Sam Kerr turned 30 last month, an age we like to associate with finally knowing oneself, whatever that means. However, when it comes to her personal style, for Kerr this is true. “Now I’m older and a lot more confident in myself, I wear exactly what I want to wear and what I feel good in,” she tells RUSSH. In a way, Kerr’s style has come full circle, revisiting the comfy, gender neutral clothes of her late teens – a period before she kowtowed to the pressure of trends.
We’re speaking because the Matildas skipper and Chelsea forward has teamed up with Uber and the Australian Red Cross for their clothing drive, in anticipation of a forbidding bushfire season. On October 21, Australians are encouraged to pack up and donate unwanted clothes, which Uber will pick up and deliver to Red Cross ops shops for free.
Since Kerr is jumping on board, who knows, maybe you’ll come across one of her football kits on the rack of your local Red Cross ops shop?
In the lead up to the clothing drive and against the backdrop of the Women’s Super League, RUSSH caught up with Sam Kerr to discuss her involvement in the cause, her memories of the Black Summer Bushfires, as well as her own relationship to sustainability and fashion. Below, Kerr talks the piece of clothing she’s owned the longest, sharing sneakers with her partner Kristie Mewis and David Beckham’s influence on her personal style.
What’s something you wish more people knew about you?
Football is only about 5% of my life! I live a pretty normal life outside of sport.
What are your first memories of fashion?
One of the first lessons I learnt in fashion was to be authentic. That it’s okay to say no to outfits and dress exactly how you want. I remember my Mum putting me in dresses when I was younger, and it not feeling right or completely comfortable. Now I have the confidence to know and wear exactly what I like, rather than dressing the way people think I should dress.
What piece of clothing have you owned the longest?
I found an awesome pair of cargo pants in a thrift shop that I’m still obsessed with, and wear all the time.
What’s the most cherished item in your wardrobe?
I have a lot of football shirts from special games in my life, which I will cherish forever.
Is there a trend or item of clothing you regret buying into?
Less so a trend, but I look at photos of myself from awards shows years ago and cringe when I see myself wearing dresses because I thought that’s what I needed to do. Now I’ve learnt to be true to myself when it comes to styling up for big events, and I feel so much more comfortable in doing so.
Do you have any favourite designers?
No designers as such, but I love brands that make good quality unisex clothing, like Prada and Burberry.
Whose style do you most admire?
Like the rest of the world, I’ve just finished watching the Beckham documentary, and I think it’s amazing how he influenced fashion through football, and was such a style inspiration for our generation. I wear men’s styles more than women’s, so it’s great to get inspiration from other athletes on how they create their own style off the pitch.
Your style has evolved over the years. What sparked this shift and what kind of clothes speak to you these days?
My style has gone full circle really. I moved away from what I used to wear when I was in my late teens, as I was trying to follow the crowd and wear what everyone else was wearing. Now I’m older and a lot more confident in myself, I wear exactly what I want to wear and what I feel good in. My wardrobe also changed when I moved to the UK – it now consists of more winter items than ever before! Style is different in the UK, it’s a lot more out there. I feel like it’s a bit easier to express yourself in London.
How much has football shaped your personal style?
I’ve always dressed quite practically, and for comfort, but I do think football has made the tomboy and sporty style more appealing to me.
What is your go-to outfit?
I usually keep it simple – a good pair of sneakers, shorts and a tee. All neutral colours. But I do love a good statement piece for special occasions.
Tell me about your own approach to sustainable fashion. I heard you like to share clothes?
I travel a lot, so keeping a lighter wardrobe is a must. Making sustainable choices like clearing out my wardrobe once a year is essential and as my style evolves, it’s also quite a fun thing to do. With fast fashion having such an impact on the environment, I think it’s really important that we make reusing and recycling clothing the norm.
I am definitely anti “one wear”. I repeat my outfits a lot, and don’t really care about being seen in something again. And yes, Kristie loves to steal my clothes! Mainly my overshirts, but we both share each other’s sneakers, because we’re the same size.
Why did you feel it was important to get behind the Uber Red Cross clothing drive?
No matter where I am in the world, it will always be important to me to get behind Australia, and if I can use my platform to help raise awareness of a great Aussie cause I am more than happy to help. The Uber Clothing Drive provides an easy way for Aussies to help Red Cross do the amazing work they do responding to bushfires, floods and supporting communities, so it was a no-brainer for me to get behind it too. I even have a bag of clothes ready to donate, which will include some things I don’t wear anymore and some of my prized possessions – so keep an eye out for one of my football kits in Red Cross ops shops soon!
Where were you during the Black Summer Bushfires? Do you have any salient memories from that time?
I had just finished up playing in the States in 2019 and made the move to the UK. I didn’t have any family or friends that were directly impacted but it was difficult to watch the news from the UK. It was devastating for so many to lose everything they’d worked hard for.
Do you have any words to live by?
Be your true authentic self, always!
Looking to donate to the Australian Red Cross clothing drive with Uber? Find all the details at the Uber website.
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