Any hypebeast will tell you that streetwear is a lifestyle and not a trend. Streetwear fashion is a casual and youthful dressing style. It derives inspiration from the hipsters of New York, skateboarders of California, and the sneaker culture. Today, streetwear is one of the most prominent and fastest-growing fashion industries.
In fact, the global streetwear industry is worth hundreds of billion dollars at the moment. Thus, the streetwear movement is relatively permanent. Today, you can easily access the custom clothing online store that offers modern contemporary urban wear and streetwear.
What Is Streetwear
The description of streetwear is deceivingly simple on the surface. According to the fashion industry, streetwear is a casual, fashionable clothing style that is common in pop culture. Also, most of the streetwear followers are individuals under the age of thirty who reside in urban areas.
In addition, they are commonly known to belong to a subculture category, such as hip-hop music fans or skateboarders. The fashion industry finds it challenging to highlight what exactly makes a style of streetwear. Streetwear has a wide variety of influences and sources of inspiration.
These include surf and skate culture, haute couture fashion, hip-hop music, as well as K-Pop. Furthermore, the customer base of streetwear is also quite diverse. They span across different corners of the world, varying socioeconomic backgrounds and income levels.
One can say that streetwear is a lot more than just a prevalent shift to casual clothing. Behind the designer logos on every other item, mile-long queues at a sneaker release, and overpriced t-shirts, there is a lot more than what one can see.
Influence of Streetwear on The Traditional Fashion Model
Streetwear has shaken up the conventional fashion model a great deal. Previously, trend forecasters and designers were the ones to set trends that made their way to the runways. Consumers were the deciding force as to what made its way to the stores.
Also, magazine editors would tell customers what they should and shouldn’t purchase during a certain season. However, times are different now. Streetwear follows a direct-to-consumer model. Thus, the power lies with the customers who collectively decide what qualifies as a trend.
Furthermore, the digital age has had a great influence on the way people perceive streetwear fashion. Street style and trends from highly influential artists, musicians, and celebrities have a substantial impact on what people find fashionable or trend-worthy.
Moreover, with the help of social media, anyone can start their own clothing line or become an influencer. Many of the streetwear labels today sell and market from their own websites and portals. They don’t rely on conventional retail channels.
Rather than following a conventional runway calendar, they release a limited quantity at one time. In addition, this helps brands create hype, ensure a high resale value when the product sells out, and maintain scarcity.
A Brief History of Streetwear
Streetwear was first seen in the 1980s in Southern California. At the time, surfers would sell screen-printed t-shirts as a promotional campaign for their surfboards. The Los Angeles surfers and skateboarders were a huge source of inspiration for the street style.
It led to the creation of boutique skateboarding stores in NYC in the 1990s. The sneaker culture in the 2000s which was all about a collection of pricey sneakers merged into the streetwear fashion influence.
Also, the hypebeasts would pair their graphic t-shirts with sporty sneakers. Luxury streetwear was born in the 2010s. Furthermore, social influencers and youngsters made streetwear a crucial aspect of the fashion industry and pop culture.
What Is Considered Streetwear
Whether you are into affordable clothing or love the pricey designer tees with fancy logos, your fashion choices define your values and who you are as an individual. Thus, it is important that you pick brands that resonate with your fashion values and personal style.
Streetwear is incredibly personal and highly depends on your individual style, budget, and location. Also, there is no one right way when it comes to wearing streetwear. Furthermore, you have the liberty of styling things the way it feels original to you.
Streetwear, at the core, is all about blending practicality and comfort with self-expression. Although streetwear can truly encompass a wide assortment of fashion styles, it focuses on your four prominent features.
- Comfort – Streetwear style comprises athleisure staples and casual clothing like joggers and sweatshirts. If you cannot skate in it, the chances are that it is not streetwear.
- Scarcity – A highlight of the hypebeast culture is limited-edition products. This sense of scarcity makes their unique items appear more fashionable and in-demand. The same principle applies to haute couture. However, streetwear is certainly more accessible.
- Contemporary Art – A lot of the successful sportswear and graphic tee logos get inspiration from contemporary artists. At times, these include endorsed collaborations.
- Menswear Styles – While streetwear is common among individuals of all genders, it has a close association with conventionally masculine items and menswear. These include workwear and items like bomber jackets.
Some Tips for Styling Streetwear
A major aspect of streetwear fashion is selling and buying limited-edition pieces. It might not be very feasible for everyone. However, there are ways one can incorporate elements of streetwear into their look.
Invest In Sneakers – Sneakers are the choice of footwear when it comes to streetwear. It is one of the most crucial aspects of a hypebeast look. Also, white sneakers are a popular choice. If you were to make a fashion impact with a single item, sneakers would be the right move.
Play With Proportions – A prominent win of streetwear fashion was to bring sweatshirts and t-shirts into the high fashion realm. Streetwear enthusiasts often wear oversized sweatshirts and baggy denim. Loose-fitting clothes are a major highlight of the streetwear fashion effect.
Stick To One Logo – When it comes to streetwear culture, brand loyalty is important. You will rarely see a true aficionado layering multiple streetwear brands in one look. If you have items from different streetwear brands, try to stick to one logo for a single attire. Also, you can supplement the remainder of your look with athletic clothing and workwear.
Be Yourself – The essence of streetwear is all about authenticity and counterculture. Although you might think there are too many rules in it, original streetwear is all about authenticity and expressing your true self. Also, don’t feel hesitant to try on unique and bold combinations. You might end up creating a look that is way ahead of the curve.
