Football shirts used to be a) the clothing that players wore while at work, and b) the clothing that fans wore while enjoying the sport in the stands, in solidarity with the players on the pitch.
Now, as sudden as it may seem to the uninitiated, they have become the uniform of British music festivals and a source of inspiration for major fashion houses.
The 2010s saw several events that signalled that football shirts were becoming mainstream.
For example, Canadian musician Drake caused an internet frenzy among fans when he wore Italian powerhouse Juventus' pink away jersey in the 2015-16 season, and things changed again two years later when Nigeria unveiled their kit for the 2018 World Cup finals.
“There had been a number of years of blank kits since 2016,” says Phil Derbez, kit collector, designer and influencer. “A lot of people have rightly referred to the 2018 Nigeria kit and the interest that surrounded it. The design itself isn't the most unusual design we've ever seen, but I think the moment the kit was unveiled and the fact that it was tied to a major tournament really created a lot of hype around it all.”
Pink Juventus
2015 – The latest edition of Juventus' pink uniform was launched in 2015. Not only was it made famous by big names such as Pogba on the pitch, but it also reached a wider audience thanks to rapper Drake.
Hopefully we'll see some more great pink kits soon! pic.twitter.com/BGoucrstPM
— Classic Football Shirts (@classicshirts) August 2, 2018
Before Nigeria took to the pitch in Russia, their uniform stood out in a way of its own. Designed by American artist Matthew Wolf to celebrate the African nation's performance on their debut on the world stage, reaching the knockout stages of the 1994 World Cup, the jersey featured a green and white body and black and white triangular sleeves.
The bold and vibrant design for 2018 expressed the country’s history and an emerging ‘Naija’ culture at its heart, embodied by a new generation of exciting players and a growing arts sector, with a hopeful outlook for the country’s future.
Since the uniform was unveiled, it has been worn by some of the world's most famous music artists, including Nigerian singer Wizkid, who Bukayo Saka borrowed the nickname “Starboy” from, and rapper Skepta, who was born and raised in London to Nigerian parents.
A key moment in the scene was Nigeria's 2018 World Cup kit (Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images)
At the same time, England were enjoying their most successful international campaign since reaching the semi-finals of the 1996 European Championships, and dedicated and casual fans alike were snapping up retro kits to wear while attending matches.
Shortly after the 2018 World Cup, back-to-back French champions Paris Saint-Germain announced a collaboration with Nike's Jordan Brand worth around €200 million (£168 million, $223 million at current exchange rates). The deal produced striking black-and-white uniforms that garnered worldwide attention as global soccer superstars such as Neymar and recent World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe played for PSG in the Champions League wearing the logo linked to American basketball legend Michael Jordan.
It wasn't the first time PSG had taken inspiration from the rest of the fashion world – their Louis Vuitton-inspired away kit from the 2006-07 season was the first of its kind – but it marked a time when a once-niche fashion and football collaboration had gone mainstream.
Paris Saint-Germain's 2006-07 Louis Vuitton-inspired away uniform (Pascal Pavani/AFP via Getty Images)
“For us, the summer of 2018 was a real turning point,” says Doug Bierton, CEO and co-founder of Classic Football Shirts. “We opened our first retail store in London and got to see the excitement and enthusiasm first-hand.”
Classic Football Shirts was born in 2006 when Biatton and co-founder Matt Dale went on the hunt for a Germany 1990 World Cup jersey for a costume party. After buying a shirt on eBay, as well as an England shirt with Paul Gascoigne's name printed on the back, the pair noticed a dearth of authentic retro jerseys available online.
Bierton and Dale started a business buying and selling soccer jerseys, reinvesting profits in new stock. Less than 20 years later, Classic Football Shirts has more than 1.3 million Instagram followers, stores in major cities in the UK and the US, and expects revenues of more than $50 million by 2024.
The company announced several more strategic investors this month after receiving a $38.5 million (£29 million) injection from investment firm Chernin Group in May. New investors include actor and Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney, recently retired US women's national team legend Alex Morgan and global sports and entertainment agency Wasserman.
Bilton is better than anyone to explain how the business has evolved from a relatively niche collector's industry into one of the most prominent subcultures in football and fashion.
A model wearing a football shirt at the 2018 Paris Fashion Week (Christian Vierig/Getty Images)
“It was more underground back then,” Bierton says. “Football shirts only started to be mass-produced after the 1994 World Cup and the arrival of the Premier League, so when we started the company in 2006, there was only a limited scope for looking back. When we started, shirts from the 1980s were more fashionable – indie-style, skinny Adidas Trefoil types and the like.
“People weren't buying shirts from the 1990s from a fashion perspective, because loose-fitting shirts were not in style. It was more like, 'I want a David Beckham shirt because I'm interested in shirt collecting and football in general'. But as the years go by, kids grow up. People get nostalgic for a different era.”
Still, passionate football fans are only one part of the industry.
Over the years, luxury fashion brands such as Giorgio Armani, Dior, Stella McCartney, Yohji Yamamoto and Balenciaga have partnered with soccer teams to design special uniforms. Celebrities with no obvious ties to the sport have also jumped on the craze, including pop stars Rihanna and Sabrina Carpenter, who wore an England shirt over a Versace dress at the Capital Summertime Ball festival in Britain during the recent Euros.
With the rise of “Blokecore”, an internet trend made popular on TikTok in which people of all ages and genders wear retro football shirts as casual attire, there are now no restrictions on who can wear these kits and where.
“We did a series of pop-up stores in the US last fall and the turnout was incredible,” Bierton says. “We had lines that stretched across the block in LA, New York and Miami.
“The diversity of clothing people were wearing was incredible – a mix of die-hard fans who love football and wanted a shirt that showed their knowledge and passion, and people who just think it's so cool to wear a football shirt. One person asked a customer why he was wearing an old Sheffield Wednesday shirt and the customer replied: 'I don't even know what Sheffield Wednesday is!'”
Some old football shirts are more valuable than others (Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)
As the industry has grown, the chances of popping into a charity shop and finding a rare shirt with a unique design have diminished significantly.
People are much more aware of the price of second-hand soccer shirts, and resellers and large third-party retailers are increasing prices to reflect the demand. Authentic, high-quality shirts in adult sizes, such as the Netherlands' Euro 1988 winning jersey, can sell for more than 1,000 pounds ($1,300). An authentic US men's national team “denim” pattern shirt worn by the host nation at the 1994 World Cup often sells for more than 500 pounds.
Combined with the rising cost of modern uniforms – around £60-80 for “replica” versions produced for Premier League clubs, and upwards of triple-figure prices for player-issued versions – sales of counterfeit goods are also on the rise. According to Corsearch, a global leader in trademark and brand protection, the online market for counterfeit football jerseys from Premier League clubs has risen to £180 million per year.
“We've seen an increase in counterfeiting over the last couple of years,” says Jack McAndrew, owner of online independent vintage retailer Sound Trout. “This is driven by social media and influencers wearing football jerseys, some of which they may not realise are fake, which indirectly creates demand and opportunity.”
“We've seen a lot of fakes, even from reputable sellers, but because the demand for the shirts is high and the quality is good, people get fooled. What's interesting is that the factories that make fakes don't just make cool, coveted pieces, like the 2004-05 Atletico Madrid home shirt with its Spider-Man kit sponsor, but also random generic ones.
“I have to be a lot more careful now. Even if the shirt is from the 1990s and in mint condition, nine times out of 10 it's too good to be true.”
An authentic USMNT “denim” shirt worn at the 1994 World Cup would normally fetch more than £500 (Ben Radford/Getty Images)
For independent shop owners like McAndrew, the growing market for counterfeit goods means they have to be extra careful when buying shirts from online sellers or inspecting them in person at cartload sales.
A sizeable operation with over 160 employees, Classic Football Shirts has staff dedicated to sifting through counterfeits and sourcing authentic retro classics from all over the world.
“We have a rigorous authentication process,” Bierton says, “which involves looking at the label and product code and comparing it to the shirts we have in stock. We used to use a thick manual but it's now computer-based, and we have a team of around 20 people working on the process. It's become even more difficult, especially with the high quality of counterfeit goods being produced today, but after working here for a few months you can usually tell the difference.”
“More than half of our classic shirts are still sold through our website, but we have some really amazing people in the company who are basically hunters who go out and find the shirts. They travel all over the world, make connections and find old shirts.”
As the trend has become more widespread, it has become a more international industry, and while there have long been collectors around the world (Classic Football Shirts sold its first jerseys to Liverpool fans in Norway and has attracted “hardcore” kit enthusiasts in Korea since its inception), subcultures have developed that reflect particular interests within the population.
“A lot of fans, especially in the U.S., are attracted to the 'hero print,'” Bierton says. “The players are as important as the teams. I think my U.S. customers have the same idea of Italian football in the 1990s as I do. I don't necessarily root for any team, but I like the idea.”
“They'll be wearing Parma shirts, Sampdoria shirts, (Gabriel) Batistuta shirts, (Francesco) Totti shirts, (Roberto) Baggio shirts. For a lot of fans in the US, that's the Premier League. They might like Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney or Sergio Aguero. In Asia, they're more interested in the technical side and tend to prefer player-issued shirts.”
The 1990s remains a golden era for long-time shirt collectors and those who are now obsessed with trendy shirts, with Manchester United and England shirts with Beckham's name printed on the back being some of the most popular classic football shirts, competing with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi shirts.
With the introduction of “Icon” cards in the Ultimate Team mode of the EAFC video game, legendary players from that time such as Zinedine Zidane and the original Brazilian Ronaldo have retained their presence with younger generations, and their kits remain some of the most popular to this day.
Football in 1997 – when players' shirts were noticeably looser (Alex Livesey/Allsport)
“The '90s was the height of it,” Bierton says. “There was a lot more freedom of expression in the uniforms. They were bolder and more relaxed. They didn't have 'Fly Emirates' on the front of the shirts. It had a pre-commercialised feel. There's still something pure about these shirts.”
“There's something about the 1990s and early 2000s that really captures the imagination of younger generations.”
Going deeper
1989 Liverpool uniform and Beckham pants: Why US investor bet £30m on retro football shirt
(Top photo: Getty Images, design: Dan Goldfarb)
