The fast-flowing river of fashion is constantly shifting, with new currents and eddies coming about every year. In some cases, these developments are so interesting or dramatic that they’re given their own unique names. But few of these are quite as notable as ‘blokecore’, which has emerged from the world of TikTok in recent years.
How did blokecore come to be?
The term ‘blokecore’ is widely credited to TikTok user Brandon Huntley, in December 2021. It’s used to refer to a combination of vintage football shirts, jeans and trainers. While it draws its inspiration from men, it’s something that many women have sought to get in on, too.
Despite ‘bloke’ being a British term, Huntley was actually raised in North Carolina. In fact, many of the trappings of blokecore have been around in the UK since the 90s – and they’re only novel to people in the US. Perhaps it’s not surprising that they’ve been the ones to give it a special name.
The Essence of blokecore
Kim Kardashian, who is among the most influential women in the world when it comes to celebrity fashion, turned heads by wearing a vintage Roma shirt from the 90s. This sent interest in the club into overdrive, with millions of fashionistas turning to their search engines in search of answers to their many questions. Google searches for AS Roma skyrocketed.
Other stars have followed suit, wearing replica football shirts at every available opportunity. The arrival of Lionel Messi in the USA has helped to drive interest in the sport on the other side of the Atlantic, and the rise of ‘blokecore’ has coincided with these developments.
If you want to really score points in the blokecore movement, then you’ll find a football shirt that’s as retro and obscure as possible. Certain shirts are regarded as classics, and they aren’t always the ones we might associate with on-field success. If you’re looking to pay tribute to your favourite club as it exists right now, however, the best move might still be to invest in an authentic replica shirt from an iconic club like Liverpool.
Blokecore vs casual fashion
Blokecore has its roots in a much older fashion movement. So-called ‘Casual Fashion’ came about in the 70s, as an extension of the ‘mod’ movement of the 60s. Casual attire (jeans and a shirt) was worn to football games, and football clubs, eager to appeal to their customer base, began to release replica shirts that sought to appeal to the casual aesthetic.
The trouble was that ‘casuals’ would never actually wear football shirts themselves. That trend didn’t come about until much later. According to Vice, the one commonality between the two movements was the wearing of Adidas’s classic ‘samba’ trainers.