Paul and Shark
Who knew where the hell Stone Island came from when it hit the designer shops and football terraces of the U.K. in the late 90s apart from those who had bothered to read the labels or the everyday Italians who passed the unsuspected designer wear in their local shops. To those who had grown up looking at it, it was just another Italian label originally designed with one specific purpose - to keep the local fishermen warm and dry but for those wearing the designer brand in the U.K. it had other purposes. For many it was a status symbol to show others that they spent good money on good clothes but for most it told the visiting football fans that 'We're game and ready for battle!'
From the routes of football anarchism, the generation that once fought for their individuality in the most violent of ways began to conform to a fashion that became known as 'Terrace Wear', bore a resemblance to both fascism and socialism and wouldn't go out of place at a either a Hitler or Stalin rally. For the first time in history it became boring and dull to wear designer labels, but all that would soon change.
It is not a new thing for the fashions of the youth to be criticised by the previous generations and for young people to be stereotyped by what sort of clothes they are wearing. This problem is especially prevalent for the way people look at young men and the way they choose to dress. The iconic piece of clothing that has faced the brunt of peoples criticisms for how people dress is the hoody. Any teenager seen wearing a hoody, is automatically tarred as a chav, a hooligan and an all round trouble maker.
Criticism of Modern Menswear is not a new thing however, everyone is aware of the clash of the subcultures in the 1960's between the Mods and Rockers who's contrasting fashion sense and cultural touch points was know to culminate in violence and riots between these two groups.
UK Mens Fashion was also a huge part of Casual Culture in the 80's and 90's, which was seen as going hand in hand with the violence that marred the English football terraces up and down the country between young men. At the very centre of this culture was mens designer fashion and how being seen in the right clothing was one of the most important elements of being a part of these groups. Being seen in the right brands like Stone Island, Fred Perry, Lacoste and Paul and Shark were and are a huge part of growing up in the UK and young men who are seen in these brands does not mean that the young men are automatically football hooligans or trouble makers. Many of these clothes are in classic styles that are far smarter than the sportswear that so many young men choose to wear.
A Harrington jacket, button up shirt and desert boots are far smarter and respectable than what many youths choose to wear and is never the cause of the intimidation and public damage that is caused up and down the country.
