By: Michelle Lee | Link to article
The actress stars in the “Syd for Short” campaign, highlighting the fashion retailer’s new shorts collection, and she lets PEOPLE in on who exactly Syd is
Sydney Sweeney is sticking to her roots.
The actress, 28, has been on a years-long promotion of her career, especially with the release of projects from The Housemaid and Christy to the new season of Euphoria in recent months. So you might wonder when — and how — she has a moment to catch her breath. One thing is for sure, she’s ready to unwind with a “good camp-themed summer.”
Sweeney grew up by a lake and has a beach house in Florida, she tells PEOPLE. So by nature, she’s always near water. “I am either in it or I’m on it doing some sort of sport activity.” Whatever she’s wearing has to be fashionable but also comfortable enough to do it all — whether that’s jet-skiing or being ready to “maybe jump off a cliff” at any point.
So as the weather gets warmer, her signature uniform is a “good T-shirt, some shorts, a black belt and some sneakers” because, she says, “that’s Syd right there.”
Syd is the nickname she calls herself when talking about her life off screen, which is grounded. As one of the faces of American Eagle (Travis Kelce and Martha Stewart have also joined forces with the retailer), she’s been able to show that side of herself with fans and is continuing to do so in a new summer campaign, “Syd for Short,” which comes after her hotly debated ad last year and is all about the brand’s denim shorts offerings.
“What’s really fun about my partnership with American Eagle is that I am getting to show a very authentic side of who I am. Everyone back home and my friends and my family, they know me as Syd, and so getting to show that side of my personality with American Eagle is really special for me.”
Speaking to her love for the collection, Sweeney says, “I’ve spent hours on their site. You can just pick any size, any shape, any cut, any wash. It’s crazy the amount of options there are, which is really fun because then you get to try so many different versions of yourself.” Her personal favorite is the Low-Rise Shortie as well as some of the vintage-inspired silhouettes since she’s “definitely a Mom short kind of girl.”
The photo shoot itself also captured Sweeney in her natural element. “I mean, they basically built the beach inside a studio, which was the coolest thing ever. And then there was a giant platform that was the ocean. It was like summer in a dream.”
What comes front and center is that Sweeney makes her own rules when it comes to fashion. For example, when she’s asked about the resurgence of 2016 fashion in 2026, she recalls, “I’ve never really been a huge trend follower. I feel like I’ve just kind of done my own thing for as long as I can remember.”
The campaign also fosters a sense of community. Like the first collection released under Sweeney’s ambassadorship, it is in partnership with Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit organization delivering crisis intervention and prevention through free and confidential mental health support to anyone in need. The Syd Jean and Syd Short from the fall collection feature a meaningful butterfly motif, which is a tribute to domestic violence survivors, and 100% of purchases made will be donated to Crisis Text Line.
“It’s been a really meaningful and impactful organization to be a part of. Especially after doing Christy [her 2025 sports drama about female boxer Christy Martin] and being able to support survivors and people in need has been a very important thing for me.”
Shop the new pieces at American Eagle now.
