Alex Longmore Praises England Squad’s 12-Piece Marks and Spencer Look
The england squad has moved away from the traditional three-piece suit and into a smart-casual Marks and Spencer set built from 12 navy-and-cream pieces. The change came before England’s opening World Cup game against Croatia in Dallas, with the look intended to present the players as polished without looking stiff.
Alex Longmore called the overall vibe “quite commercial” and said the outfit covered “every aspect” of men’s clothing. She added: “You’ve got your smart casual, very Tom Ford, very Bond look – it’s relaxed, it’s incredibly wearable, it’s aspirational.”
Alex Longmore on the look
Longmore also described the style as “very modern, Italian chic, very of-the-moment.” The outfit was finished with loafers, a detail she linked to a more European feel, saying: “They’re very Upper East Side, Hamptons – it’s kind of European, which is an interesting look and obviously very easy to wear and on trend.”
Her comparison with older formalwear was sharper still. “It’s not shouting mega-formal, ‘we’re the England squad and here we are feeling a bit awkward because we’re sportsmen’. It’s more like luxury, with wool and sports jackets,” she said. When asked about criticism that the look was not smart enough, she answered: “Not many men wear suits unless they’re going to a wedding or funeral.”
Marks and Spencer and Palace
The new presentation sits inside a wider pattern of England fashion choices that have shifted with the tournament build-up. Marks and Spencer is the FA’s official partner, and the smart-casual set follows earlier team arrivals in branded casualwear rather than formal tailoring.
Before the World Cup, England wore a pale grey Palace tracksuit to arrive for a pre-World Cup friendly against Costa Rica. The team then stepped off their plane in the US wearing baby blue Nike tracksuits, underlining how the squad’s off-duty appearance has become part of the public-facing story around the tournament.
Marian Kwei and individuality
Marian Kwei said the modular design was built “with players in mind, but more importantly to push the narrative of individuality and style.” She added that athletes have become visible through brand influence and are “content creators in their own right,” which explains why the look is built from interchangeable pieces rather than a fixed formal uniform.
That is also the friction point in the shift: the England squad is selling ease and modernity, but the presentation is now doing commercial work too. A tie-in between Nike and Palace saw many items sell out within days of launch, and Kwei’s point about athletes as style drivers shows why this squad’s clothing now travels far beyond the team bus.
For England, the result is a public image built around flexibility rather than ceremony, with the 12-piece Marks and Spencer set, the loafers and the mix-and-match approach all pointing in the same direction. Longmore put it simply: “This look is moving with the times.”
