Casuals

What the Skinheads started on the football terraces of Britain, the Casuals set out to finish in the late 70s. Out went the Dr Martens and jeans, and in moved expensive European designer wear. The casual subculture was not born in London, but began to grow as Liverpool football fans travelled to games in Europe, such as when a troupe of Liverpudlians followed their beloved team to a European Cup quarter-final against French side St Etienne. With every subsequent trip a new swag bag full of French and Italian designer fashions would follow.

There was a strong association between football hooliganism and the casual subculture. The fashions helped the fans blend in with crowds rather than standing out in football shirts. Fashion trends could change rapidly from week to week, and followers would keep up: Fila trainers and tracksuits on Monday, Burberry on Saturday. Acid House and the rise of the "Madchester" rave scene in the 80s pushed the scene to its heights with bands like The Happy Mondays, The Stone Roses and Inspiral Carpets all adopting the casual wardrobe.

Our featured Casual:

Gary Aspden is a Blackburn casual from the mid 80's - Gary took his passion for the clothes of the terraces into his study of fashion. He now works with Adidas helping shape their product design and marketing.