Origins

The dress associated with Chavs is an obvious identifier that sets them apart from other social groups in Britain. Their differentiation from middle and upper-class citizens is primarily due to the fact that these citizens don’t want to associate with apparel worn by chavs, in fear that they will be labeled as chavs. Burberry for example, is a brand that has become associated with Chavs in Britain, resulting in a destruction of their reputation. In attempts to revive their brand, Burberry began creating items that limited their trademarked cheque print which became associated with chavs. In analyzing chav fashion, it is important to consider the economic status and economic abilities of the chavs . Their economic inequality polarizes their class from other social classes in Britain. Since chavs represent Britain’s working class, they cannot afford high fashion items. They attempt to create the illusion of wealth by wearing brand name tracksuits, gold chains, and Burberry cheque. Journalist Gina Davidson, from The Edinburgh Evening news, describes the chavs as England’s careless youth population that wears hoodies and appear uneducated and troubled.

 Their embodiment of hooliganism, vulgarity, and criminal behavior is what ultimately shapes their sartorial dress. Because they have no means of indulging high fashion apparel, chavs portray wealth in a way society finds trashy and tacky. 

Dress

 Chavs everyday dress includes tracksuits, sneakers, designer clothing, and jewelry. They typically wear baggy tracksuit bottoms with a branded sports tops, and brand name tracksuits from companies like Adidas, Sergio Tacchini and Fila. Their branded clothing is sometimes real but is often times a designer knock offs. In addition, they are known for wearing white sneakers, especially Reebok Trainers. Chavs may also be seen wearing Fred Perry and Diadora sneakers. Their sneakers are well kept and constantly polished in order to look brand new and be kept bright white. Chavs are also known for wearing tacky, tasteless fake gold jewelry, and lots of it. Chav women are notorious for wearing gold hoops and “sovvy” rings (rings with a mounted sovereign coin), while the men are known to wear gaudy gold chains. Chavs embrace their British identity and are well known for wearing the UK brand, Burberry. They are also known to wear Stone Island and Kappa branded clothing. Being in the lower class, the chavs tend to buy entry level pieces from designer brands since this is what they can afford. For this reason, the chavs have adopted the classic print Burberry cap as typical wear. Since this cap was priced at around 50 Euros, it was an accessible piece for the chavs. As a result of the chavs adoption of this piece, Burberry has discontinued the cheque cap in hopes to distance itself from the chav name. Despite the clear brand obsession present in the chav culture, the chavs don’t care if they are wearing brand knockoffs. 

Appearance & Sartorial Rules

There is a certain way that people expect the Chavs to dress because they are associated with being “white trash” and “uneducated.” Chavs are defined by their identities and this can be shown through their choice of brands and possessions. A large part of the chav sub-cultural group has to do with branding and designer obsessions. The Burberry brand is one of the more popular brands amongst this group because it is a high-end brand and because the most clarifying feature of the Chav phenomenon has been their adoption of brands that were once associated with the upper class. Brands have been known to do poorly because of their association with the Chav subculture. There were two pubs in Leicester that banned people from wearing the Burberry check pattern because it was associated with hooliganism and drunkenness. Chav culture represents consumption of certain brands in order to identify with a specific style. The Chavs communicate particular aspects of the appropriation of goods which resonate with the meanings of the subculture. These include Burberry baseball caps and hooded garments which are associated with a form of identity.

Meaning of Dress

 In general, Chavs dress the way they do because they want to express themselves but also become part of a social or sub-cultural group. Clothing, brands and fashion styles are ways by which they present themselves to other people. Fashion is an important part of unifying and isolating subcultures from each other. The way Chavs dress seems to correlate to how they were brought up. Non-chavs had a happy and normal childhood while Chavs were said to have an unhappy childhood. Young people tend to create groups because of the decay of traditional sources of social influences. Clothing is one of the many ways that social class is assigned. The trickle-down theory suggest that fashion ‘trickles down’ from the upper class, to the middle class, to the working class, because people of the middle and working class desire to belong to the upper class. Universal adoptions of a trend or style lose their high-end fashionable status and tend to die out. The social conflict theory challenges customary ways of doing things and suggests power struggles and class distinction. There are two forms of dress that have specific cultural functions; fashion and anti-fashion. Fashion, in this case is defined as a creation of a new style in reaction to anti-fashions. Anti-fashion can be defined as ethnic dress. Chavs dressed in fashion because they were trying to distinguish themselves from other social groups.