Rugby Shirt Trend Goes Official: Creators Vote It October's Top Pick

The rugby shirt trend just got its most concrete endorsement yet. A striped rugby polo from American Eagle Outfitters topped LTK's first monthly Most Loved list for October, with searches for "rugby shirt" up 760 percent month over month and clicks on the winning polo up 142 percent, according to data the company shared in a release. The new monthly award ranks products across fashion, beauty, home and lifestyle by sharing, engagement, purchases and growth in shopper interest. It is a signal built on what creators recommend and shoppers actually buy, which makes it a sharper read on a trend than runway noise alone.

LTK, the Dallas-based creator shopping platform behind the list, describes Most Loved as a monthly recognition of the products earning standout attention from its creator and shopper community. The selection blends trusted creator recommendations with real shopper behavior, rewarding momentum rather than marketing budgets. More than seven million pieces of creator content are published on the platform each year, and the company reports over six billion dollars in annual retail sales. That scale turns the winners list into something closer to a sales receipt than a mood board, and the rugby shirt trend is its clearest proof of concept.

The shirt's path to the top of that list has been a slow build. Fashion editors have tracked the striped staple's steady climb into everyday uniforms for several seasons, and the rugby shirt trend has been building quietly behind the scenes. Reporting from stylist.co.uk points to a continuing obsession with sporty prep: recent pre-fall collections leaned into traditional collegiate dressing, with the mood surfacing at Dior under Jonathan Anderson and at Celine under Michael Rider, while Acne Studios, Prada and Moschino pushed sportswear mixed with school-uniform styling. After seasons of quarter-zips, barn jackets and boat shoes, the rugby shirt sits neatly in the sweet spot between nostalgic sportswear and slightly scruffy prep.

From the playing field to the front row

The garment itself has always been a crossover. Originally worn by rugby players in the nineteenth century, the heavyweight striped shirt with its structured collar became a collegiate staple long before fashion claimed it. Parade reports that preppy dressing and vintage sportswear are driving the look this fall, with the rugby shirt styled alongside pleated trousers, relaxed denim, loafers and boots. The appeal is practical as much as aesthetic: the heavy cotton and oversized collar make it more substantial than a long-sleeve tee but far less cumbersome than pulling on a chunky knit when the weather cannot make up its mind.

Celebrities have been doing quiet work for the trend all year. Erin Andrews wore a striped rugby-style polo for a Call Her Daddy appearance, pairing it with jeans and stacked bracelets, while Julia Roberts was spotted in a short-sleeve striped version walking through New York City this summer, according to coverage from networktoday.org. Those sightings matter because they show the shirt working in real life instead of on a runway: no styling team theatrics, just the shirt doing its job with denim and flats.

Why the rugby shirt trend works for Gen Z closets

Stylists interviewed by Bustle describe the current mood as a wave of retro seventies collegiate energy, the kind of nostalgia that lands hardest in the fall. One vintage curator noted that rugby shirts, ringer tees and corduroys have always circulated, and right now they read as fresh instead of dated. The silhouette asks little of the wearer. A barn jacket goes over it; a white tank goes under it. It holds its own with straight-leg jeans or flare leggings. The rugby shirt trend thrives on exactly that low-effort polish, which is why it keeps resurfacing every fall without ever feeling forced.

LTK's October winners also point to the season's wider color story. Searches for "chartreuse" rose 258 percent month over month, and Reformation's Olina Cropped Pant in the shade was clicked roughly once every two minutes over the past month. Aritzia's Tenet Jacket made the list too, reinforcing the early-fall lean toward expressive color and sport-inspired texture. The message is a palette and a posture: playful, polished and easy to personalize.

There is also the question of access, which is where the trend may outlast the season. Striped polos flood secondhand racks, which makes the look one of the easiest to buy into without buying new. Creator commerce runs on exactly that loop: a creator wears it, shoppers click through, the data feeds a list like Most Loved, and the list sends more shoppers back to the look. The rugby shirt was already everywhere. Now it has the receipts to prove it.

LTK's October Most Loved announcement details the full winners list, while stylist.co.uk traces the rugby shirt's runway and street-style rise, and Parade reports on how the vintage sportswear look is being styled this fall.