Blokecore: The men’s fashion trend throwing it back to Britpop’s heyday
Blokecore is essentially ‘dress like you’re a football thug from 1997’, but call it fashion.
The term BLOKE doesn’t have an exact definition, but it conjures images of a “man’s man”; the type who loves football, spends his time at the pub, and oozes testosterone.
Whilst blokey behaviour has been associated with misogyny and hooliganism, over the years a new generation of fashion-forward males are endeavouring to bring the aesthetic back to the fore.
Blokecore is a style that’s become popular recently with Gen Z and Millennial TikTokers, mirroring the womenswear trend cycle with a distinctive 90s/00s feel.
The aesthetic is set to be big this year, with inspiration coming from Britpop icons like Damon Albarn and Noel Gallagher, as well as middle-aged geezers who haven’t changed their style since before Gazza.
To get a feel for what blokecore is all about, think back to a time when wearing a Union Jack was a nod to The Spice Girls rather than Brexit.
Baddiel and Skinner’s Three Lions is on near-constant repeat on the radio, while the TV guide is packed with sitcoms like Men Behaving Badly. You don’t have a mobile phone, so you put on your best replica football top and head to your local in the hope your mates are there.
Blokecore is non-craft lager, t-shirts and well-worn jeans, Adidas Samba trainers, Calvin Klein cologne, and mugs of sugary builder’s tea with The Jam on in the background. It’s a simple aesthetic, with comfort and wearability at its heart.
Brands to look out for to work the trend include Pretty Green and Fred Perry, and sportswear labels like Adidas and Nike are always great for staples.
Try charity shops and vintage retailers, too. As a general rule, if you can imagine it being worn by Gav Shipman in Gavin and Stacey, it’s blokecore.
Lad culture dressing embraces ‘working class masculinity in a tongue-in-cheek way’ while pushing back against the ‘increasing gender fluidity of modern menswear’.
In a world where soccer and fashion are becoming gentrified at an equal pace, that’s something we can get behind.
