Casual (subculture)

The casual subculture is a subsection of association football culture that is typified by football hooliganism and the wearing of expensive designer clothing^{[1][2][3][4][5]} (known as "clobber"). The subculture originated in the United Kingdom in the early 1980s when many hooligans started wearing designer clothing labels and expensive sportswear in order to avoid the attention of police and to intimidate rivals. They did not wear club colours, so it was allegedly easier to infiltrate rival groups and to enter pubs. Some casuals have worn clothing items similar to those worn by mods. Casuals have been portrayed in films and television programmes such as ID and The Firm.

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 skinheads of the late 1960s (and later), and the mod revivalists of the late 1970s.

1970s to 1980s

The casual subculture began in the late 70s after fans from Liverpool Football Club introduced the rest of England to European fashions that they somehow acquired (stole) while following their teams at European games. These fans returned to England with expensive Italian and French designer sportswear.^[6] They brought back many unique clothing brands that had not been seen before in the country. Soon, other fans were clamouring for these rare items such as Lacoste and Sergio Tacchini shirts, and unusual Adidas trainers.^{[citation needed]} At the time, many police forces were still on the lookout for skinhead fans wearing Doc Martens boots, and paid little attention to fans in expensive designer clothing.^{[citation needed]} Fashion trends frequently changed, and the casual subculture reached its peak in the late 1980s. With their continual desperation not to be out-done and the arrival of the acid house, rave and Madchester music scenes, the violence of the casual subculture faded.^{[citation needed]}

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. 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 the market 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. 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. 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,^[7] is a British anti-Islamic protest group that formed in 2009.^[8] It is closely affiliated with the English Defence League,^[9] a far right^{[10][11][12][13][14]} street protest movement which opposes what it sees as the spread of Islamism, Sharia law and Islamic extremism in England.^[15][16]

See also

• Chav
• Lad culture
• List of hooligan firms
• List of subcultures
• Prole drift
• Scallie
• Soulboy
• Spide
• Yobbo

References

Further reading

• Juliet Ash, Lee Wright (chapter author: Deborah Lloyd) (1988). "Assemblage and subculture: the Casuals and their clothing". In Routledge. Components of dress: design, manufacturing, and image-making in the fashion industry (illustrated ed.). pp. 100–106. ISBN 0-415-00647-3. 
• Steve Redhead (Autumn 2004). "Hit and Tell: a Review Essay on the Soccer Hooligan Memoir". Soccer and Society 5 (3): 392–403. doi:10.1080/1466097042000279625. 

External links

• Casual Dress Essential article from The Guardian
• Emotional Hooligan: Post-Subcultural Research and the Histories of Britain’s Football Gangs
• Transforming the terraces article from Times Online (requires log-in)