History of anglophile flags in pop culture Will they really come back?

A flag is not just a piece of cloth, but an icon that, as such, carries with it a whole range of cultural meanings that may or may not be respected. When the return of the fantastic indie sleaze, the movement straddling the 2000s and 2010s, was announced early last autumn, the question arose among the most passionate about the aesthetic: so will we go back to wearing clothes with British and American flags? The style takes its name from indie music, a genre that found ample room for growth in the United Kingdom and the United States during those years thanks to bands like the Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, and Libertines. Fans of the three bands wore t-shirts, hats, and bags with reproductions of the Union Jack or the Stars and Stripes not so much out of patriotism, but out of rebellion. Just as in recent years, communities usually marginalized by the world of sports have appropriated aesthetics like balletcore or blokecore, indie sleaze wears the colors of its nation to draw the attention of those in power. After all, it was the years of the Recession: what better way to face a dark period than by laughing at it?

History of the Union Jack in fashion 

After recounting the reasons that led the most anti-nationalist communities in the United Kingdom to wear clothes and accessories with the Union Jack, it becomes easy to explain how the same thing happened in the United States, perhaps the most patriotic country in the world. After designers like Ralph Lauren brought it back in their old money collections, among blue pullovers, white t-shirts, and blue jeans, it was the turn of subversive creatives. Throughout history, the American flag has been taken as a style example by the most conservative Republicans, who wear it printed on camouflage shirts with the eagle, another symbol of the country, but also by liberals who mock them by copying the look with a slightly more queer cut. It was worn by the hippies to protest against the Vietnam War, while on the runway it was used by designers like Miguel Androver, Jeremy Scott, and Marc Jacobs to make a statement. For several years, starting from the 9/11 attacks in 2001, the opposite happened, and even the least politically inclined stars of pop culture appeared in public wearing the American flag, a phenomenon that years later gave rise to the ideological transformation of the flag as a “hot” graphic, primarily under the guidance of Lana del Rey. In that case, no one forgets the denim micro shorts with star-spangled pockets.