I’ve recently been obsessed with this subculture that took place in the late 1970s and early 1980s in England. I made a few tiktoks about it, and I have to admit, the passion is there, but they are full of unintended mistakes and facts that missed the mark. I am still learning, and there is so much to know about.
The reactions I got for it were polarizing. There were the kind people that commented to help me understand the culture more and recommended a few films and documentaries to watch to get a better sense of what the Casual culture is. Then there are those who just straight up told me to shut the fuck up and ‘just stick to being American.’ I’m not American.
Nonetheless, it doesn’t stop me from talking about it.
What makes it so interesting to me? The terrace fashion roped me into this subculture, but I think it is the grittiness and downright atrocity that made me stay. But let’s stick to the fashion bit for now.
To think terrace fashion, in a way, came from looting that happened all around Europe when football fans (some claim that hooligans are not real football fans as they use that as an excuse) traveled with their teams is eye-opening. I’ve read a lot about fashion trends originating from clubs or the music scene, but a fashion phenomenon started as a crime? Now that’s rich.
I said phenomenon here because the style started before the looting began, but the looting introduced many more high fashion sportswear brands to the Casuals.
Many relate the start of the Casuals culture with ‘Perry Boys’ from Manchester and Salford and ‘scallies’ from Liverpool, with more narratives leaning towards Liverpool origin. ‘Perry Boys’ refers to teens that love to wear Fred Perry, thus explaining the popularity of Fred Perry in the Casuals culture. ‘Scallies’ means ‘scallywags.’
With European dominance throughout the late 70s and early 80s, Liverpool fans were stampeding their way across Europe becoming known as the ‘Scouse Vikings’ in the process. A term derived from their looting and stealing of designer sportswear stores across Europe on their European tours. Die hard fans would bring back brands like Sergio Tacchini and Fila to the UK, brands that before had had no common connection to the working classes but more for the private tennis club elitist types.
80s Casuals Classics
There are more connections between fashion and hooliganism. It doesn’t stop here.
This casual style allowed hooligans to avoid police due to the lack of identification as ‘football fans’
Different ‘firms’ (consider these a tribe of hooligans for each club) have different dress codes to identify each other correctly. One of them is the Burberry cap. And this happened to Burberry later on.
The CP Company goggle hoodie quickly became the hottest commodity among the hooligans as the hood can easily hide their identity.
Hooligans chose tougher designer pieces like the Burberry gabardine trench, Fred Perry polos, and Sergio Tacchini tracksuits, so they don’t rip easily during fights.
Stone Island’s success in the UK is highly linked with the casual culture and hooliganism in the 80s
Although hooliganism isn’t as big of a problem now compared to that in the 80s, the foundation and influences laid by the casuals and hooligans are still running strong in the current street fashion culture.