Friday, August 17, 2012

Football is Fashion, Fashion is Football - Sports - Soccer

Fashion and football are so intrinsically linked, one can't imagine one without the other.Some football icons create their own trends, others are simply trs chic, following fashion's dictates to a tee! As a result, football is being passionately followed by fans as much for the game as their favorite players style statements on and off the pitch. Let's take a quick peek at some fashionable footballers and some bizarre trendsetters!

How do fans connect with their favorite teams and players? Well, for starters there are loads of soccer merchandise they can pick up from a soccer store or website. Football jerseys, scarves, hair bands, jackets and lots more are available for the asking. One can even get custom soccer jerseys with one's favorite players name and number on them.

That's one way of connecting. Another way is to fashion oneself after ones heroes, which is what millions of young people are doing. The first footballer that comes to mind when one thinks of fashion has to be David Beckham. This idol gave his fans a field day with countless hairstyles to copy - plaits, pony tails, fringes, Mohican, hair bands, streaks. The man's tried just about every look there is!

It was Becks who popularized the trend of footballers becoming fashion models as cosmetic, apparel and accessory companies lined up to sign him for their campaigns. Soon, other players were being wooed by advertisers and the fashion industry. After all, these footballers had it all - the looks, money, success, youth, fitness and fame. Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry and Kaka, amongst others, became regulars at photo shoots and fashion shows. Some stars even began their own designer collections! These are the pretty boys of fashion.

On the other side of the spectrum are the unusual and sometimes weird trendsetters! Carlos Valderrama with his 'perm gone wild' look is the first player that comes to mind! And who can forget Fredrik Ljungberg with that red stripe running across his head? The year 2002 saw the shaven-headed Ronaldo sport a clump of hair right on top of his forehead that looked straight out of Mars! Rumor has it that he did this because his infant son kept mistaking him for Roberto Carlos!Footballers have permed, crimped and pony tailed their hair since the 1970s. There was Kevin Keegan with his famous perm and, years later, Gabriel Batistuta who started the trend of hair bands to keep his long hair in place. And then, of course, there's the Japanese midfielder Kazuyuki Toda with his red hair; Abel Xavier with his bleached hairdo that can be spotted anywhere on the pitch and Nigerian defender Taribo West's strange double tufts! It doesn't get more bizarre than this, does it?! Edgar Davids i s remembered for his don't mess with me look - dreadlocks and dark glasses. Though in his case the glasses weren't driven by fashion dictates but by the medical condition glaucoma. Goalkeeper Petr Cech's black rugby helmet that makes him stand out is again a practical consideration. He actually suffered a skull injury and now wears the helmet as protection. There's lots of unique styles on and off the pitch as footballers simply do their own thing or join the league of models! As you know, endorsements mean more fame, more money and more exposure...





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