The "blokecore look," in which sports uniforms are worn as everyday clothing, has established itself as a trend, prompting fashion companies to roll out products aimed at sports fans one after another. Through collaborations with sports clubs, they are unveiling limited-edition items and targeting both fandom and fashion demand at the same time.
According to Musinsa on the 28th, searches for "blokecore" from the 1st to the 23rd of this month rose 40% compared with three months earlier. Over the same period, searches for "blokecore short-sleeve" also increased 98%.
Blokecore is a coined term combining "bloke," a British slang word for "man" or "guy," and "normcore," which refers to a simple and natural style. Initially it referred to the fashion style of British football fans or clothing inspired by their everyday wear, but the meaning later expanded to a fashion trend of combining sports uniforms with everyday clothing as fashion items, or wearing them comfortably like everyday clothes.
The sports field where the fashion industry collaborates most actively is baseball, which has seen a sharp rise in female fans in recent years. W Concept on the 24th of this month launched a collaboration collection of seven items with sportswear brand Minassou and the SSG Landers, drawing enough popularity that some items sold out within a day. "At the offline sales held on the 25th at Incheon SSG Landers Field, stock also sold out quickly, and the on-site customer response was enthusiastic," a W Concept official said. "Having confirmed the demand for fashion apparel among sports fans, we plan to continue distinctive collaboration projects combining sports and fashion going forward."
Matin Kim unveiled six clothing items and five accessories in collaboration with the LG Twins. Dugout jackets and short-sleeve T-shirts, which interpret keywords symbolizing the LG Twins such as Jamsil Stadium and Seoul through Matin Kim's signature doodle calligraphy, are popular.
Setter also unveiled a collaboration product with the LG Twins this year, following the Hanwha Eagles last year. JanSport also joined the ranks of sports collaborations on the same day, unveiling a backpack, keyring and pouch created in partnership with the LG Twins. Adidas launched a collaboration collection with the Doosan Bears.
Cases of collaboration with soccer are also emerging. SPAO unveiled a collaboration collection with professional soccer club Ulsan HD, and Crocs targeted soccer fans by releasing Jibbitz charms themed around cheering for Korean football.
"Beyond watching games, a growing number of people enjoy cheering outfits and related products as a form of fashion," an industry official said. "As demand for more distinctive uniforms and the like grows, products aimed at these consumers are getting a good response."
