Streetwear has expanded since it was first started in urban cities, becoming a global culture in fashion. It incorporates the features of casual clothing and applies premium design for a unique appearance.
This rubric of clothing, shoes, and accessories includes a vast number of looks that cannot be described with any other genre but casual and comfortable.
The emergence of graphic print T-shirts and other oversized clothes, including products such as sneakers, and fashionable accessories create new ‘looks’ that symbolize modernity.
Fast forward to the present day where borders between streetwear and high fashion are blurred more and more, streetwear has entrenched its claims to become a major player influencing designers, celebrities, and regular fashion enthusiasts in equal measure.
Examples
Shoes: Nike Air Force, Adidas Yeezy Boost 350, Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star, Vans Old Skool.
Shirts: Supreme Box Logo Tee, Off-White “Diag” T-Shirt, BAPE Shark Tee, and Stüssy Basic Logo Tee.
Pants: Fear of God Essentials Sweatpants, Supreme Work Pants, BAPE Camo Sweatpants, and Vetements Distressed Denim.
What type of fashion is streetwear?
Streetwear is a casual fashion style. It started from the urban youth culture and is on the cutting edge at the present moment.
The essential features of streetwear are the following characteristics.
Comfortability
Comfort is the top priority and a casual look gives the feeling of some of the main principles of the style such as the warm nature, waterproof, windproof, and many other characteristics of all clothes necessary and possible.
Casualness
Casual aesthetic is organic or conventional cotton materials that do not slide and do not stick to the body as such are applicable in any weather conditions.
Among the eclectic influences of the clothes, there are hip-hop culture, a sense of comfort, accessories, sportswear, skate culture, and many others.
Combination
A combination of high-end garments and well-priced accessories is encouraged by the style. The clothes were influenced and are the reflection “of subcultures and urban lifestyles ‘.
As well as, at any place and at any time they are depending on the case either formally or informally. The style is continuously evolving and new lines are created to reflect the change.
Streetwear brands
Below is a list of renowned streetwear brands, starting from old to newer labels:
- Supreme
- Stüssy
- BAPE (A Bathing Ape)
- Off-White
- Palace
- Kith
- Fear of God
- Noah
- Aimé Leon Dore
- Carhartt WIP
- Neighborhood
- Undefeated
- Comme des Garçons PLAY
- Vetements
- Stone Island
- Huf
- Yeezy
- Anti-Social Social Club
- Vlone
- Obey
The brands comprise a cross-section of the well-established and aspirational styles streetwear has to offer. While some specialize in graphic tees and hoodies, others boast an array of outerwear, accessories, and footwear. A huge number of them partner with other brands or artists to design pieces that are released as limited editions.
Streetwear for women
Over the past few years, women’s streetwear has experienced rapid growth and expansion with a mixture of urban styles combined with feminine flair. Below is an overview of Women’s streetwear:
Key pieces:
Oversized hoodies and sweatshirts
Crop tops and bralettes
High-waisted joggers and cargo pants
Bike shorts
Graphic tees
Bomber jackets and windbreakers
Chunky sneakers
Mini backpacks and fanny packs
Styling trends:
Mixing masculine and feminine elements
Layering different pieces
Combining high-end and affordable items
Accessorizing with bold jewelry or hair accessories
Streetwear for men
The trends of streetwear for men have been somewhat of the center of the urban population’s trends for the longest time now and the basics of it have changed meanwhile retaining its core values of comfort, personality depiction, and relatability.
Key pieces in men’s streetwear include:
Graphic t-shirts
Hoodies
Baggy jeans or Cargo pants
Sneakers
Accessories like caps and beanies.
The style provides men with the unique opportunity to combine luxury items of clothing with accessories and garments to create a look that is at once casual and trendy.
Styling trends
Streetwear for men has different references to various subcultures like hip-hop, skate, or punk. The mix of these influences makes up an energetic and contemporary style that falls between minimalist to bold and expressive.
An affinity for oversized silhouettes, bold logos, and statement sneakers is increasingly prevalent in the style seen worn by many adherents to this signifying aspect of streetwear.
Now that it has emerged into the mainstream, one of the biggest shifts in contemporary athleisure is including pieces with smarter silhouettes and better fabrics which means we can now approach wearing this style from a business casual angle as well.
Streetwear vs. High Fashion
Streetwear and high fashion have been two extremes of the fashion world for many years, but they have become increasingly blurred in recent times. In my view, here is a way of representing the alternation between them.
Streetwear is associated with sneakers, trainers, hoodies, and sportswear infused with street elements and logos.
This style has evolved from hip-hop culture, jeans, trainers, and baseball caps to become more fashion-oriented. Furthermore, it mostly targets women in their late teens and 20s.
On the other hand, high fashion represents luxury, prominent logos, and brands. Its fashionable style is specifically aimed at older ladies, and unlike streetwear, it is renowned for high quality and expensive labels, which makes it most appealing to the wealthy.
Influence of Afro Music and Pop Culture on streetwear
Influence of Afro Music: Artists and Collaborations
Afrobeats Artists: Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, and others who have achieved international renown as artists are now influencing streetwear brands with their styles and personal brands. For instance, Burna Boy’s collaboration with Nike.
Fashion Statements: stylists include various artifacts to reveal their stylistic sensibilities, which include colorful prints, graphic patterns, and silhouettes that are echoed in streetwear collections produced using the same aesthetic principles.
Cultural Significance:
Brightly colored patterns and prints: yellow, orange, green, and fuchsia can all be seen on the clothes of Afrobeat artists. Just compare with many streetwear collections stressing similar colors and patterns, often coupled with traditional African prints.
Afrocentric Designs: A handful of streetwear lines have begun incorporating Afrocentric imagery and motifs (stealing liberally from Afro music’s cultural history).
Music Festivals and Events:
Style Influence: Afrochella and the Afro Nation Festival are rapidly establishing themselves as seminal events, illustrating how Afro-music and its streetwear cousins shape each other.
Pop Culture Influence: Celebrity Endorsements
Influencers and Celebrities
Celebrities such as musicians, actors/actresses, and sports personalities sport streetwear brands at all times, at their points of visibility and desire. An example is Rihanna and Travis Scott celebrities that at times are seen wearing streetwear and endorsing the brand every time they put on the apparel.
Music Videos and Performances
The trendy streetwear is anyway revealed in music videos, concerts, or live performances; therefore, one is sometimes given the task of influencing the viewer/fan. Clothes artists wear become the fate of fashion Streetwear brands imitate.
Movies and TV shows:
Iconic Looks
The latter includes films and series about streetwear or in the foreground of which the urban landscape is depicted. Series like ”Atlanta ” and movies like ”Do the Right Thing” incorporated streetwear into works as a means of storytelling.
Character Style
Characters from popular media that are in tune with what streetwear style embodies can be trendsetters or rather popularize trends within streetwear including brands.
Social Media and Influencers:
Instagram and TikTok
As was the case with the previous platforms comparable to Instagram and TikTok, these platforms raise the prominence of streetwear trends because style influencers and ordinary users show how to dress and in general, fashion. This one very viral feature easiest denotes the level at which streetwear trends can be diffracted outwards.
Hashtags and challenges
Sometimes social media has streetwear challenges or hashtags that ask people to post and show their outfits and help in spreading trends of what is in this subculture.
Cultural Crossings
This is very rife in streetwear brands for instance partnering with pop culture icons and franchises. For instance, Supreme worked with Marvel and Star Wars; Nike also had classical limited editions that were presented extremely combined with music artists or movies.
Conclusion
Streetwear has become genuinely popular and remains an important dress in the fashion industry. It has, for instance, developed into a style that is worn by people in all parts of the world.
It’s accepted for its core mission of comfort and good pairing with accessories which anyone can wear and appeal stunning and origin.
Most of the styles in this wear are versatile, and the style itself is constantly evolving so that it remains a viable product in fashion-conscious society.
Thus, it can be concluded that streetwear’s influence on dressing and individual styling options is indisputable and long-term if it is used as an element of a new style along with other trends in fashion.