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HISTORY

British football support has had a strong fashion-led cult element since the rise of the Teddy Boys in the mid 1950s , but it was with the arrival of the Mod Subculture in the early 1960s that the origins of the casual culture can be seen. Groups of youths who had long associated themselves with football clubs began to bring their fashions onto the football terraces, and certain clubs began to be known for their mod following (e.g. Chelsea F.C. and West Ham United ). This continued with the mod spinoff subculture, the Skinhead s, in the late 1960s .

With the late 1970s Mod Revival , the cult of the casual began to grow and change as English football fans returned from trips to continental Europe following clubs such as Nottingham Forest , West Ham , and in particular Liverpool and Everton . Fans began arriving in England wearing expensive Italian and French designer clothes, sometimes looted from stores during outbreaks of violence that were commonplace when English fans travelled abroad. At the time, many police forces were still on the lookout for skinhead fans wearing Dr. Martens boots, and didn't pay attention to hooligans in expensive designer clothing.

Clothing labels associated with casuals in the , Stone Island , Fiorucci , Adidas , Pepe , Benetton , Sergio Tacchini , Ralph Lauren , Lyle & Scott , Le Coq Sportif , Ben Sherman , Fred Perry , Lacoste , Kappa , Pringle , Burberry 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 in the casual subculture faded away to some extent.


1990s and 2000s

In the mid-1990s, the casual subculture experienced a massive 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. Brands such as Stone Island , Aquascutum and Burberry were seen at nearly every club, as well as classic favourites such as Lacoste and Paul & Shark . 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 the casual styles attracted; several designer labels also withdrew designs from sale after they became common casual uniforms.

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 other casuals. Some police forces have tried unsuccessfully to link Stone Island's compass logo with the Neo-Nazi version of the Celtic Cross . Because of this, new and more left-of-centre clothing labels began to gain popularity amongst casuals. Prada , Façonnable , Fake London Genius, One True Saxon, Maharishi , Mandarina Duck, 6876, and Dupe have begun gaining widespread popularity. Casual fashion has 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 such as '' ID '', '' The Firm '', '' The Football Factory '' and '' Green Street ''.


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