Strike A Pose: 50 Years of Football and Fashion, until 27 Aug

From skinheads to WAGS, the Strike A Pose: 50 Years of Football and Fashion exhibition housed at the National Football Museum in Manchester examines the links between personal style and the beautiful game.

Inspired by Paolo Hewitt and Mark Baxter's 2004 book The Fashion of Football, From Best to Beckham, From Mod to Label Slave, the exhibition uses the early 1960s as a starting point for exploration and discussion. This was the period when the maximum wage limit for footballers was abolished, creating new 'sports celebrities' with a substantial disposable income – and there was no stopping them from dressing to impress!

The exhibition begins by looking at the contribution of the late George Best – who had a fashion boutique on Manchester's Bridge Street – to mens’ style in the 1960s. It also shows more ‘unlikely’ style icons like Bobby Moore, as captured by photographer Terry O’Neill (whose work is showcased throughout), before moving on to explore the link between style and the violence of mods, skinheads and casuals on the terraces.

Football fashion has its lighter moments, too, including Jose Mourinho’s celebrated Armani coat, as well as more sartorially debatable choices like the infamous white suits paired with candy striped ties worn by the Liverpool team at the 1996 Cup Final.

Most of the garments here are on loan from personal collections and the show will not be touring, so whether you're football mad or fashion crazy (or a bit of both), this exhibition is definitely worth a visit. [Lilith Haze]