On the ball: how Irish football jerseys became fashion statements

If you can think of it, there's a market for collecting it. Sneakerheads spend thousands on limited edition shoes that will never be laced up, Lego collectors find rare sets to keep in original packaging, your old iPod could be worth hundreds if you keep it in good nick.

But one item that’s transcended the collector’s sphere and into daily fashion is the football jersey. It’s no longer just for match days and gym classes; you don’t even necessarily need to support the club. All you need for instant street cred is the right team and the right era to represent.

Streetwear is slowly but surely rising the ranks in Ireland as one of the top trends for lads looking to impress their mates and dates. The style itself isn’t new; it’s nearly retro by design. Look at the cost of any old football jersey in your favourite vintage shop and you’ll see just how high the demand is for a 90s United jersey. But where did this demand come from? It isn’t from reminiscing of the old style we used to wear in the early 2000s. No one is clamouring for Carbrini tracksuits to return.

17-year-old Japanese student Ryoki on the street in Harajuku wearing am Umbro jersey with Balenciaga cropped pants, Ralph Lauren loafers, and Comme Des Garcons accessories #原宿 https://t.co/GNBri0pQbo pic.twitter.com/a9RukU0sbo

— Tokyo Fashion (@TokyoFashion) August 10, 2018

My personal theory is that Ireland’s obsession with vintage jerseys is thanks to one unsuspecting teenager - Ryoki Watanabe, a Japanese model who went viral in 2018 after being snapped in a 2002 Ireland jersey for Tokyo Fashion. Looking at the Ralph Laurens and the cropped trousers, you can’t deny that you’ve seen fellas rocking this fit in the Workman’s smoking area since then. Jersey collecting was huge overseas before; English website Classic Football Shirts boasts thousands of pieces of memorabilia from across the globe, some pieces reaching up to the thousands. But right before the pandemic, we managed to cop on to the craze.

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You can see the impact in pubs and clubs all across the country. All it takes is one look at the Football Kit Archive and you’ll have seen nearly every Bohemians jersey since 2020 being worn by hipsters and hardcores alike. Irish brands have popped up to take advantage of the streetwear craze, with the Pellador jumper being arguably the must-own fashion item of 2023.

One item that's transcended the collector’s sphere and into daily fashion is the football jersey.

New brands are starting to feel the pull of the pitch, with emerging Donegal-based streetwear merchants XIV preparing to launch their new kit. Dublin art-ivist Spice Bag has launched numerous GAA inspired jerseys based on the iconic Meanies packaging, and to raise money for the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. Irish hip-hop is embracing the shift in culture too, with rapper Ahmed, With Love releasing his own full kit for fans to own and wear to shows.

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Like a print-on logo on a bootleg Italia 90 jersey, it remains to see whether the fad will go away or stick around. The hobby is getting more and more expensive with every passing year, and the shirt could go back to its natural habitat; at the bottom of a gym bag after a PE class.

Until then, I’m going to go back to my own natural habitat; scouring Depop for a 1998 Fiorentina jersey with the Nintendo sponsorship. You wouldn’t happen to know anyone who was in Florence before the turn of the century, do you?