Casuals
Encyclopedia
The casual subculture
is a subsection of association football culture that is typified by football hooliganism
and the wearing of expensive European designer clothing
. The subculture originated in the United Kingdom
in the early 1980s when many hooligans started wearing designer labels and expensive sportswear in order to avoid the attention of police. They did not wear club colours, so it was allegedly easier to infiltrate rival groups and to enter pubs.
Music genres popular among casuals in the late 1970s included: mod revival
, postpunk, Oi!
and ska
. By the 1980s, casuals' music tastes were eclectic, with some enjoying pop groups such as Wham!
, ABC
, The Human League
, Spandau Ballet
and Adam and the Ants
. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, many casuals were part of the Madchester
and rave
scenes, and in the 1990s, many were fans of Britpop
. There was a strong crossover with rave culture, with many ravers wearing football casual brands but distanced from football hooliganism. Madchester bands sometimes wore casual clothing on stage and in publicity photographs, as did Britpop acts such as Blur
in their video for "Parklife
". Since then, the most popular genre among casuals has been indie rock
.
s of the late 1960s (and later), and the mod revival
ists 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 their teams at European games. These 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. 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
, Lyle & Scott
, 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
and Madchester
scenes, the violence of the casual subculture faded.
, 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 Jeans
, Edwin and Superga
. Many casuals have adopted a more subtle and underground look, avoiding more mainstream clothing
brands for independent clothing labels.
Casuals United
, also known as UK Casuals United, is a British anti-Islamic protest group that formed in 2009. It is closely affiliated with the English Defence League
, a far right street protest movement which opposes what it sees as the spread of Islamism
, Sharia
law and Islamic extremism
in England.
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
is a subsection of association football culture that is typified by football hooliganism
Football hooliganism
Football hooliganism, sometimes referred to by the British media as the English Disease, is unruly and destructive behaviour—such as brawls, vandalism and intimidation—by association football club fans...
and the wearing of expensive European designer clothing
Designer clothing
Designer clothing is clothing that bears the logo of a recognizable fashion designer.The 'designer' whose name is on the label may be:* A European couturier, e.g. Chanel, Christian Dior* A European luxury goods house, e.g. Armani, Gucci, Louis Vuitton...
. The subculture originated in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in the early 1980s when many hooligans started wearing designer labels and expensive sportswear in order to avoid the attention of police. They did not wear club colours, so it was allegedly easier to infiltrate rival groups and to enter pubs.
Music genres popular among casuals in the late 1970s included: mod revival
Mod Revival
The mod revival was a music genre and subculture that started in England in 1978 and later spread to other countries . The mod revival's mainstream popularity was relatively short, although its influence has lasted for decades...
, postpunk, Oi!
Oi!
Oi! is a working class subgenre of punk rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The music and its associated subculture had the goal of bringing together punks, skinheads and other working-class youths ....
and ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
. By the 1980s, casuals' music tastes were eclectic, with some enjoying pop groups such as Wham!
WHAM!
Wham! were a short-lived British musical duo formed by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s. They were briefly known in the United States as Wham! UK due to a naming conflict with an American band....
, ABC
ABC (band)
ABC are an English band, that charted ten UK and five US Top 40 singles between 1981 and 1990. The band continues to tour and released a new album, Traffic, in 2008.-Formation:...
, The Human League
The Human League
The Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s and have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s up to the present day.The only constant...
, Spandau Ballet
Spandau Ballet
Spandau Ballet are a British band formed in London in the late 1970s. Initially inspired by, and an integral part of, the New Romantic fashion, their music has featured a mixture of funk, jazz, soul and synthpop. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s, achieving ten Top Ten singles...
and Adam and the Ants
Adam and the Ants
Adam and the Ants were a British rock band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The original group, which existed from 1977 to 1980, became notable as a cult band marking the transition from the late-1970s punk rock era to the post-punk and New Wave era...
. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, many casuals were part of the Madchester
Madchester
Madchester was a music scene that developed in Manchester, England, towards the end of the 1980s and into the early 1990s. The music that emerged from the scene mixed alternative rock, psychedelic rock and dance music...
and rave
Rave
Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
scenes, and in the 1990s, many were fans of Britpop
Britpop
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
. There was a strong crossover with rave culture, with many ravers wearing football casual brands but distanced from football hooliganism. Madchester bands sometimes wore casual clothing on stage and in publicity photographs, as did Britpop acts such as Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
in their video for "Parklife
Parklife
Parklife is the third studio album by the English alternative rock band Blur, released in April 1994 on Food Records. After disappointing sales for their previous album Modern Life Is Rubbish , Parklife returned Blur to prominence in the UK, helped by its four hit singles: "Girls & Boys", "End of a...
". Since then, the most popular genre among casuals has been indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
.
History
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 skinheadSkinhead
A skinhead is a member of a subculture that originated among working class youths in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, and then spread to other parts of the world. Named for their close-cropped or shaven heads, the first skinheads were greatly influenced by West Indian rude boys and British mods,...
s of the late 1960s (and later), and the mod revival
Mod Revival
The mod revival was a music genre and subculture that started in England in 1978 and later spread to other countries . The mod revival's mainstream popularity was relatively short, although its influence has lasted for decades...
ists 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 their teams at European games. These 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
Lacoste (company)
Lacoste is a French apparel company founded in 1933 that sells high-end clothing, footwear, perfume, leather goods, watches, eyewear, and most famously tennis shirts. In recent years, Lacoste has introduced a home line of sheeting and towels...
or Sergio Tacchini
Sergio Tacchini
Sergio Tacchini is an Italian fashion designer of sportswear and former professional tennis player. The sportswear firm bearing his name is located in Bellinzago Novarese, Novara, Italy.- Tennis career :...
shirts, and unusual Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
trainers. At the time, many police forces were still on the lookout for skinhead fans wearing Dr. Martens
Dr. Martens
Dr. Martens is a traditional British footwear brand, which also makes a range of accessories – shoe care products, clothing, luggage, etc. In addition to Dr. Martens, they are known as Doctor Martens, Doc Martens, Docs or DMs...
boots, and paid no attention to fans in expensive designer clothing.
In the 1980s, other clothing labels that became associated with casuals included: Pringle
Pringle of Scotland
Pringle of Scotland is a luxury knitwear manufacturer and importer. The brand is worn by the likes of Madonna, DB7 , Nicole Kidman, Sophie Dahl, Claudia Schiffer, the television character Alan Partridge and British bands such as The Kooks, Dirty Pretty Things and The Twang...
, Burberry
Burberry
Burberry Group plc is a British luxury fashion house, manufacturing clothing, fragrance, and fashion accessories. Its distinctive tartan pattern has become one of its most widely copied trademarks. Burberry is most famous for its iconic trench coat, which was invented by founder Thomas Burberry...
, Fila
Fila (company)
Fila is one of the world's largest sportswear manufacturing companies. Founded in 1911 in Italy, Fila has been owned and operated from South Korea since a takeover in 2007. Headed by chairman and CEO Yoon-Soo Yoon, Fila now has offices in 11 countries worldwide....
, Stone Island
Stone Island
Stone Island is an Italian Designer brand from Sportswear Company based in Bologna. The label was set up by Italian designer Massimo Osti in 1982 as a secondary line or diffusion collection of his main C.P Company label...
, Fiorucci
Fiorucci
Fiorucci is an Italian fashion label founded by Elio Fiorucci in 1967. The first shop exposed Milan to the styles of Swinging London and American classics such as the T-shirt and jeans. By the late 1970s and early 1980s this would be reversed, and the New York store would become famous for the...
, Pepe
Pepe Jeans
Pepe Jeans London is a denim and casual wear jeans brand that was established in the Portobello Road area of London in 1973. From its origins as a tiny market stall to more than half a US billion dollar brand, Pepe has transformed itself into a jeanswear label found throughout Europe...
, Benetton
Benetton Group
Benetton Group S.p.A. is a global luxury fashion brand, based in Treviso, Italy. The name comes from the Benetton family who founded the company in 1965. Benetton Group is listed in Milan....
, Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren is an American fashion designer and business executive; best known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand.-Early life:...
, Henri Lloyd
Henri Lloyd
Henri Lloyd is a British clothing manufacturer established in Manchester, England in 1963, that specialises in making clothes for sailing, yachting and golfing.-Company Information:...
, Lyle & Scott
Lyle & Scott
Lyle & Scott is a British knitwear brand, formerly known for golfing knitwear. It acquired a younger more fashionable following with young 'casuals' in the 1980s....
, Ben Sherman
Ben Sherman
Ben Sherman is a British based clothing company, designing shirts, suits, shoes, accessories and other items that are, in common with many British brands, now made overseas, largely in the Far East. Their designs sometimes feature the Royal Air Force roundel which is often called the mod target...
, Fred Perry
Fred Perry
Frederick John Perry was a championship-winning English tennis and table tennis player who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slams and two Pro Slams. Perry won three consecutive Wimbledon Championships between 1934 and 1936 and was World No. 1 four years in a row...
, Kappa
Kappa (company)
Kappa is an Italian company specialized at the manufacture of sporting clothes and accessories, that started as a sock and underwear manufacturer in 1916 in Turin.-Logo:...
and Slazenger
Slazenger
Slazenger is a British sports equipment brand name sold throughout the world, involving a variety of sporting categories namely cricket, tennis and hockey...
. Fashion trends frequently changed, and the casual subculture reached its peak in the late 1980s. With the arrival of the acid house
Acid house
Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experimented with...
, rave
Rave
Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
and Madchester
Madchester
Madchester was a music scene that developed in Manchester, England, towards the end of the 1980s and into the early 1990s. The music that emerged from the scene mixed alternative rock, psychedelic rock and dance music...
scenes, the violence of the casual subculture faded.
1990s and 2000s
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 IslandStone Island
Stone Island is an Italian Designer brand from Sportswear Company based in Bologna. The label was set up by Italian designer Massimo Osti in 1982 as a secondary line or diffusion collection of his main C.P Company label...
, Aquascutum
Aquascutum
"Aquascutum" is a UK-based luxury clothing manufacturer and retailer, owned by Jaeger.-Company history:Aquascutum was established in 1851, the year of the Great Exhibition, when tailor and entrepreneur John Emary opened a high quality menswear shop at 46 Regent Street...
, Burberry
Burberry
Burberry Group plc is a British luxury fashion house, manufacturing clothing, fragrance, and fashion accessories. Its distinctive tartan pattern has become one of its most widely copied trademarks. Burberry is most famous for its iconic trench coat, which was invented by founder Thomas Burberry...
, Lacoste
Lacoste (company)
Lacoste is a French apparel company founded in 1933 that sells high-end clothing, footwear, perfume, leather goods, watches, eyewear, and most famously tennis shirts. In recent years, Lacoste has introduced a home line of sheeting and towels...
, Prada
Prada
Prada S.p.A. is an Italian fashion label specializing in luxury goods for men and women , founded by Mario Prada.-Foundations:...
, Façonnable
Façonnable
Façonnable is an international high-end men's and women's tailor founded in Nice, France, by Jean Goldberg in 1950.-Background:The first shop, situated in rue Paradis in Nice, was frequented by film stars in need of bespoke tuxedos and gowns for events such as the annual Cannes Film Festival. In...
, Hugo Boss
Hugo Boss
Hugo Ferdinand Boss was the founder of clothing company Hugo Boss.-Early life:Boss was born in Metzingen, Germany. After completing his apprenticeship and one year of employment, he founded his own company in Metzingen in 1923.-Support of Nazism:Boss joined the Nazi Party in 1931, two years before...
, Maharishi
Maharishi
Maharishi is the anglicized version of the Sanskrit word Maharshi महर्षि . Maharishi is often use as an addition to a person's name as an honorary title. The term was first seen in modern English literature in the 18th century...
, Mandarina Duck
Mandarina Duck
Mandarina Duck is an Italian fashion brand, most commonly associated with designer luggage and travel accessories. Its headquarters are in Bologna, Italy, and also has branches in Paris, Barcelona, Düsseldorf, Berlin, Vienna and London also with outlets such as Banbridge Outlet in Northern Ireland...
and Dupe
Dupe
Dupe is short for "duplicate".Dupe may also refer to:*Someone who is deceived by another and acts in their interest without realization.*Duping, practice of exploiting a bug in a video game to illegitimately create duplicates of unique items or currency...
. 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
The Streets
The Streets were a British rap/garage project from Birmingham, United Kingdom, led by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mike Skinner and has included a myriad of other contributors most notably drummer Johnny Drum Machine, vocalist Kevin Mark Trail and the Italian-American beatmaker Leroy.The...
and The Mitchell Brothers
The Mitchell Brothers
The Mitchell Brothers are a Ghanaian British rap duo from London, England. They consist of cousins Owura Nyanin from Manor Park and Kofi Hanson from Stockwell...
sporting casual outfits in their music videos. Casual culture has been highlighted by films and television programmes such as ID
ID (film)
I.D. is a 1994 British film made by BBC Films about football hooliganism, directed by Philip Davis and starring Reece Dinsdale, Sean Pertwee and Warren Clarke. It is set in the 1980s, in England, mainly London, and also shot at Millmoor and Valley Parade football grounds in Rotherham and Bradford...
, The Firm
The Firm (1988 film)
The Firm is a 1989 British drama film directed by Alan Clarke and written by Al Ashton for the BBC, starring Gary Oldman as Clive 'Bex' or 'Bexy' Bissel. The film is based on the activities of the Inter City Firm, football firm of West Ham United during the 1970s and 1980s although in the film the...
, The Football Factory and Green Street
Green Street
Green Street is a 2005 British/American independent drama film about football hooliganism in England. It was directed by Lexi Alexander and stars Elijah Wood and Charlie Hunnam. In the United States and Australia, the film is called Green Street Hooligans, while in the United Kingdom it has the...
. 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
Adidas Originals
Adidas Originals is a line of casual sports apparel, and is the heritage line of Adidas The brand uses the famous Trefoil logo, which was originally used on all adidas products until the company decided in 1997 that the trefoil logo would thereafter only be used on heritage products, and was...
, Lyle & Scott
Lyle & Scott
Lyle & Scott is a British knitwear brand, formerly known for golfing knitwear. It acquired a younger more fashionable following with young 'casuals' in the 1980s....
, Fred Perry
Fred Perry
Frederick John Perry was a championship-winning English tennis and table tennis player who won 10 Majors including eight Grand Slams and two Pro Slams. Perry won three consecutive Wimbledon Championships between 1934 and 1936 and was World No. 1 four years in a row...
, Armani, Lambretta
Lambretta (clothing)
Lambretta Clothing is a British clothing company formed in 1997, named after the scooters popular among mods in the 1960s and later. The clothing company uses the Lambretta brand name under license from owner Scooters India Limited. The company makes menswear and accessories...
, Lacoste, Nudie Jeans
Nudie Jeans
Nudie Jeans is a Swedish premium clothing brand originating in Gothenburg and a subsidiary of Svenska Jeans AB, founded in 1999 by Maria Erixsson, a former employee and AD of Lee Europe and Swedish designer JC. As of 2003, the company had 12 employees, revenue of 93 million Swedish kronor and a...
, Edwin and Superga
Superga (brand)
Superga is an Italian brand of shoes founded in 1913. It originally made tennis shoes, including the famous model "2750 Classic" but then diversified.-History:...
. Many casuals have adopted a more subtle and underground look, avoiding more mainstream clothing
brands for independent clothing labels.
Casuals United
Casuals United
Casuals United also known as UK Casuals United is a British protest group. The group is closely affiliated with the English Defence League...
, also known as UK Casuals United, is a British anti-Islamic protest group that formed in 2009. It is closely affiliated with the English Defence League
English Defence League
The English Defence League is a far-right street protest movement which opposes what it considers to be a spread of Islamism, Sharia law and Islamic extremism in the UK. The EDL uses street marches to protest against Islamic extremism...
, a far right street protest movement which opposes what it sees as the spread of Islamism
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
, Sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
law and Islamic extremism
Islamic extremism
Islamic extremism refers to two related and partially overlapping but also distinct aspects of extremist interpretations and pursuits of Islamic ideology:...
in England.
See also
- ChavChavA chav is a term that is used in the United Kingdom to describe a stereotype of teenagers and young adults from an underclass background.-Etymology:...
- Football hooliganismFootball hooliganismFootball hooliganism, sometimes referred to by the British media as the English Disease, is unruly and destructive behaviour—such as brawls, vandalism and intimidation—by association football club fans...
- Lad cultureLad cultureLad culture is a subculture commonly associated with Britpop music of the 1990s."The image of the 'lad' or 'new lad' arose in the early 1990s as a generally middle-class figure espousing attitudes conventionally attributed to the working classes"...
- List of hooligan firms
- List of subcultures
- Prole driftProle driftProle drift, short for proletarian drift, is a trend in whichproducts, styles or other aspects of culture previously considered to be upscale or upper class become popular among working class people...
- Scallie
- SkinheadSkinheadA skinhead is a member of a subculture that originated among working class youths in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, and then spread to other parts of the world. Named for their close-cropped or shaven heads, the first skinheads were greatly influenced by West Indian rude boys and British mods,...
- SoulboySoulboySoulboys were a working class English youth subculture of the late 1970s and early 1980s, and fans of American soul and funk music...
- SpideSpideA spide , is a pejorative stereotype, in Northern Ireland, especially in Belfast, of a person who has a particular dress code and attitude. Spides are often young, unemployed, male adults...
- YobboYobboYobbo or yob is a slang term for an uncouth or thuggish working-class person. The word derives from a back slang reading of the word "boy" .-Britain:Dr. C. T...
External links
- Casual Dress Essential article from The Guardian
- Casuals: The Lost Tribe of Britain article from the Sunday Herald
- Emotional Hooligan: Post-Subcultural Research and the Histories of Britain’s Football Gangs
- Transforming the terraces article from Times Online