Truant Reclaims Legacy with First-Ever Retro Football Shirt for Women
For decades, the story of women’s football in England has played out in the shadows of the men’s game: underfunded, undervalued, and even banned from 1921 to 1971. One of its most visible omissions? A shirt of their own.
Until as recently as 2019, England’s women’s team played in kits designed for men. While fans of the men’s game proudly collect retro shirts worn by legends like Beckham and Rooney, supporters of the women’s game have had no such iconography; no wearable symbols of legacy; no tribute to pioneers like Faye White or Rachel Yankey. That changes now.
Independent creative agency Truant has unveiled ‘The Missing Shirt’: the first women’s England-inspired retro football shirt, created in partnership with ex-Lioness Claire Rafferty, British designer Hattie Crowther, and leading women’s sports retailer Foudys. More than a fashion item, the shirt is a cultural statement. It gives long-overdue recognition to the generations of women who carried the game through invisibility.
Hattie Crowther, artist and designer, said, “This is the kit that should’ve existed. It’s about giving something back to the players who never had one, and making sure the next generation grows up with symbols of pride, not silence.”
“I reimagined what was never made, a kit for the women who played without one. It’s strong, minimal, and symbolic of everything they stood for.”
Hattie, known for her minimalist and heritage-led design ethos, studied England shirts from 1990 to 2008 to create a piece steeped in football nostalgia, but one that never previously existed for women. The result is a kit that looks back in time and corrects the record.
In a striking decision, the shirt’s crest remains intentionally blank. Instead, the words Unsupported. Unaffiliated. sit above where the emblem would be, serving as a bold reminder of the institutional barriers that women’s football has faced for decades. The shoulders bear the names of players from 1984 to 2019 who played without a dedicated England kit, honouring their contribution in carrying the game to where it is today.
Proceeds from sales of ‘The Missing Shirt’ will go directly to supporting grassroots women’s football, ensuring that future generations can play with the resources, visibility and equality they deserve.
The shirt will be available for pre-sale from 4th July, at Style of Our Own, a football-focused retail concept store on Regent’s Street, where Foudys - the first store in the world to be exclusively dedicated to women’s football kits - will be showcasing The Missing Shirt. The shirts will also be available to purchase here.
Claire Rafferty, ex-lioness, said, “When I played, we wore oversized, mismatched men's shirts; we had to adapt them, cutting and rolling the fabric just to make them fit.”
“Looking back, I can’t even bring myself to look at my old World Cup shirts. They were hacked up and left me feeling neglected. These kits didn’t represent us. They didn’t honour our legacy."
Helen Hardy, founder of Foudys, said, “Foudys was built to give women’s football the platform it has always deserved — and The Missing Shirt is exactly why we exist. For decades, women’s football was sidelined, not just on the pitch but in every commercial and cultural space too. Retro kits are more than just merchandise — they’re markers of legacy, identity, and pride. Until now, women’s football had none. At Foudys, we’re proud to lead that change. This shirt isn’t just about the past — it’s about building a future where women’s football is valued, visible, and celebrated at every level.”
Ben Parmenter and Keilan Grant, Truant, said, "Culturally, retro kits stand for collective pride and nostalgia of the past. So, finding out the England women’s team didn’t get their own until 2019 shocked us. Generations of talent without a symbol of their game; nothing for fans to wear with passion in beer gardens. It’s time for women’s players of the past to have that association."
This campaign, led by Truant, an agency for attention seekers and creators of some of the UK’s most talked-about campaigns for some of the world’s biggest brands, is backed by ex-Lioness Claire Rafferty and marks another step in shifting the cultural narrative around women’s football.
Because this is more than a football shirt. It’s a symbol of pride, a tribute of resilience and a rallying cry for what’s still to come.
