Football Borough's International How are football jerseys styled in communities in Japan, China, and South Korea?
In fashion world, there are few absolute truths—thanks to its ever-shifting nature, which resists clear-cut principles or deductive theories. What remains more consistent, however, are the constant paradigm shifts, shaped by social, demographic, and geographic contexts. Among these rare certainties is the widespread belief that when it comes to styling, street style, and design, Asia is always one step ahead of the rest of the world. «Trends hit Asia first,» «Asian street style is the cutting edge»—phrases you’d expect to hear in a conversation between two well-informed fashion enthusiasts, and ones that prove true season after season.
Yet there is one cultural product that seems to swim against the current, not from Asia outward, but from the West to the East. Football, born in the old continent, is one of the few arenas where style in China, Japan, or South Korea is shaped by Western traditions. Jerseys from Europe’s top five leagues—and beyond—have made their way into the wardrobes of fashion-forward crowds in Shanghai, Tokyo,and Seoul, inspiring outfits and reversing the usual flow we see during fashion weeks in Milan, Paris, or London.
Football holds a surprising inspirational power in countries where the sport has historically played a marginal role. Japan has been the exception in recent years, with its men’s and women’s teams performing impressively (reaching the Round of 16 and Quarterfinals in recent World Cup editions). The narrative strength of football, the rediscovery of archives, and the gradual erasure of the boundary between sport and fashion have allowed football design to enter the sophisticated artistic ecosystem of Asian street style. It’s a milestone many brands struggle to reach with their own collections. Inspiring such a codified visual language is no small feat, and football has achieved it thanks to its chameleon-like adaptability. The jersey transcends cultural boundaries while staying true to itself, regardless of its styling. Trends come and go, but football shirts remain totems of belonging: symbols around which communities gather and with which individuals identify. The team matters less; the jersey becomes a tool to explore the very idea of dressing for the street and living through the street.
A Liverpool jersey in front of Shanghai’s Pudong Stadium, a Japanese women’s national team shirt in the heart of Shibuya, and customized kits showcased in Seoul’s concept stores and art galleries. This is a journey through the very streets where street style was born, and where it continues to thrive in its purest form. Still driven by genuine, grassroots creativity. Still a mirror of the present. The football jersey is both medium and message, a shared language of creativity. Bon voyage.
By involving the communities of ANAR FC, SHUKYU, and NIVELCRACK, we produced several reports in major Asian capitals to closely and personally observe how street style is interpreted outside of Europe. The Football Borough's International content is featured in the latest print project by nss sports, Les Vêtements de Football – The Golden Age of Football Jerseys, available for purchase at this link.