In my short-sleeved polo top, I hope to co-opt Gareth Southgate’s laid-back authority

‘There are goosebumps on my arms’: Tim Dowling wears a short-sleeved polo sweater from Paul Smith. Photograph: Alicia Canter/The Guardian

“Whenever you put something on, you’re making some sort of a statement, aren’t you?” So says the England coach and fashion icon Gareth Southgate, and I agree. Standing on a touchline in an M&S merino wool polo knit – short sleeves, half zip – I feel every inch the smart-casual centrist dad. Even the colour is neutral.

During the 2018 World Cup, Southgate’s personal dress code heralded a new style of leadership for the England team: solid, understated, a little paternal. As the team progressed to the semi-finals, his Marks & Spencer waistcoats came to be regarded as a lucky talisman, and M&S was quick to capitalise – sales of its waistcoats doubled.