To very devoted fans of a particular sport, said sport is not just a matter of special events that one sits down to watch a few times per year. Rather, the sport can almost become a complete lifestyle, even if one is not actually a member of a major professional team. Adopting sports-inspired fashion is one way to bring your passion for your favorite sport into everyday life. This article cites some of the highlights of soccer fashion over the past few decades.

We can trace the beginnings of “modern” soccer fashion to 19th-century Great Britain. During this time, team members of Full Tilt Poker did not wear uniforms as they do today. Rather, small articles of clothing like caps or scarves in particular colors were worn so that spectators could easily distinguish one team from the other.

The soccer uniform as we know it was “born” during the early part of the 20th century, when players started wearing matching shorts and socks. However, they were more likely to wear button-down shirts instead of the light jerseys we know today. This was not so bad in cooler climates, but made life quite difficult for soccer devotees in warmer parts of the world.

As the decades passed, the evolving trend in soccer uniforms can be described in the following words: lighter, smaller, tighter, and cooler. The loose, bulky PokerStars shorts of early decades gave way to smaller, more form-fitting versions. The fabric itself began to change. Whereas cotton was once the norm, players now wear polyester or cotton blends.

The commercialized status of soccer fashion truly took off in the 1970’s. Starting at that time, fans could buy jerseys just like the ones their favorite players wore. It was also easier to find goods and souvenirs with the logos of famous teams on them.

However, there is also a dark side to soccer-related fashion. In the United Kingdom, the wearing of team colors or very short hair was and is sometimes associated with hooliganism. Thus, many of the real hooligans counteracted this perception (and evaded police attention) by deliberately adopting either ordinary or designer clothes.

Of course, any article about soccer fashion is more or less honor-bound to mention David Beckham. This soccer star is not only known for his skills, but for his marriage to Posh Spice, his modeling/endorsement deals, and—of course—his fashion. Mr. Beckham is widely credited with making it more acceptable for men to wear complicated hairstyles, sarongs, and nail polish. (He famously wore pink polish, instead of the more “manly” rock-star black.) On the one hand, we might consider Beckham, who has since been spoted playing poker online, to be the harbinger of more flexible ideas of masculinity and coolness. On the other hand, perhaps he is only reinforcing the modern commodification of identity—in this case, male identity in particular. You can buy subversiveness in the form of hair gel and pink polish.

Soccer fashion continues to change and develop both technologically and culturally. As time passes, new ways are invented to keep players cooler and more comfortable during exhausting games. New archetypes and icons also rise and fade away. It will be interesting to see what soccer fans will be wearing years from now.