“There’s a brand new dance”: fashion in English men’s and women’s professional football

This article explores the intricate and evolving relationship between English football, its male and female professional players, and the fashion industries from the inter-war years of the last century to the present day. Following a historical overview that engages with traditional understandings of classed masculinity, the article argues that some of the most significant aspects of the contemporary football and fashion relationship can be uncovered by exploring the game's dynamic relationships with race and gender. Additionally, the article illuminates the contrasting roles of social media, with digital platforms and social media sites both allowing players to express their styles and create brands, and influencing production and content in relation to neoliberal and gendered economies. The article combines approaches from cultural studies, fashion studies, media studies, history and sociology, and uses key examples both from within football itself and from selected print and digital sources from the fashion industries.