Who would have imagined, in the 1990s, that football jerseys would become style icons on the runways and streets of the world? Yet that's exactly what happened. The style born on the pitches and in the stands of stadiums has transformed into a global fashion phenomenon, merging the passion of fans with contemporary streetwear trends. From the fiery stands filled with bomber jackets and scarves to the collections of major brands inspired by vintage kits, we trace the evolution of football streetwear from the 1990s to today, between nostalgia, youth culture, and high fashion.
The fusion between football and fashion has its roots in the 80s: in England, young fans adopted designer clothes created for other sports – Stone Island (designed for sailors), Fila , Sergio Tacchini – as real battle uniforms on the terraces of stadiums. Dressing well to go to the stadium became an unwritten code: no visible club colors, but designer and sophisticated clothing , to affirm a rebellious yet elegant group identity. In this vintage photo, some English supporters sport Stone Island jackets and Tacchini tracksuits, symbols of the British casual movement. That subculture – summed up in the motto “ Dress well, behave badly ” – anticipated and profoundly influenced the football style that would explode in the following decade.
The 90s: bright colors and casual culture
The 1990s marked a turning point: football met fashion in an explosive way. The game uniforms of that decade were a kaleidoscope of colors, bold patterns, and innovative designs— Umbro in particular pushed previously unseen aesthetics: buttoned collars, geometric patterns, and shiny jacquard fabrics that today we consider pure retro charm. Brands like Umbro, Adidas , Kappa , and even Fila dominate the scene: not only do they dress champions on the pitch, but they also dictate the rules in the stands and on the streets. Fans begin to proudly show off their clubs' oversized jerseys paired with jeans and sneakers, transforming the stadium look into everyday wear. A prime example of this is the England Euro '96 jersey, designed by Umbro with jeans in mind, not just shorts. It is the philosophy of "dress well and behave badly" imported from the British ultras/casual culture: already in the previous decade young hooligans from across the Channel had adopted Italian sports brands such as Fila, Tacchini and Ellesse as status symbols in the stands. In the 1990s, this trend exploded on an international scale: Adidas tracksuits with the iconic three stripes, bright windbreakers with the double Umbro diamond, Fila track jackets – everything contributed to a unique aesthetic in which sport and fashion merged. It's no coincidence that some jerseys from that era have become cult and collectible objects; just think of the 1989-90 Ajax away kit with its fragmented tricolor graphic, or the 1994 World Cup-winning Brazil jersey (both designed by Umbro) – designs so bold that they remain unforgettable even today. At the time, certain patterns seemed extravagant, but in hindsight they were ahead of their time: those same '90s graphics today drive nostalgics and young hypebeasts crazy in search of original pieces.
The early 2000s: between minimalism and lifestyle
After the creative excess of the 1990s, the early 2000s saw a shift in football style. On the pitch, uniforms became simpler: cleaner designs, less garish colors, and new, tighter cuts (the super-tight "Kappa Kombat" jersey launched in 2000 is a famous example). Nike and Adidas focused on technological and functional innovations, toning down the aesthetic boldness compared to the previous decade. At the same time, however, football became increasingly global, and its fashion appeal spread. Off the pitch, fans evolved their wardrobes: those who frequent the stands alternated between two personalities: the "technical" stadium style (black jackets, camouflage, nylon bomber jackets to go unnoticed) and the casual leisure style, featuring more eye-catching and refined designer pieces. In Italy and beyond, the stands adopt now-shared style staples—from the leather jacket to the baseball cap, to the inevitable scarf around the neck—that define the ultras' identity. There are even stories of fans traveling abroad in search of rare pieces: legend has it that in 1988, two hundred Liverpool supporters flew to Germany just to buy the first Adidas ZX, the sneakers of the moment, completely ignoring the match. Signs of the times: being fashionable had become almost as important for many as cheering. Meanwhile, on the mainstream front, the connection between football and fashion was making its way into the media: think of David Beckham, a pop icon at the turn of the millennium, who set trends with his hairstyles and looks while sporting the Manchester United number 7 jersey around the world. The buzzword in the 2000s was football lifestyle : sports companies launched sportswear lines designed for fans' leisure time, with sneakers, sweatshirts, and jackets inspired by the club's colors and logos. The line between stadium wear and streetwear began to blur, paving the way for what was to come.
2010s: Nostalgia Becomes a Trend
The vintage craze is spreading: streetwear brands like Supreme are sensing the appeal of old-school jerseys and starting to reinterpret them in their own unique way. In the photo, for example, we see the historic 1991-94 Umbro Tottenham Hotspur jersey alongside its Supreme revamped version, which pays homage to the neon patterns so typical of the 1990s. Collaborations like this definitively cemented the marriage between football and urban fashion in the 2010s. Vintage jerseys locked away in the attic are resurfacing, selling for a fortune online and in specialty stores, while clubs and technical sponsors are sniffing out nostalgia. Umbro , building on its heritage, is celebrating its 95th anniversary by organizing memorabilia exhibitions and collaborating with magazines like Mundial and vintage retailers like Classic Football Shirts. Adidas launches special collections such as Football Icons , which reinterpret the retro designs of its most glorious clubs (from Ajax to Arsenal, from Real Madrid to Boca Juniors) in a modern key, fusing retro looks and current streetwear culture. The German brand even resurrects iconic details such as the crest centered on the chest, the bold three stripes on the shoulders and the loose fits of the past, creating pieces that seem to have come straight from the 1990s but with modern materials. Meanwhile, pure streetwear is increasingly embracing football: hype brands like Supreme, Palace , and Patta are churning out capsule collections inspired by 1990s football shirts. Palace, a pioneer of the genre, already revived the design of the England 1990 third shirt in 2012, while Patta reworked the legendary Ajax 1989-90 away kit in 2017 in collaboration with Umbro. Supreme itself couldn't resist: in 2019 it launched a jersey inspired by the fluorescent yellow Tottenham '91 kit (originally Umbro) reinterpreting it in a street style. Russian designer Gosha Rubchinskiy also set a precedent, bringing back the Soviet '90s aesthetic of tracksuits and sporty lettering in the mid-decade, collaborating with both Kappa and Adidas. At the same time, high-fashion brands like Virgil Abloh's Off-White and designers like Kim Jones began to play with football elements: in 2018, Nike x Off-White launched the "Football Mon Amour" capsule with football-inspired shirts and shoes, while explicit references appeared on the runways (just think of Koché's outfits made from Paris Saint-Germain uniforms). Even the prestigious Paris SG club, a symbol of urban style, partnered with Jordan Brand and created co-branded uniforms and sneakers that are highly sought-after by collectors. In short, football nostalgia is everywhere: from American rappers wearing AC Milan jerseys in music videos to the Paris runways where top models effortlessly sported football suits and shoes. As Umbro's Helene Hope observes, "periods of sobriety are followed by periods of exuberance," and that's exactly what's happened: recent fashion is experiencing a return to 90s styles, and consumers have rediscovered the vintage football brands that dominated that decade. .
From “bloke-core” to global fashion
Thus we arrive in the 2020s, where football streetwear is no longer a niche phenomenon but has fully integrated into the mainstream. On TikTok and Instagram, the so-called "bloke-core" trend is taking over, celebrating the aesthetic of the '90s fan: a vintage jersey (preferably in bold colors and prominent sponsors), shorts or denim jeans, and a pair of Adidas Samba shoes—indoor soccer shoes that have become a hipster must-have. There is no longer any “red card” for showing off a football shirt away from the stadium: celebrities such as Bella Hadid and Kim Kardashian have been photographed in glamorous outfits complete with vintage football jerseys. , definitively making these garments acceptable to high society. At the same time, major sports brands continue to ride the wave: Umbro releases new celebratory collections that faithfully reproduce their glorious '90s designs, bringing to mind those bright colors, psychedelic patterns, and elegant collars of an unforgettable era. Adidas, for its part, is no exception: after the Icons collection, it presented a series of special jerseys for clubs and national teams that reinterpret the '90s with a modern twist, perfect for both the fans and everyday street style. Even Italian brands once associated with stadium chants, like Lotto and Diadora , are enjoying small revivals: their vintage sweatshirts, tracksuits, and sneakers are making a comeback, sought after by young people who want to stand out with an old-school touch. In short, the circle has come full circle: pieces that once would only have been found in our father's closet are now proudly displayed in the windows of the trendiest streetwear boutiques. Fashion continually looks to sport for inspiration, and football—with its team colors, symbols, and epic stories—offers a rich imagery from which to draw.
The evolution of football streetwear from the 1990s to today tells a story of ebbs and flows. From the stands of stadiums—where once a certain brand of jacket or shoe was enough to declare your allegiance—we've moved on to runways and everyday wardrobes around the world. What was once the aesthetic code of a subculture (dressing well to go to the stadium and stand out from the crowd) has become mainstream, without losing its rebellious and authentic charm. Indeed, today that sartorial passion for football is experiencing a resurgence: nostalgic fans can finally wear faithful replicas of the jerseys they grew up wearing, while younger generations are discovering an original stylistic heritage and making it their own in a new way. Football-themed streetwear has achieved an almost magical feat: uniting different generations under the same colors and fabrics , from the "old-school" fan with his collection of historic jerseys to the twenty-something sneakerhead who pairs a vintage jersey with a streetwear outfit. And, like a 90th-minute goal, this phenomenon gives us collective jubilation: fashion and football are finally playing on the same team.