In a month, the FIFA World Cup officially kicks off with opening ceremonies in Mexico City, Los Angeles and Toronto. Being one of the most popular sporting events in the world, expect to see crowds of people decked out in their favorite jerseys in support of their respective teams. Soccer-inspired style is about to be everywhere this summer, and it’s not just dominated by male fans — women are embracing soccer in droves, incorporating aspects of the game into their everyday wear. Whether it’s jerseys, both of the traditional athletic sort or reimagined silhouettes, cleat-inspired footwear, or shorts and trackpants, it’s never been a better time to be a footy fan.
This sudden uptick of interest in the sport was a no-brainer for Alexia Elkaim as her brand Miaou launched its second collaboration with Adidas. Consisting of track jackets and jerseys with corset details, knee-high soccer boots and wide-legged pants with stripes up the side, the collection was a hit with the majority of pieces selling out.
“I was inspired by WAGs,” Elkaim said, referencing the way the wives and girlfriends of players have traditionally subverted their partner’s uniforms into pieces that aligned with their personal style. To Elkaim, this newfound desire to wear sportswear reflects what she describes as both a “European and nostalgic” way of dressing.
Doja Cat performs during halftime of the FIFA Club World Cup Final between Chelsea F.C. and Paris Saint-Germain on July 13, 2025.
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
For writer Kirsten Chen, who has been covering the intersection of sport and style for the last seven years, soccer is ripe for creative styling and reflective of other fashion trends that are concurrently happening. “Women tapping into soccer-inspired style goes hand-in-hand with the overall rise of classic, preppy looks. There’s also an undeniable momentum for [the sport], from the U.S. women’s national team to the upcoming World Cup. These pieces are easier to integrate into someone’s daily wardrobe — it’s more seamless and season-less than trying to incorporate, say, tennis-inspired styles,” she said. And incorporate she has, citing recent purchases that range from a 1998 Chanel necklace, which has a miniature ball charm, to a dress from Coco Cultr, a brand that reworks vintage sportswear into modern, sexy silhouettes.
Scroll around social media and you’ll see that Elkaim and Chen are in good company as women are finding creative, modern ways to interpret sportswear. From tucking jerseys into their bras to transform them into crop tops to pairing track pants with heels, it’s a mix of masculine and feminine, athletic and formal, that clashes perfectly. And to Chen, perhaps the biggest source of inspiration when it comes to styling these looks draws from something familiar to many fashion fans. “We’ve always loved the model off-duty equation to dressing, and the soccer player off-duty look — baggy shorts, sharp socks — feels in line with that as well.”
