Le Futiloscope is quick to admit, we are not soccer fans. Which explains our surprise, when instead of working on a cold and windy day like today, we carelessly entered “scarves” on the Urban Outfitters site. Imagine our surprise when, instead of seeing the long soft things we imagined, we came across a gallery of scarves … of sport supporters worn by a band of pouting young chicks ! A true league of champions on a binge! Even if it seems that women are into that round ball more and more these days, the fans in question didn’t display, on their big multicolored paraphernalia in machine knitted jersey, any club or team name. Just pseudo-feminist slogans like “Women” or “Wonder Wonder”…Other brands, adored by the young set, like Monki, show a debatable «Radical Chic» in large letters down the front, magnificent in a blue on a wine red background with fringe. According to a young woman we know , it’s “super neat”.
On one side, le Futiloscope is reassured : you don’t have to go to your local soccer club boutique to buy one, you can pick it up at APC, ! Because, after all, this is just the new incarnation of one the major fashion tics of the moment : “redneck sportswear is cool”. From rubber pool flip-flops (preferably over tennis socks) to fanny packs in polyester (preferably slung over the left breast), passing by the wooly hat with the large logo, or the tracksuit, it’ s been a while that the trendsetters have inflicted incredible indignities upon us. The circle is squared with this new “hooligan touch”. The way you wear it is completely codified: to show it off, the scarf is worn spread out, one side in front, one side in back. Or, flattened against the chest: apparently it is forbidden to tie it. To summarize, besides being slightly ugly, it’s completely useless.
This stunt comes to us, as always, from the world of luxury fashion. The “real” false fan scarves were first seen on the high-fashion runways,Balenciaga, Versace and company. Le Futiloscope is not going to get on our high horse to moralize about the class scorn that seems inherent in this game of popular sport codes. We’re already upset about the Chinatown tote bag re-looked chic, or IKEA knock-offs in sublime leather from the guru Demma Gvasalia, it’s enough! Instead, we’re going to do a little football wave in the living room…
Photo : Vétements