. Today, it functions as a cultural shorthand for identity, status and belonging, buoyed by sport’s growing influence across luxury fashion and celebrity culture.
Part of that shift is being driven by the athletes themselves. No longer confined to endorsement deals, they have become some of luxury fashion’s most influential ambassadors and increasingly discerning consumers in their own right.
Case in point: France’s national football team, Les Bleus, arrived in the United States for the World Cup carrying an enviable collection of capacious designer carryalls.
There was Adrien Rabiot, who carried a Louis Vuitton monogrammed duffel, as well as Ousmane Dembélé, who arrived with a black Hermès Haut à Courroies. Marcus Thuram, meanwhile, opted for a vibrant green Chanel Suede Lambskin XXL Flap Bag from the house’s coveted 2019 collaboration with Pharrell Williams.
The World Cup’s influence is also being felt off the pitch. In one of the biggest surprises of this year’s tournament, Italy failed to qualify while Haiti secured a place for only the second time in its history.
To mark the milestone, Haitian-Italian designer Stella Jean has unveiled a limited-edition collection of hand-stitched football jerseys celebrating the nation’s return to football’s biggest stage for the first time in 52 years. Each jersey features the number 26 on the back, commemorating the 2026 tournament.
The release follows Jean’s acclaimed Team Haiti Winter Olympics uniforms, which emerged as one of the standout fashion moments of the Games. Now, fans can wear her designs too, with the commemorative jerseys available to order online.
The conversation between fashion and sport extends far beyond football. Over in the world of basketball, courtside has never looked more fashionable. Think Kylie Jenner in bedazzled white Isabel Marant jeans, or the countless iterations of Knicks blue and orange sported throughout the finals by everyone from Taylor Swift and Timothée Chalamet to Bella Hadid.
It’s not just the spectators, either. Stylists like Olivier Rogers are helping reshape the way players approach fashion, dressing Tyrese Haliburton and New York Knicks guard Tyler Kolek in labels like The Row, Issey Miyake and Chanel.
This isn’t the first time fashion has mined the uniforms and visual language of elite physical performance. Balletcore chasséd its way back into fashion several seasons ago with the return of the ballet flat, followed by leotards, wrap cardigans and stirrup leggings.
Earlier this month, Rosalía reaffirmed balletcore’s enduring appeal in a custom Yasmina look, complete with a plunging latex bodysuit, white tulle tutu and towering platform pumps.
The influence is now measurable. According to Pinterest, searches for “styling jerseys” with dressier pieces are steadily climbing. The WAG aesthetic remains alive and well, but it is evolving. Pinterest notes growing interest in football-adjacent style, with searches for the “Georgina Rodriguez aesthetic” surging as fans look to emulate the glamour associated with the world’s most famous football circles.
And while the football jersey may be the hero piece of the season, what is particularly interesting is how people are wearing it. Jerseys are being layered over bubble skirts, cropped, tucked into cargos and paired with statement accessories in ways that feel elevated, personal and distinctly fashion-forward.
And perhaps the appeal goes deeper than aesthetics.
In an increasingly atomised world, team apparel offers something many people are craving: belonging. Wearing a jersey is not simply about supporting a team. It is a way of signalling identity, community and shared experience. A way to feel part of something bigger than yourself, even if you are one of thousands sitting in the stands.
Fashion has always reflected culture and right now, culture is obsessed with sport.
The World Cup may provide the perfect backdrop, but the relationship between fashion and athletics has been budding for years. What we are witnessing now is simply its most visible expression yet.
In light of this sporty renaissance, we’ve rounded up our favourite athletic-inflected pieces that will slot seamlessly into your wardrobe.
MIU MIU
Technical Fabric Shorts
ADIDAS
Taekwondo Mei Shoes
CSB
Ballet Wrap Top
LIONESS
Beverly Jersey
VENROY
Track Jersey Mini Skirt
MODE MISCHIEF
Track Bomber Jacket
NikeSKIMS
Oversized Track Jacket
ST. AGNI
Ballerina Flat – Off White
