England Lionesses switch to blue shorts after players voice period concerns

The England women’s football team have switched from white shorts for blue for their new home kit after players voiced concerns about playing in white on their period. The Lionesses’ new home and away kits will feature blue shorts, the Football Association revealed on Monday.

Last year, Beth Mead said the team had spoken to England’s official kit manufacturer, Nike, about a potential change because white shorts were “not practical when it’s the time of the month”.

Sarina Wiegman’s European champions will wear the new kits for the first time in Thursday’s “Finalissima” against the Copa América winners, Brazil, at Wembley. England will also face the 2023 World Cup co-hosts Australia in Brentford next week, before playing Haiti, Denmark and China in the tournament group stages this summer.

The women’s teams at Manchester City and West Brom have witched to burgundy and navy shorts, respectively. The Ireland women’s rugby union team also announced a change from white to navy shorts last month.

The issue of female athletes wearing white clothing was also brought up at last year’s Wimbledon, when some women spoke about the anxiety of being forced to wear white on their period. The tournament will make an exception to its strict all-white dress code and allow female players to wear dark coloured undershorts from this year’s tournament.