The term “chavvy” is used to describe someone (usually a young person) whose behaviour and manner of dressing are associated with a low social class or a lack of education or sophistication.
The term is often considered derogatory and offensive as it carries connotations of being uncultured, vulgar, or lacking sophistication.
A “chav” is a slang term derived from the word “chavvy” typically used to refer to a person, often young, who is perceived as being from a low social class and poorly educated from the way they behave and dress.
Some fashion brands have become associated with “chavs” and, interestingly, this association often has nothing to do with price.
As someone on Reddit noted:
It’s more the style (than cost) – solid colour t-shirts from Primark may look cheap, but not chavvy. A £400 handbag covered in logos is the opposite.
These so-called chavvy brands are also sometimes called “road-man brands” in the UK.
Social media users were asked to list top fashion and shoe brands they consider chavvy in the UK and here are the most-mentioned names:
- North Face
- Lonsdale
- Moschino
- Hoodrich
- Stone Island
- Trapstar
- Moncler
- Canada Goose
- LVMH brown print
- Helly Hansen
- Lacoste
- McKenzie
- Adidas
- Crosshatch
- G-Star
- Nike AirMax
Another important thing to note is that not all items from these brands are necessarily chavvy. Most times, it boils down to choices and how people choose to wear them.
As someone noted:
All brands have some nice stuff, it’s more a question of certain items. Baseball caps and track suit jackets for example are almost exclusive to chavs.
