What's the name of this UK subculture? Tracksuits, Burberry
Discussion
Hi
I literally just made this account because I've been wondering about this for years and I'm hoping someone here might finally have the answer as other sites have been unhelpful.
There's a particular subculture in the UK that s always fascinated me because it had a big impact on me growing up, and I've never been able to figure out what it's actually called. It's important to me because a group of guys from this scene quite literally saved my life not too long ago. They've always stood out to me as some of the kindest, most loyal, and protective people I've ever met and I'd love to learn more about where that culture comes from. But every time I try to research it I just hit dead ends.
Here's what I remember and know about them:
Burberry style baseball caps (used to be really popular, maybe less so now)
Full sports tracksuits usually Nike, Adidas, etc.
Nike Air Max 95s
Gold chains, earrings, and rings
The classic combo of cap + tracksuit + trainers kind of like a signature look
Music wise, they are big into UK Garage, Bassline, and Drum & Bass. That's why I assumed it must be some kind of music/fashion-linked subculture, like how goths or punks have their own style connected to music.
The problem is every time I've ever asked anyone what this group is actually called, people just respond with a classist insult instead of giving me a real answer. I'm so confused because people have done so unanimously (is there an associated meme that I am unaware of?) but that insult had nothing to do with my question. I'm not interested in that slur I want to know if this is a real subculture with its own name, history, or identity.
I've even tried asking on music forums, thinking someone there might know, but the last time I posted about it I got banned within an hour with no explanation as to why and with no warning. It's honestly made me feel pretty defeated about ever finding out.
Part of why I want to understand this is because I've started thinking about dating again, and guys from this scene are totally my type not just the look (though I do love it), but the loyalty, protectiveness, and down-to-earth vibe they have. The thing is, I don't even know what to search for, because I don't know what this culture is actually called. What do these people call themselves?
So.. does anyone here know what subculture I'm talking about? Is there an actual name for it, like goth or punk, or is it more of a regional thing?
Any help or even just a pointer in the right direction would really mean a lot.
Thanks in advance
I literally just made this account because I've been wondering about this for years and I'm hoping someone here might finally have the answer as other sites have been unhelpful.
There's a particular subculture in the UK that s always fascinated me because it had a big impact on me growing up, and I've never been able to figure out what it's actually called. It's important to me because a group of guys from this scene quite literally saved my life not too long ago. They've always stood out to me as some of the kindest, most loyal, and protective people I've ever met and I'd love to learn more about where that culture comes from. But every time I try to research it I just hit dead ends.
Here's what I remember and know about them:
Burberry style baseball caps (used to be really popular, maybe less so now)
Full sports tracksuits usually Nike, Adidas, etc.
Nike Air Max 95s
Gold chains, earrings, and rings
The classic combo of cap + tracksuit + trainers kind of like a signature look
Music wise, they are big into UK Garage, Bassline, and Drum & Bass. That's why I assumed it must be some kind of music/fashion-linked subculture, like how goths or punks have their own style connected to music.
The problem is every time I've ever asked anyone what this group is actually called, people just respond with a classist insult instead of giving me a real answer. I'm so confused because people have done so unanimously (is there an associated meme that I am unaware of?) but that insult had nothing to do with my question. I'm not interested in that slur I want to know if this is a real subculture with its own name, history, or identity.
I've even tried asking on music forums, thinking someone there might know, but the last time I posted about it I got banned within an hour with no explanation as to why and with no warning. It's honestly made me feel pretty defeated about ever finding out.
Part of why I want to understand this is because I've started thinking about dating again, and guys from this scene are totally my type not just the look (though I do love it), but the loyalty, protectiveness, and down-to-earth vibe they have. The thing is, I don't even know what to search for, because I don't know what this culture is actually called. What do these people call themselves?
So.. does anyone here know what subculture I'm talking about? Is there an actual name for it, like goth or punk, or is it more of a regional thing?
Any help or even just a pointer in the right direction would really mean a lot.
Thanks in advance
Edited by namethissubculture on Thursday 9th October 19:49
Every group.has good people and bad people. I'm not sure if the people you met belonged to any particular sub culture or were just wearing what they thought was fashionable at the time. You were lucky to meet good people who treated you well. If you are looking for someone special, I know this sounds a bit soppy and a cliche but you need to find someone who treats you well rather than someone who dresses a certain way. Hope it goes well for you.
I think that's probably closer to the original meaning of chav than what it ended up meaning. Expensive versions of working class things.
The Coach (Colin Farrell) and his crew in The Gentlemen I think were building on the same image, high end sportswear and particularly the music part. Styling wise (although perhaps not the music or hooliganism aspects) sounds a bit like casuals or an updated version of that.
The Coach (Colin Farrell) and his crew in The Gentlemen I think were building on the same image, high end sportswear and particularly the music part. Styling wise (although perhaps not the music or hooliganism aspects) sounds a bit like casuals or an updated version of that.
namethissubculture said:
The problem is every time I've ever asked anyone what this group is actually called, people just respond with a classist insult instead of giving me a real answer.
Welcome to PH. You may not have realised it, but you’ve ending up posting on the most judgemental, white-bread, anti-woke forum you could have dreamt up. You’ll be lucky if you get away with just a classist insultI'll bite despite the weird nature of this, if you're a market research bot you need to try harder.
As said, it's essentially standard "chav" but with extra fuel from the flood of counterfeit goods and D-list celebrities. Burberry worked pretty hard to try and lose that association globally but for some reason it still lingers in the UK.
There's a lot of articles on it, like this...
https://nandininachiar.medium.com/how-did-burberry...
Unfortunately the house check can still be seen on the heads and around the necks of customers that prefer fakes (or on Tommy Robinson) but they've had a real resurgence since they switched CEOs and focused on their core appeal, the marketing team have done a fairly decent job of late.
The marketing doesn't always hit mainstream audiences and the stigma persists.
It's a battle.
Versus...
They need to push stuff like this more, it's a great story and a fairly unique chunk of "Britishness" way beyond crappy flags on street furniture.
As said, it's essentially standard "chav" but with extra fuel from the flood of counterfeit goods and D-list celebrities. Burberry worked pretty hard to try and lose that association globally but for some reason it still lingers in the UK.
There's a lot of articles on it, like this...
https://nandininachiar.medium.com/how-did-burberry...
Unfortunately the house check can still be seen on the heads and around the necks of customers that prefer fakes (or on Tommy Robinson) but they've had a real resurgence since they switched CEOs and focused on their core appeal, the marketing team have done a fairly decent job of late.
The marketing doesn't always hit mainstream audiences and the stigma persists.
It's a battle.
Versus...
They need to push stuff like this more, it's a great story and a fairly unique chunk of "Britishness" way beyond crappy flags on street furniture.
Edited by thetapeworm on Thursday 9th October 20:48
OP: since nobody seems willing to give a sensible answer, I shall.
Followers of the subculture you refer to, one pervasive about twenty years ago and characterized by the wearing of tracksuits and gold chains, are called 'Wesleyans'. The name came from the relative ubiquity, circa 2002, of teenagers called Wesley - the name being considered unisex in the early eighties.
Not much is known about how the subculture formed; it's possible that a 1998 Tango advertising campaign was responsible, however. The ads encouraged people to shout 'Wezz-uppp Tangoooo!' at others in the street; many did and, with the then abundance of Wesleys, it's likely that friendships began to be formed.
By the year 2000, the Wesleyan subculture was firmly established. Wesleyans were regularly to be seen meeting each other in parks and shopping centres. They began, about then, to develop particular styles of dress: tracksuits, gold chains, Playboy merchandise etc., and to expand into other areas of interest. Particularly notable was a burgeoning fascination with customized cars; favourite candidates for conversion were the Wolseley Princess, described by motoring journalist Quintern Weslon as a 'propah bangin' six-cylinda slut pullah' and the Hyundai Sonata, which was prized for being almost Japanese. Welseyan customizing generally consisted in fitting an in-car microwave, replacement of the carpet with patterned Axminster and installing hand-carved, wooden wheel-arch extensions.
Wesleyans also favoured particular pop groups such as the Alan Partridge Project, The Sleet, Nine Centimetre Nails and Frankie Goes to Dorneywood. All four performed, memorably, at music festival Wezzfest 2000 and the following year's 2001: A Wezz Odyssey. 2002 and 2003 saw more of the same, with the addition of American rappers Emineminem and Snop Doggily Dig. 2004, however, proved to be a turning point for the group.
2004's Wezz the Night festival started auspiciously enough, but quickly turned sour when audience member Wezza Hughes of Basingstoke accused fellow audience member Wezzie Davies Junior of Holland Park of having stolen both her boyfriend and half a bottle of Lambrini. Nobody knows who threw the first punch, but murderous violence erupted throughout the event. Local police were unable to quell what was to turn into a massacre and by the morning it was estimated that 4,000 Wesleyans were dead.
Since then, the Wesleyan subculture has rather retreated from the public imagination. There have been reports of Wesleyan revival nights at strum 'n' bass clubs and, even, ironic attempts by young hipsters to revive the subculture. Such efforts are unlikely to succeed, in my opinion.
Followers of the subculture you refer to, one pervasive about twenty years ago and characterized by the wearing of tracksuits and gold chains, are called 'Wesleyans'. The name came from the relative ubiquity, circa 2002, of teenagers called Wesley - the name being considered unisex in the early eighties.
Not much is known about how the subculture formed; it's possible that a 1998 Tango advertising campaign was responsible, however. The ads encouraged people to shout 'Wezz-uppp Tangoooo!' at others in the street; many did and, with the then abundance of Wesleys, it's likely that friendships began to be formed.
By the year 2000, the Wesleyan subculture was firmly established. Wesleyans were regularly to be seen meeting each other in parks and shopping centres. They began, about then, to develop particular styles of dress: tracksuits, gold chains, Playboy merchandise etc., and to expand into other areas of interest. Particularly notable was a burgeoning fascination with customized cars; favourite candidates for conversion were the Wolseley Princess, described by motoring journalist Quintern Weslon as a 'propah bangin' six-cylinda slut pullah' and the Hyundai Sonata, which was prized for being almost Japanese. Welseyan customizing generally consisted in fitting an in-car microwave, replacement of the carpet with patterned Axminster and installing hand-carved, wooden wheel-arch extensions.
Wesleyans also favoured particular pop groups such as the Alan Partridge Project, The Sleet, Nine Centimetre Nails and Frankie Goes to Dorneywood. All four performed, memorably, at music festival Wezzfest 2000 and the following year's 2001: A Wezz Odyssey. 2002 and 2003 saw more of the same, with the addition of American rappers Emineminem and Snop Doggily Dig. 2004, however, proved to be a turning point for the group.
2004's Wezz the Night festival started auspiciously enough, but quickly turned sour when audience member Wezza Hughes of Basingstoke accused fellow audience member Wezzie Davies Junior of Holland Park of having stolen both her boyfriend and half a bottle of Lambrini. Nobody knows who threw the first punch, but murderous violence erupted throughout the event. Local police were unable to quell what was to turn into a massacre and by the morning it was estimated that 4,000 Wesleyans were dead.
Since then, the Wesleyan subculture has rather retreated from the public imagination. There have been reports of Wesleyan revival nights at strum 'n' bass clubs and, even, ironic attempts by young hipsters to revive the subculture. Such efforts are unlikely to succeed, in my opinion.
Edited by Glitzy Mitzy on Thursday 9th October 21:35
Just in case...
namethissubculture said:
Hi
I literally just made this account because I've been wondering about this for years and I'm hoping someone here might finally have the answer as other sites have been unhelpful.
There's a particular subculture in the UK that s always fascinated me because it had a big impact on me growing up, and I've never been able to figure out what it's actually called. It's important to me because a group of guys from this scene quite literally saved my life not too long ago. They've always stood out to me as some of the kindest, most loyal, and protective people I've ever met and I'd love to learn more about where that culture comes from. But every time I try to research it I just hit dead ends.
Here's what I remember and know about them:
Burberry style baseball caps (used to be really popular, maybe less so now)
Full sports tracksuits usually Nike, Adidas, etc.
Nike Air Max 95s
Gold chains, earrings, and rings
The classic combo of cap + tracksuit + trainers kind of like a signature look
Music wise, they are big into UK Garage, Bassline, and Drum & Bass. That's why I assumed it must be some kind of music/fashion-linked subculture, like how goths or punks have their own style connected to music.
The problem is every time I've ever asked anyone what this group is actually called, people just respond with a classist insult instead of giving me a real answer. I'm so confused because people have done so unanimously (is there an associated meme that I am unaware of?) but that insult had nothing to do with my question. I'm not interested in that slur I want to know if this is a real subculture with its own name, history, or identity.
I've even tried asking on music forums, thinking someone there might know, but the last time I posted about it I got banned within an hour with no explanation as to why and with no warning. It's honestly made me feel pretty defeated about ever finding out.
Part of why I want to understand this is because I've started thinking about dating again, and guys from this scene are totally my type not just the look (though I do love it), but the loyalty, protectiveness, and down-to-earth vibe they have. The thing is, I don't even know what to search for, because I don't know what this culture is actually called. What do these people call themselves?
So.. does anyone here know what subculture I'm talking about? Is there an actual name for it, like goth or punk, or is it more of a regional thing?
Any help or even just a pointer in the right direction would really mean a lot.
Thanks in advance
I literally just made this account because I've been wondering about this for years and I'm hoping someone here might finally have the answer as other sites have been unhelpful.
There's a particular subculture in the UK that s always fascinated me because it had a big impact on me growing up, and I've never been able to figure out what it's actually called. It's important to me because a group of guys from this scene quite literally saved my life not too long ago. They've always stood out to me as some of the kindest, most loyal, and protective people I've ever met and I'd love to learn more about where that culture comes from. But every time I try to research it I just hit dead ends.
Here's what I remember and know about them:
Burberry style baseball caps (used to be really popular, maybe less so now)
Full sports tracksuits usually Nike, Adidas, etc.
Nike Air Max 95s
Gold chains, earrings, and rings
The classic combo of cap + tracksuit + trainers kind of like a signature look
Music wise, they are big into UK Garage, Bassline, and Drum & Bass. That's why I assumed it must be some kind of music/fashion-linked subculture, like how goths or punks have their own style connected to music.
The problem is every time I've ever asked anyone what this group is actually called, people just respond with a classist insult instead of giving me a real answer. I'm so confused because people have done so unanimously (is there an associated meme that I am unaware of?) but that insult had nothing to do with my question. I'm not interested in that slur I want to know if this is a real subculture with its own name, history, or identity.
I've even tried asking on music forums, thinking someone there might know, but the last time I posted about it I got banned within an hour with no explanation as to why and with no warning. It's honestly made me feel pretty defeated about ever finding out.
Part of why I want to understand this is because I've started thinking about dating again, and guys from this scene are totally my type not just the look (though I do love it), but the loyalty, protectiveness, and down-to-earth vibe they have. The thing is, I don't even know what to search for, because I don't know what this culture is actually called. What do these people call themselves?
So.. does anyone here know what subculture I'm talking about? Is there an actual name for it, like goth or punk, or is it more of a regional thing?
Any help or even just a pointer in the right direction would really mean a lot.
Thanks in advance
Edited by namethissubculture on Thursday 9th October 19:49
ing devvo time mate 
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