For England fans, the beautiful game has never looked better — both on the pitch, with a major tournament to look forward to, and away from it. The England teams aren't just footballers: they're household names, leaders, creatives, men and women making individual marks on the world.
When it came to dressing this new generation of sportspeople, a one-size-fits-all approach was never going to work. That's why the FA has appointed M&S as the official tailor to the England teams.
The high-street stalwart has been supplying suits to the men’s team since 2007, and now it’s going a step further, tearing up the rule book with a collection of innovative smart separates.
M&S director of menswear, Wes Taylor, explains: “After meeting with the team and discussing their needs, it became apparent almost immediately that they wanted a stylish, versatile collection that allowed for individual preferences, but still came across as cohesive.
“Importantly, they wanted something that better reflected who they really are. So rather than a structured suit, shirt and tie ‘uniform’, we’ve created more extensive smart separates that place comfort, performance, and sustainability at their heart.”
The collection – available online and in select M&S stores from 18 August — is essentially a modular wardrobe of lightweight tailoring and sports-inspired pieces. It’s built around three pillars: innovative ‘performance’ co-ords (a lightweight navy blazer, bomber jacket and Harrington that can be worn interchangeably with matching trousers), modern wool suiting and a formal evening edit. Rounding out the collection are contemporary knits – zip polos, waffle crews and merino roll necks – with astute accessories that bring a little Three Lions magic to proceedings.
Karen Hall, M&S head of menswear design, recalls meeting with members of the England team for the first time to introduce the concept: “They were expecting us to just have a suit and a tie, but we showed them this idea of really modern suiting.
“The one thing that they said to us was, ‘We all want it slightly differently.’ Individuality was our vision as well — that they should have that choice but also look like a team.”
Fit was crucial, and getting it right was how Hall and her team earned the players’ trust.
“They're used to wearing sportswear, so we wanted to give them something comfortable,” she explains. With the performance suit jacket, “there's nothing in the shoulders, it's super lightweight”, allowing for a full range of motion without any bunching. The trousers have a stretch waist and tapered leg, cut with a “beautiful ease through the calf, and slimmer on the hem”.
Both are made from a water-resistant, four-way stretch fabric. “It really moves with you, it's super lightweight, and machine washable,” says Hall. Linings are recycled polyester — one of many nods to sustainability, along with responsibly sourced wools, cottons and leathers.
While one player might wear the jacket and trousers as a suit, layered with a simple zip polo, another might opt for the performance bomber, with its Three Lions badge on the sleeve, or the smart performance Harrington (which, Hall says, was a favourite among the men's team). They might decide to pick up one of the razor-sharp wool suit jackets, which come as single or double breasted in a textured grey-navy micro-check, or the slick tuxedo jacket, if the occasion calls for it.
Undoubtedly, they’ll want a pair of the leather loafers, which utilise M&S’ innovative “flexi-sole technology”. As Hall explains, “It bends unlike any other shoe, and then it comes back without any creasing. And because it's lined with leather, it's super lightweight and comfortable.”
Like the rest of this hard-working collection, it's genuinely clever stuff that melds performance with flair – hardly surprising, when you consider the inspiration.
The M&S FA Menswear Collection is available online and in select stores from 18 August.
