Origins of Streetwear
Streetwear is a casual, comfortable style that has seen an elevation into haute couture fashion in recent years.
Since its birth in L.A. surf culture in the ‘70s and ‘80s, streetwear style has taken varied inspirations from punk, new-wave, hip-hop, bling, and sportswear subcultures. Printed t-shirts, branded clothing, and a huge focus on sneakers. An effort to look effortless.
What really defines streetwear though is an air of exclusivity. It’s not enough to wear the clothing, you’ve got to be in with the shifting trends and brands or your street cred is limited. Streetwear brands make or break themselves based on their limited availability and hype.
What seems like a grab bag of styles has coalesced into something more.
The Essentials of Streetwear
T-Shirts. The versatile piece of clothing that grounds any outfit in a level of casualness. Throw some loud printed slogan or brand name on it and you’ve got yourself a potential hit.
Sneakers. Although you can rock boots, loafers, and more, sneakers in particular have seen a massive focus in streetwear. The sneakerhead subculture is a beast all its own.
Athleisure. Track pants, snapback hats, beanies, sport bags. Anything that skews towards sporty or skater can instantly take your outfit into streetwear territory.
Jackets. Bombers, hoodies, windbreakers, leather. Nothing too serious; you wouldn’t want to look like you’re trying that hard.
Don’t be afraid to mix and match your classier outfits with more casual accessories for a standout streetwear look.
The Brands Of Streetwear
Supreme – The reigning king of streetwear. A skateboarding brand that went from a small and elusive shop to a billion dollar business with its logo adorning everything from clothes to cars. Highly limited releases with lines around the block.
Stüssy – One of the original streetwear brands built on a foundation of graphic tees. Still going strong 40 years later.
A Bathing Ape (BAPE) – A Japanese clothing brand with in-your-face designs that went from obscure shop to global industry leader. BAPE has deep roots in hip-hop culture with shoutouts by Lil’ Wayne, Pharrell, Kanye West, and more.
Undefeated – A premium sneaker boutique (and more) that’s riding high on the sneakerhead trend. Undefeated also frequently collaborates with others streetwear brands which greatly enhances its street cred.
Kith – Half-showroom, half-brand all its own. Kith mixes and matches brands to bring them to the masses while cultivating its own unique line.
Off-White – A true merging of streetwear and high-fashion. Off-white is one of the major players that brought this style from the streets to the runway.
Carhartt – Your blue collar dad’s brand turned hip. Modest, but steadfast, designs that link the working man to the instagram influencer.
Nike – Since sneaker culture is so important to streetwear, it’s no surprise that the sneaker king is a part of this game too.
There are plenty of other brands, this is barely scraping the surface. If you want to stay ahead of the game though, the more obscure the brand, the better.
What’s Next For Streetwear?
The word on the street is…
As social media speeds up trends and brands continue to pop out of previously unheard of avenues, streetwear will continue to change.
If you want to get into streetwear, there’s no better time than the present. Just be sure to keep looking towards the future or you might get left behind.
Although, who knows, you could always wait and see if your dad’s favorite brand will be the next big thing.
