Move over football shirts – rugby tops are here to snatch the fashion spotlight.
The Women’s Euros had us all in our Lionesses kits (whether you were screaming at the TV or just pretending you knew the offside rule 👀), but now, as autumn creeps in and the Women’s Rugby World Cup takes centre stage, it’s the rugby jersey that’s suddenly having its big fashion moment.
Not the muddy Saturday league kind, though – this is rugby reimagined. Last year, Rihanna, Hailey Bieber, and a parade of street-style darlings showed us how the sporty staple could live its best glam life off the pitch. Designers have been playing along too: Dries Van Noten stretched his version into a chic, lace-up tunic, while The Row went soft with a pastel-pink cashmere polo. Yes, cashmere. For rugby. Boujee, but we’re here for it.
Back in London, Talia Byre has practically made the rugby shirt her personal brand. Her diagonal stripes (red/white or blue/white if you’re classic, lamé if you’re feeling disco-ready) are flying out of fashion cupboards faster than you can say “scrum.” The Vogue office is reportedly obsessed – which means it’s officially a Thing.
How to style it? Easy. The structured, boxy cut means you can wear it over jeans for casual cool, tuck into tailored trousers for something sharper, or even knot it around your shoulders for peak posh-girl energy. Think: athleisure, but elevated.
Basically, the rugby top is autumn’s answer to the football shirt: sporty, versatile, and just the right amount of “I didn’t try too hard.” Consider this your official call-up.
