Casuals Culture

History of the Football Casuals

British football support has had a strong fashion-led subculture element since the rise of the teddy boys in the mid 1950s. This continued with the mods of the early 1960s, the Skinheads of the late 1960s (and later), and the mod revialists of the late 1970s.

The casual subculture began in the late 1970s after Liverpool F.C.and Everton F.C. fans introduced the rest of England to European fashions that they acquired while following Liverpool at their 1977 European Cup quarter final against the French side St Etienne.These Liverpool fans arrived back in England with expensive Italian and French designer sportswear, most of which they looted from stores. The fans brought back many unique clothing brands that had not been seen in the country before. Soon other fans were clamouring for these rare items of clothing, such as Lacoste or Sergio Tacchini shirts, and unusual Adidas trainers, which are still associated with Liverpool supporters today. At the time, many police forces were still on the lookout for skinhead fans wearing Dr. Martens boots, and paid no attention to fans in expensive designer clothing.

In the 1980s, other clothing labels that became associated with casuals included: Pringle, Burberry, Fila, Stone Island, Fiorucci, Pepe, Benetton , Ralph Lauren, Henri Lloyd, Ben Sherman, Fred Perry, Kappa and Slazenger. Fashion trends frequently changed, and the casual subculture reached its peak in the late 1980s. With the arrival of the acid house, rave Madchester scenes, the violence of the casual subculture faded.

In the mid-1990s, the casual subculture experienced a revival, but emphasis on style had changed slightly. Many football fans adopted the casual look as a kind of uniform, identifying them as different from the ordinary club supporters. Popular clothing brands included Stone Island, Aquascutum, Burberry, Lacoste,Prada, Façonnable,Hugo Boss,Maharishi,Mandarina Duck and Dupe. In the late 1990s, many football supporters began to move away from the brands that were considered the casual uniform, because of the police attention that these brands attracted. Several designer labels also withdrew certain designs from sale after they became associated with casuals.

Casual fashion experienced an increase in popularity in the 2000s, with British music acts such as The Streets and The Mitchell Brothers sporting casual outfits in their music videos. Casual culture has been highlighted by films and television programmes such as ID, The Firm, The Football Factory and Green Street. Although some casuals have continued to wear Stone Island clothing in the 2000s, many have detached the compass badge so as to be less obvious. However, with the two buttons still attached, those in the know are still able to recognise the clothing items. Other clothing labels associated with casuals in the 2000s have included: Adidas Originals Lyle &Scott, Fred Perry, Armani, Lambretta, Lacoste, Nudie,Edwin, Superga. Many casuals have adopted a more subtle and underground look, avoiding more mainstream clothing brands for independent clothing labels.

Source: http://www.football-hooligan.com/footballcasuals.html