Terrace style is less about what you wear to the match and more about who you are. Every city, every crew, every nation has a different identity of its own. And with kits changing every season, some styles are made to last.
Here are our top 5 of the most iconic football hooligan styles by nation—the fashion that encapsulated the terraces.
5. Netherlands – Tactical and Trim
At fifth is the subtle yet extremely functional Dutch style. It’s there in Rotterdam SCF Hooligans or Ajax’s less pretentious firms. Less designer logos, more going unnoticed in a city backdrop like a terrace ninja.
Essential Equipment: Technical windbreakers (Nike ACG, The North Face), Helly Hansen jackets, cargo trousers, beanie caps, and wall-ready shoes — Clarks Wallabees or battered Adidas runners.
Atmosphere: Gorpcore turns gutter. It’s shiny, it’s muted, and it can cut it on the patio as well as it can stay under the radar in a back alley.
Influence: Dutch hooligans played a significant role in setting the stage for the tech wear phenomenon. Long before Arc’teryx was trendy in Shoreditch, these lads were re-appropriating mountaineering gear to avoid attention.
4. Argentina – Maximalist Mayhem
At number four are Argentina’s barras bravas, where fashion is maximalist, layered, and utterly unapologetic. Unlike the European tendency towards understated attire, South American fan fashion is worn like a badge, literally.
Key Style: Oversized club tops (preferably 90s), retro tracksuits in Nike or Adidas, tattoos, and bandanas. Shoes? Often Nike Cortez or something as brazen.
The Attitude: Ultras collide with street fighters. It’s all noise and energy. Every colour clash has something to say.
Inspiration: Football is religion in Buenos Aires. Terrace style reflects that intensity — kits are not just worn but lived.
3. Russia – Militant and Merciless
Russian hooligans are notoriously hyper-organised, and their fashion trends prove it. Less style than substance, it’s designed for mobility, for intimidation, and the sporadic bare-knuckle fight.
Must-Have Apparel: Socks pulled up into track pants, balaclavas, bomber jackets, fingerless gloves, plain black hoodies. Footwear gravitates towards heavyweight fare — Nike Shox or Air Max.
The Vibe: Cold, clean, intimidating. No glamour, all bruteness.
Influence: Russia’s terrace look isn’t sold to you in the store — it’s consciously frayed. A uniform of rebellion, discipline, and danger.
2. Italy – Ultras with Attitude
Next up is Italy — where the terrace is as much catwalk as procession. Italian ultras are politicized, passionate, and fiercely loyal to their local brands. They have long dressed up with an attitude.
Essential Gear: Napapijri jackets, facial scarves, shades, old-school Lotto and Diadora gear, graffiti-blasted flags worn as sashes. Footwear? Nike TNs or Air Max 97s.
The Vibe: Stylish dissent. Imagine parolee catwalk model.
Influence: Italian ultras established what we now term as ultra culture. The fashion is part of the lingo — calculated but dramatic, and always adorned with home town pride.
1. England – The Casual King
At number one — no surprise there — is England. The cradle of terrace style in all its contemporary pomp. From the rain-lashed Anfield steps to the concrete curves of the Den, English casual style created a generation and endured the clichés.
Must-Have Equipment: Stone Island, CP Company, Lacoste polo shirts, Adidas Gazelles or Spezial boots, and a well-worn bucket hat. Brownie points for the vintage Fila trackie.
The Vibe: Controlled anarchy. The neatest fits for the grimiest matches.
Influence: The hip-hop scene did everything. Not only in football, but in broader menswear culture. It spilled over into music, art, and even high-end fashion — ask Supreme or Palace who they’re influencing.
Final Score
From Dutch techwear strategists to Italian anarchists wearing Prada parkas, hooligan style is not just visual — it’s a dialect. One of devotion, battle, identity, and memory. Whether you’re sitting front row at the San Siro or shivering in the away end at Hartlepool, what you’re wearing still speaks as loudly as how your team plays.
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