England gripped by 'waistcoat fever' ahead of World Cup semifinal

gareth-reuters England manager Gareth Southgate salutes fans after the match | Reuters

England seems to be gripped by a fashion trend, that too, a rather conventional one—waistcoats. All credit for this new-found love goes to England football team manager Gareth Southgate. Southgate has been donning a stylish, form-fitting waistcoat at all the team's World Cup matches.

And as England goes into its first World Cup semifinal since 1990, Southgate, and the waistcoat have become stars back home. So much so, that the country celebrates this day as 'Waistcoat Wednesday' as England face Croatia in the semi-final. Social media is abuzz with people posting pictures of themselves, and even pets dressed in waistcoats, be it at home or office. Even celebrities like Hugh Grant have joined in the waistcoat day celebrations.

As English football fans embrace this fashion trend, waistcoat sales have seen a major rise. In fact, Marks & Spencers, the official suit provider for the England team, has been finding it difficult to keep up the demand. According to reports, even their Moscow branch has run out of nearly all sizes of Southgate's waistcoat.