80s Casuals Clothing
Famously sported by Danny Dyer in The Business, the 80s Casuals look is youthful, clean and effortlessly sporty. At Atom Retro you can shop the iconic 80s Casuals style, featuring branded track tops, logo T-shirts, bucket hats and sporty polo shirts. We stock all the men’s sportswear brands synonymous with Casuals fashion, including Fila, Ellesse and Sergio Tacchini, alongside standout contemporary labels that channel the unmistakable spirit of the 1980s.
What Is 80s Casuals Culture?
The 80s Casuals subculture emerged from the British football and music scenes of the early 1980s, rooted in working-class cities such as Manchester and Liverpool. Football supporters began adopting premium European sportswear brands they discovered while travelling to away matches across the continent, particularly in Italy. These fans—soon known as ‘Casuals’—took pride in dressing sharper than the average supporter, favouring tracksuits, Lois jeans, cagoules and pristine trainers.
The decade also marked the golden era of tennis superstars. Icons such as John McEnroe and Björn Borg wore polo shirts and shorts supplied by their sponsors, Italian sportswear brands Sergio Tacchini and Fila. These labels, along with other Italian imports, became firmly embedded in Casuals fashion, with bold, recognisable logos worn as badges of pride.
The Casuals scene soon became intertwined with the rise of ‘Cool Britannia’. Britpop and house music fans embraced track jackets, trainers and Fred Perry polo shirts worn by the likes of Liam Gallagher, Damon Albarn and the Happy Mondays. By the late 80s, the Madchester movement had helped propel this unapologetically laddish menswear style from the football terraces into pubs, clubs and raves.
Director Nick Love played a major role in reviving interest in 80s Casuals fashion with his 2005 film The Business, starring Danny Dyer in Sergio Tacchini. This was followed in 2009 by The Firm, a remake of the 1989 hooliganism classic, which sparked a renewed surge in popularity for Tacchini track tops and other Casuals staples from brands such as Ellesse and Fila.
Today, the 80s Casuals aesthetic enjoys widespread appeal. Its revival has seen the look transition seamlessly from the terraces into modern streetwear. Contemporary brands such as Weekend Offender and Luke 1977 have reinterpreted the classic Casuals style with a modern edge, while staying true to its football-driven roots. Explore our 80s Casuals Collection below for our handpicked selection of the latest retro sportswear. At Atom Retro, you can shop authentic 80s Casuals clothing with worldwide shipping.
