Blokecore: How A Trend Is Now A Staple In Fashion

Words by Plamedi

Seen worn by the likes of Kim Kardashian, Hector Bellerin, and Bella Hadid, the football-inspired BlokeCore trend has established itself as one of the looks of the summer.

BlokeCore started off as a TikTok trend that was laced with irony, however, quite unironically the style has taken over the London, New York, and Paris streetwear scenes. What makes the style so effective is simply how easy it is to pull off and source the garments. Just take a retro football shirt and pair them with some Levi’s 505s/jorts and the usual shoe of preference is the Adidas Sambas.

The trend heavily takes inspiration from the British Hooligan culture of the 1970s and has slowly been pushed further and further into the view of anyone remotely interested in fashion and streetwear. The style also allows people to integrate their love of the sport into their outfits.

One at the forefront of the movement is New York-based TikToker and Tottenham Hotspur fan, Nick Ramos who said: “It’s just another chance for me to mix my love for fashion with my love for my soccer team.”

The term “BlokeCore” was first coined by American TikToker Brandon Huntley in 2021, and this brought the style across the pond. The style’s newly acquired name has sparked discourse among Brits, as they argue that the style isn’t new at all. Clint419, founder of Corteiz, shared his thoughts on the conversation on Twitter, stating, “A man said BlokeCore,” which garnered similar comments from other Twitter users. One user commented, “Nothing boils my blood more than when I see someone say BlokeCore.”

What makes this surge in popularity different lies in who the shirts are being worn by. If you walk into any British pub, take a seat, order yourself a pint, and look across the bar to see who is around, you will undoubtedly find a group of lads over the age of 35 wearing BlokeCore. But if you tell them their style has been appropriated by major fashion houses, Balenciaga, Prada, and Gucci they will most likely be completely dumbfounded.

The style has reached a new audience making it no surprise that large brands are deciding to chime in on the trend whilst sales are still soaring. For example, DramaCall x Manchester United, Balenciaga x Adidas and Palace x Gucci. These high-profile collabs have taken the football shirt away from its working-class roots and onto Gen-Z Pinterest boards.

With all this in mind, it’s important not to forget that the TikTok fashion trend cycle can be ruthless. Only time will tell if we’ll still be seeing AC Milan and Brazil jerseys being worn next summer. However, like many trends, there’s no need to take things too seriously, as many are currently enjoying bringing their football shirts out to play. A promising sign for the BlokeCore movement is that when a style becomes permanent, it often embraces new variations. This can be seen in the rise of the Blokette style, which creatively blends BlokeCore with the Coquette style.