A Casual Revival

Fashion. Is it solely reserved for women to talk about, or are men free to discuss the subject as well? I know very few men who will confess to having an interest in fashion, let alone actually admitting to - god forbid - enjoying shopping for clothes! It seems to be a taboo subject with us and yet, in every pub & club, and at every football game in the country, it is clearly something men DO have an active interest in.

How can I tell? Look at the way some men dress. Look at how they like to present themselves in public. Look at the labels they wear….. It seems men’s fashion is not just alive & kicking, but (*some of) the younger generation are as fascinated by it as I was growing up, and still am now.

Now, I grew up in the midst of the ‘casuals’ era, when looking the part & what you wore to the match was just as - if not more - important than the result, and how your firm got on outside the ground. The casual movement was to my generation what the rock & roll movement was to my parents’ generation. It wasn’t, as most people assume, just about the fighting. It was about the clothes we wore, the music we listened to and the attitudes those things gave us. For probably the best insight in the casual culture and all that went with it, I can heartily recommend you read the book ‘Casuals’ by Phil Thornton.

This passion has been re-ignited in us ‘originals’ thanks to somewhat of a casual revival over the past couple of years. Films such as Football Factory, The Business and the remake of The Firm, has led to a host of famous fashion labels making re-issues of all those classic clothes we wore growing up, and for which I personally, had feared dead & buried forever.

* I look at the brands young ‘uns are wearing today - Henleys, Bench, Luke, Superdry….. Really? No. Whenever I see someone wearing this tat it just makes me want to weep. I want to physically shake the wearer and ask them what the hell do they think they’re doing. To question why they feel the need to look like every bugger else who has no imagination. Do they really enjoy looking like a window display from every mainstream store in every High Street in every town & city in the country?

That skinny jeans, plimsoll & cardigan combination drives me bonkers. The “I‘m a rebel cos my arse is hanging out of my jeans” look (with said arse wrapped in a grim pair of Lonsdale boxers their mummy bought them from Sports Direct. 3 pairs for £2 I imagine…..). The Top Man/Burtons/River Island checked shirts with the buttons on the arms to make sure their sleeves don’t unroll themselves….. Those identical scruffy “look I just woke up & left my hair like this” cuts that, in reality, took them 2 hours to make like that….. AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

The ‘casual’ revival has come about for a reason - because today’s clothing & music is as crap now as it was great back in the day. Don’t believe me? Then why are more and more once-forgotten classic labels reappearing? Sergio Tacchini. Fila Vintage. Lois Cords. Lyle & Scott. Kickers. Robe di Kappa (that‘s the good stuff - not the Vicky Pollard stuff!). Farah. Classic vintage trainers from adidas and Nike. They’re all back, and are looking better than ever and are as fresh now as they were when they first appeared back in the 80‘s.

Some brands (Fila and Tacchini especially), have been victims of having to make and sell poorly made, poorly designed clothing over the years merely to survive. These mainly consisted of jogging bottoms, hoodies & sweatshirts and can still be found being staked high & sold cheaply in yes - you’ve guessed it! - Sports Direct, and are to be avoided at all costs (except for knocking around the house in!), but if they hadn’t taken this measure they would no longer be with us. I’d like to think of it as good coming from evil!

The brand I am most pleased to see revived however, is Ellesse. I used to love this stuff. It was always my favourite back then as it wasn’t as mainstream as the others. It had a certain exclusivity about it - and it does once again. The pieces being re-issued - not just by Ellesse, but by all the old brands - are just lovely, and it’s thanks to the likes of www.80scasualclassics.co.uk and www.stuartslondon.com that they are available now. Fila Tarrinda, Sir? Yes please! Lois jumbo cords to go with that? Don’t mind if I do! Adidas Munchens on your feet? Go on then! Tacchini t-shirt to complete the look? It would be rude not to!

In truth, those classic brands have never gone out of fashion with me. I have always dressed like a ‘casual’, from the day I started (with my first Lacoste t-shirt and Pringle jumper for Christmas at age 11!) right through my 20’s and now into my late 30’s. Don’t get me wrong, there have been other brands along the way. Armani, Hugo Boss, Stone Island, One True Saxon, Aquascutum and Paul & Shark have all made appearances in my wardrobe - and some of them are still there!

The long-lost label I would most love to see revived over the coming months is Cerutti. The iconic back-to-back R’s (either inside a capital C or with 1881 underneath) were attached to many a piece of quality clothing I owned. My favourite being a white towelling track top with blue piping I bought on holiday in Jersey aged 15 - it‘s probably my favourite piece of clothing ever. Another I am getting back into these days is Benetton. Back in the day, their must-have piece was the simple but iconic rugby top. The white & blue one being the most popular, with a rarer white & green version available too. But I always loved their jeans, jumpers and polo shirts, and am starting to stock up on them again before others catch on & the price rockets!

So, are we in our late 30’s and above just reliving our misspent youths - back to a time when life was so much simpler, so much more fun and so carefree? - or is there really a place for the 80‘s casual look in the current day and age? I’d like to think it’s a bit of both, and that’s just fine by me. Long may it continue!