If you’ve been on TikTok or Instagram lately, you’ve probably seen “Blokecore” (even if you didn’t actively notice). It started with kids wearing vintage 90s football jerseys to the pub, but it has evolved into a massive obsession with vintage sportswear, and specifically the racing jacket.
The original “Bloke” (the British working-class football fan of the 80s and 90s) wore the jersey as a mark of tribalism. It was a uniform of belonging. But “Blokecore” is the opposite: they are using the jersey as a mark of Nostalgia. It’s a rejection of the hyper-polished Premier League aesthetic in favor of something gritty and “authentic.” What’s happening here is a Semiotical Shift. The jersey is no longer a garment; it’s Vintage and its value comes from its Patina, the sponsor logos, the fit, and the funky color palette.
So suddenly, everyone is wearing vintage Ferrari or Marlboro-era racing gear. But here’s the thing: most of these people don’t watch F1 or anything related to that. They don’t know what DRS is. They are wearing it because the aesthetic of the race track (the patches, the bold typography, the technical materials and so on). This trend could provide a huge influence on my thesis. It proves that there is a massive appetite for Racing Aesthetics outside of the core fan base. High-fashion houses have been sampling motorsport codes for seasons now. But as a designer, I see a missed opportunity. Most of this “fashion” racing gear is just a parody of the real thing.
How can I take a real telemetry graph and turn it into a print? The goal is authenticity. If we can capture the “cool” of the racing trend but back it up with the real-world grit of our workshop, we’ve found the sweet spot for a modern lifestyle brand.
Disclaimer: This text was refined with the support of AI. The reflections and observations are based on my personal experience of attending the event.
