Have you noticed in the past few months, there have been a lot more soccer lifestyle clothing offerings? I know I have! And that’s because of soccer apparel, such as the one All Time Soccer (ATS) creates. ATS bridges the gap between hardcore soccer fans and casual soccer fans, between official jerseys and cheap knock-offs.
Long gone are the days where you can only be a real fan if you have a team jersey. Back in the day, fans were forced to either purchase a costly official jersey or buy a knock-off from southeast Asia to show their true fandom. But are they really true fans if they are stealing from their own club? Probably not.
One reason I love soccer so much is because it’s accessible to everyone. Soccer is a global sport and that is because everyone can take part even if it’s just by kicking stones on the ground. In the same way, ATS wants everyone to enjoy being a fan, even if it’s only for one crucial game a year. For them, it shouldn’t matter if you watch one game all year or you watch all previews, matches, and game recaps. If you want to show your team pride, you shouldn’t have to buy a costly jersey to do so. Take, for example, the Messi shirt or the YWNA Hat. These are items that both a casual or a die-hard fan could wear on any given day. This is how soccer lifestyle brands bridge the gap between casual and die-hard fans because they create something that caters to both! Casual fans love it because of its affordability and die-hard fans love it because even in the most mundane of days, they can still show their team pride.
In addition, soccer lifestyle brands will see a huge surge in popularity because of its accessibility. When I started All Time Soccer, I just did it because my jerseys were getting worn out because of multiple uses and washes. It’s just what happens to clothes. I wanted an alternative that had three important components: affordability, fandom, and the ability to wear and wash many times without getting worried about it wearing out. Hence, I had someone create a design of Messi for me and I went ahead and stamped it on a shirt. This was only for me, but then I thought there must be a ton of people out there who like me, love their jerseys but they still want to show team pride every day. Because of accessibility, soccer lifestyle apparel is so attractive. It kicks the knock-offs off the curb!
This is a reason why myself and so many others like me, are creating our own path into what
it means to be a fan of a sports club. Some will do it with basketball, others with baseball but I will continue with soccer because I love it, even if there are greener grasses somewhere else, (looking at you NFL). You will see in the coming months more and more sports lifestyle brands pop up to steal the show. Mark my words.
~And if it doesn’t happen, let me know too, I am okay with being proven wrong~
So there you have it, some reasons soccer lifestyle apparel is here to stay. Let me know what you think. Do you agree or do you disagree? What are some of your favorite soccer lifestyle brands?
-Carlos V.