When it comes to football terrace clothing, dressing for the football can be just as important as dressing for a special occasion. From designer clothing to expensive trainers, football fashion is as much about the labels as it is style.
Although the days of casual dressing in European labels and fighting on the terraces are now a thing of the past, dressing to impress is still a big part of the matchday experience.
Wanting to create a capsule wardrobe for the big game? At Loofe’s, we’ve picked out the seven wardrobe staples you need to carry you through the football season. From winter warmers to styles that will take you straight from the terraces to post-match drinks, it’s never been easier to look the part, whether supporting at home or away!
Featuring pieces from go-to terrace clothing brands and those that provide looks perfectly suited for the big game, it’s never been easier to curate your matchday style!
Table of contents
- Overcoats
In the 1980s, UEFA changed the rules of the European and Cup Winners Cup competitions to accept only a single team from each nation. This heavily restricted football fans’ access to the European labels they usually picked up on their travels abroad.
Coupled with the harsh British weather, terrace casuals started to look towards homegrown British luxury brands so they could dress to impress whilst protecting themselves from the elements when watching the game. Overcoats from brands like Burberry and Aquascutum became popular among football fans for their luxury aesthetic and weatherproofing qualities.
Although you can still spot these brands on the terraces, today, it’s more the aesthetic qualities of the mac or overcoat that are favoured rather than loyalty to luxury brands. For a modern matchday look, explore brands like Remus Uomo to find overcoats that are both smart and warm but don’t carry a luxury designer price tag.
Paul & Shark shell jacket
Alongside overcoats, technical coats are also big players in today’s matchday dressing options. Water-resistant styles from classic football brands such as Paul & Shark or fully waterproof options from Berghaus won’t look out of place. Or, for the coldest months, why not opt for a sporty, quilted style?
- Trainers
The original football casuals had a real love of trainers – particularly classic ADIDAS styles. The first real sneakerheads, they were known for their love of ADIDAS Stan Smith’s, Sambas and Gazelles, and a true casual terrace wear ensemble wouldn’t be complete without a signature pair.
Trainers still feature heavily in modern-day football terrace clothing, and ADIDAS is still embraced as the go-to brand. Although back in the day, having a highly sought-after ADIDAS style was the way to achieve one-upmanship on the terraces, nowadays, it’s more about the look than shoe exclusivity.
ADIDAS VS Pace Trainers
To cultivate a classic terrace aesthetic, avoid running trainers and stick to styles reminiscent of that vintage casual clothing look. Styles such as the VS Pace Trainers evoke that signature terrace style. Or, if ADIDAS isn’t your thing, why not choose some classic Reebok trainers instead? Reebok Royal Glide Trainers are the perfect pick for styling your look.
- Track Jacket
The classic casual style originally took off in the 1970s, and the humble track jacket helped accelerate the trend.
In the 1970s, when British fans were following their teams in the European Cup, they fell in love with the styles of their European Counterparts. Italian brands such as Sergio Tacchini, Fila and Ellesse filled terraces abroad, and British fans were keen to replicate the look.
Soon British fans filled their suitcases with Italian sportswear and brought it back to the UK, introducing these new brands to British football style.
Die-hard football fans of British teams were often part of other violent subcultures, such as the skinheads. To keep violence away from the terraces, skinheads were made to de-lace their Dr Martens and leave them outside of football grounds, putting them in a more vulnerable position, so they were less likely to fight.
By dressing in expensive Italian sportswear, these fans could get past the authorities who believed they wouldn’t want to damage their expensive sportswear in a brawl.
It didn’t stop the violence, but it did cement the track top as an iconic staple of football terrace clothing.
Still a signature style piece of terrace fashion today, brands such as BALR and Jack Wolfskin offer pieces perfectly suited for taking on the trend.
Or, pair your ADIDAS track top with your three-stripe trainers for a classic casual style.
ADIDAS Essentials Ink Hoodie
- Jeans
Another original Italian-influenced style staple for the casuals of the 1980s, Emporio Armani straight-legged jeans were a key piece that completed their look.
Often overlooked in favour of an expensive track jacket or pair of trainers, stonewash or mid-wash jeans were the go-to for casual style. As the look developed over time, more expensive raw or heavy denim was often favoured.
With so many designer jeans brands, it’s relatively easy to add a straight-legged denim style to your football wardrobe. Whatever your colour preference, these styles from Diesel are the perfect picks to elevate your terrace dressing.
- Hooded Jacket
Hooded jackets were first spotted on football terraces in the North of England – as a way to look stylish but fight off the inclement weather.
Casual wear first originated in Manchester and Liverpool, as it was Manchester United and Liverpool doing well overseas in the 1970s. Hooded jackets from C.P. Company and later Stone Island were super popular on the terraces of the ‘80s. Then, when the Madchester scene erupted towards the end of the decade, hooded jackets and anoraks again had a surge in popularity.
Berghaus Vaskye Insulated Lightweight Jacket
Stylish and practical, these styles are still popular on terraces today and are perfect for braving the rainy British weather. With options from brands including Paul & Shark and Berghaus, it’s never been easier to find the perfect hooded coat to add to your outerwear collection.
- Scarf
Fred Perry, Royal Stewart Tartan Scarf
Since terrace fashion first originated, scarves have been a staple accessory for completing the look. When football terrace clothing was synonymous with fighting on the terraces, gangs used scarves to hide their identities in post-match brawls.
In the ‘90s, when CCTV started becoming more prevalent, luxury checked designs from Burberry, Aquascutum and Barbour were worn as a style staple, then tied around faces to prevent violent fans from being easily recognised by the authorities.
Although these same brands are still loved today, it’s for warmth and style, not violence. A checked scarf is the perfect accessory to complete your football look, especially if wearing your team’s colours isn’t your thing. Our Fred Perry royal tartan scarf embodies this aesthetic and will carry your colder weather style to the terraces and beyond!
- Cap
Like the scarf, caps were used by weekend offenders to hide their faces from CCTV during post-match fights in the violent days of terrace fashion.
Never a group to miss out on the opportunity to bring some one-upmanship to the look; in the early ‘90s, firms favoured fashion brands like Gucci and Burberry for their instantly recognisable logos and all-over-the-cap branding.
The introduction of CCTV and match bans ended football violence in the 1990s. It was much easier to identify football hooligans, issue them with lifetime match bans, and prosecute them.
Thankfully, terrace fashion today is much more about style than anything else. Because of this, the cap remains an essential football fashion staple. Perfect for shielding the eyes from the sun and rain and adding a luxurious or sporty twist to a matchday look, although high-end designer brands are still favoured, other long standing casual brands such as Lacoste and sportswear brand ADIDAS are now spotted on the terraces and are available at a much lower price.
Navy Lacoste Cap
Shop football terrace clothing at Loofe’s
Terrace culture has become a way of dressing less associated with violence and post-match brawls and more to do with belonging and expressing your best look on the stands.
With as much thought and careful consideration given to putting an outfit together for a night on the town or a special occasion, what you wear for a football match should be smart, stylish and versatile enough to carry your look out of the terraces and off to post-match drinks with mates.
Whether looking for a smarter style, such as an overcoat and a stylish scarf or the sportier look of a hooded jacket and cap combo, you’ll find everything you need to curate your football capsule wardrobe by shopping the links above. With options from go-to terrace clothing brands, get ready to look your best ahead of your next home fixture!
