Terrace Style Here to Stay

British football fans are known for many things – loyalty, passion, hilarious chants, and their love of designer clothing. The latter started out as a flirtation with sportswear, but by the 90s, terrace culture fully embraced premium brands creating a ‘new casuals’ look that is still popular today.

While the new casual style has never really gone away for the true followers that don designer gear to watch their favourite team every Saturday, more recently it’s become popular with a wider demographic thanks to a spate of terrace culture novels and subsequent films. Such movies include The Football Factory, The Firm and Away days, which all feature plenty of terrace fashion looks that have inspired new generations to adopt the style.

The new casual look is usually a combination of specific brands. These can be vintage labels that tip their hat to the original football casual style such as Sergio Tacchini, Diadora and Fila; premium brands driven by technical fabrics and finishes such as Stone Island and C.P. Company; British heritage brands such as Aquascutum, Burberry and Barbour; and modern terrace culture brands such as Luke 1977 and Lyle and Scott. Some football casuals also opt for independent labels in a bid to look a little different to the now easily recognisable style, but whichever labels are chosen, they’re always worn smartly and with careful consideration – casual is a very long way from scruffy.

Thanks to the resurgence of the sub culture, there’s now a wide array of specialist services that can source original casual clothing from the 80s and 90s, and numerous popular pieces from the style’s heyday have been re-launched by savvy brands, such as the Diadora Borg Elite gold trainers in Kangaroo skin and the Sergio Tacchini Dallas track top.

Those looking for a modern take on the style can look to contemporary brands such as menswear label Luke 1977. The label was founded in 2001, and has quickly gained a loyal following which includes football fans and generally men that like to look their best even when they’re ‘dressed down’. Other current brands including Pretty Green and Weekend Offender also give a design nod to terrace fashion which today is seen more as a way of dressing than a way of living, which means you don’t have to be football crazy to pull off the look, you just have to appreciate great labels, and have a sense of pride in what you wear.