Casuals: The Story of the Legendary Terrace Fashion

Around three decades ago, a distinctive working-class subculture began to emerge in urban areas across the UK, leaving a significant and enduring impact. This movement was sparked by the mod revival of the late 1970s, during which infamous football groups from cities like Liverpool, Manchester, and London began pilfering high-end designer sportswear from the countries they visited. This trend wasn’t initiated by major retail chains dictating fashion choices; rather, these young men set the trends themselves, with high-street stores eventually following suit. By the start of the 1980s in Britain, the ‘casual’ style had already quietly taken root. Today, from Barcelona to Berlin and Milan to Moscow, teenagers are emulating the fashion and culture that originated on the streets and in the stadiums of British cities. But how did this football casual subculture originate? What were its core values? What drove its members? And why does its influence continue to resonate within the modern fashion industry?