A brief insight into bloke core, where it came from and how to dress appropriately. This article dives into the weekly trend highlighted by the FLUF forecast.
Source: see more on the FLUF instagram
What is Bloke Core?
Let’s start off by defining bloke core. To those who live in the UK it may seem like some practical joke that the American Gen Z are copying their dads weekend football supporter outfits, but the trend has taken Tik Tok by storm (currently over 7 million views on #blokecore).
So what are the key characteristics that define bloke core? It comes down to three main categories – vintage football jerseys, dad jeans and retro shoes (preferably Adidas Sambas).
Where did it come from?
Aside from the obvious ‘Cool Britannia’ and ‘Indie Sleaze’ influence, the origin is unclear. Trends like these are are often aesthetics based on a subculture, but not the subculture itself. People seem to get very angry about people claiming to be part of a subculture when really they’re just drawing inspiration from the subculture to create some form of expressive fashion.
The term ‘core’ is used to define the people who want to look like they are part of a subculture without actually belonging to it.
Our research shows paralleled themes from recent works by Aimé Leon Dore, Wales Bonner x Adidas and Gucci x Adidas. This has been amplified through Tik Tok, spreading to the popular trend it has become today.
How to dress appropriately
The first thing is that you can’t just go into a store and purchase the bloke core trend. Embedded at it’s core is the nostalgic feeling, which can only really come from sourcing vintage and second hand items that carry an element of character and soul. All you need is a few staple pieces:
- Bucket Hat
- Football Scarf
- Tracksuit Jacket
- Football Jersey
- Dad jeans
- Adidas Sambas
Now go forth and find your inner football hooligan (or bloke).