A Label of Love x
By Jonny (Boy) Eyres - The Casual Fox x
Subcultures - Proud polestars, in a fiery firmament of unbridled passion.
An essential melting pot of dazzling diversity.
They authentically and effervescently, encompass everything in the refulgent identity stakes.
It's the proud badge of honour and legacy, heavily reflecting our personalities.
It's a staunchly profound candle, that shines irresistibly and permanently within and its pure, definitive scent never leaves you, day or night, because these cultural revolutions make us timelessly tick.
Teds.
Mods versus Rockers.
Yardies.
Skinheads.
Suedeheads.
Discothequers.
MC'ers/Hip-Hoppers/Graffitists Et Al.
Punks/Post-Punks.
Rudeboys/Rudegirls.
Soulboys/Soulgirls.
Perry Boys.
New-Romantics.
Goths.
Shoegazers.
Acid Housers/Ravers.
Brit-Poppers.
Casuals x
The Casual Scene - Loyalty, belonging, brotherhood/sisterhood, camaraderie, protection.
Rogue's tales, from men and women, alike.
A blistering Working Class catwalk, where turning out your smartest is the done deal, no matter what is going on in your life.
The thrilling ethos of dressing your best, and going out to meet up with those who are intrinsically on the exact same wavelength.
The majestic mantra is this - to look good is to feel good.
The music. The football. The fashion. The aftershaves. The perfumes. The books. The films. The art. The travel.
The drink. The narcotics. The jibbing (designer clothes rail thieving/train fare avoidance). The rucking (fighting).
Whether you are that way inclined, it always comes with the encapsulating/emulating territory.
It's primitive. It's tribal. It's a drug. It's in the blood. It's an obsession.
It's a religion. It's a way of life. Breathe. Eat. Drink. Sleep.
In mind, in heart, in body and in soul.
The transcendental way, in which it all speaks to you, giving you the ultimate release.
Habitually hooked on the buzz of how it all makes you feel, forever and a day.
Did the movement start in the North or the South?
Who had the biggest and best firms, in terms of the toughest, the numbers, the smartest?
The one-upmanship debate will linger on for many years to come.
There is a line for me, though.
Okay, so I'm no square.
Nor am I some angel.
However, I don't value targeting small numbers of any club; intense, vitriolic rivalry or otherwise, nor do I exclude others.
Be good but don't take anything lying down because elitist bullying can properly do one.
I'm cut from old school fabric.
It's all about manners and respect.
The casual cognoscente; the true connoisseurs of this world, know the score, on that front.
If you think that is weird and you don't believe in the basics, then you know where the door is.
This comes back to dressing. Be clean. Be smart.
But be confident in your own style and combinations; always aspiring to wear whatever takes your fancy.
Don't let anyone tell you any differently.
How do you know a lad or lass isn't clued up or doesn't know about/own a certain make, if one day they're not wearing it, in favour of other labels, just because you and your gathering, make snide judgements of him or her, as you arrogantly stand there, paying lip service to each other, sneering at him/her, in all your chosen gear?
Snobbery is beyond antiquated. That's never okay, on my watch.
Frankly, I find that attitude, heinously embarrassing.
A proper disgrace, when all's said and done.
That's just as bad as having a tear up, with say 40, on top of say 5. All in all, a complete coward's trick.
Why copy someone else, either?
I find that incredulously mindless.
Be influenced, yet unique, no matter what the brands are or what others might say.
In my eyes, that is vitally key.
It's how you visualise it, own it and wear it, that ultimately counts.
After all, fashion really does come full circle.
You don't have to be an expert, either but brand history is important to me because it gives the garments context and how the Casual Movement evolved and keeps evolving, in its own sweet essence.
I always give a nod to the old school classic raiments, whilst keeping a keen eye, on the mixture of the new.
That includes the cult underground pieces, waiting to be discovered and worn with true distinction.
This is a euphoric celebration; (A Label Of Love) of all my favourite clobber (clothing) labels, old and new, that I have ever been lucky enough to own/wear, over the years.
With this comes a brief history behind the labels (that makes them extra special) and how they became/have become to be synonymously famous, so that likeminded people can look like the dog's proverbials...
On the streets, in a greasy spoon, in a restaurant, in a pub, in a bar, in a nightclub, at a gig venue, at a festival, in a hotel, on holiday.
Home or abroad and the one, the only, the almighty terraces, with a nod, wink and a streetwise swagger, which says we are part of something special, individually and as a gang of brothers and sisters, and nobody can take our cool manner of life away from us or our pals.
Light the halcyon fuse and the heady nostalgia will ignite; burning brightly like a molten hot sun, whilst thoroughly indulging in present findings and looking forward to future releases. x
Casuals x
Every clobber label I've ever collected, old school/new school, in year order of release.
Even a prison phone card, I once found in a vintage shop, aptly near the Weekend Offender tags.
The tag I'm most fond of is One True Saxon because sadly, they don't issue, anymore.
3 from nostalgia -
Ben Sherman, Lacoste, Stone Island.
3, that sparked the love affair off, again -
Marshall Artist, Peaceful Hooligan, Hunter & Nelson.
3 current favourites - Old School F.C., Casual Gentleman and Terrace Cult.
Top 3 Sites - Casual Connoisseur, 80's Casual Classics, Terraces Menswear.