Fashion and Football: When Worlds Begin to Merge

Team jerseys are becoming increasingly fashionable: Block Core is just one example of how these two sectors are collaborating more and more frequently. Crossovers between fashion and football are becoming more common and are increasingly winning over fans and enthusiasts. The connection between the fashion industry and the world’s most popular sport has become more apparent with each passing year. The common denominator here is club jerseys, as well as hoodies and pre-match kits. It has become quite common to see both young and older individuals sporting their team’s jerseys or, more generally, wearing clothing that reflects their football preferences.

This is where the discussion becomes particularly interesting. Clubs and technical sponsors are increasingly dedicated to creating jerseys and garments that not only serve as technical gear for players in official matches but are also appreciated as clothing items beyond the world of football. The aim is to become popular, reaching a broader market beyond their fan base.

A prominent example of this comes from Venice, which has been working successfully in this regard for years.

Since the days of Nike but especially since Kappa’s arrival in the city, the orange- green club has realized the appeal of its social colors and the market potential of well-crafted products. The orange and green team has started producing jerseys with increasingly refined designs, achieving a remarkable prominence despite currently playing in Serie B. Even the relegation to the second division in 2021 did not diminish the success of the Venetians’ jerseys, which are not only sold to Venice fans but are also appreciated in Italy and Europe to the extent that stocks are often quickly depleted.
But fashion models, influencers, and models are also getting involved in the world of football in this way. Just a few days ago, Chiara Ferragni wore a Borussia Dortmund jersey on Instagram, generating great curiosity.

This is not an isolated phenomenon, as mentioned earlier, but a logical consequence of years of marketing efforts by clubs and sports equipment manufacturers.

The trend in question has been dubbed “Bloke Core” by younger individuals, which involves incorporating a football jersey into one’s look, along with bootcut jeans and athletic shoes. Well-known figures, often women, have followed this trend in the past, with Chiara Ferragni herself seen wearing the national team jersey and Emily Ratajkowski sporting Napoli’s jersey.

Clubs want to establish them more and more as clothing items that go beyond sports, resulting in increased brand visibility. It’s no longer just about “just” football; it’s about designing clothing suitable for both players and young men and women who decide to go for a stroll in the city center. The difference is substantial and is reflected in the, arguably excessive, increase in the cost of purchasing these jerseys: years ago, they were priced around 70-80 euros, whereas today the average is heading towards 100 euros per jersey, give or take a few euros.

This shift will become even stronger. If the market and jersey designs seem to be heading in a direction more closely tied to urban consumption than sports, it appears that this trend could amplify in the coming years and potentially reach even higher peaks. The role of companies is also changing: from being technical sponsors, they are evolving more and more into true brands. Nike, adidas, Puma, to name the three most important ones globally, set trends on the football field where Gucci and Prada cannot. The flip side, in some ways, is paradoxical because it is becoming less common to find someone who would decide to wear such an expensive item during amateur matches.
It can tear, get damaged, and lose the aura of perfection we would want it to retain indefinitely.

This meeting of different worlds is also the foundation of the Social Football Summit Manifesto, a dynamic and innovative ecosystem that enables networking and business creation. You can find all the information about our Manifesto on our website: https://www.socialfootballsummit.com/en/manifesto/ and for purchasing Summit tickets: https://www.socialfootballsummit.com/en/join/.