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The Evolution of Streetwear Culture
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The Evolution of Streetwear Culture

Aug 5, 2024

The culture of wearing casual clothes in the streets has evolved from a hidden niche in the 1980s and 1990s to an international business with annual sales exceeding tens of billions of dollars today. 

The ‘skater boy’ casual look has now become the new mainstream casual wear look with even high-end designer labels attempting to jump on the streetwear bandwagon. Let me give you a brief insight on the subject regarding how streetwear trend has transformed in the past few decades.

Mingling in the Hip Hop Culture of 1980s

This concept of streetwear originated from the hip hop subculture that originated from New York City during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Beginning with B-boys and B-girls, a new type of clothing, which was rugged yet comfortable, was created for the breakdancing. Jeans, tracksuits, baseball caps, sneakers, and other sporty wear provided enough freedom and comfort to perform athletic dancing. Graffiti artists also preferred to wear clothes that could be associated with urban as they painted subway trains during the night. 

With hip hop music slowly but surely becoming one of the defining genres of music, so too did the fashion of hip hop gradually enter the mainstream. Iconic artists including Run DMC and LL Cool J began to wear traditional Adidas track suits and shoes in their music video. 

Quickly fans all over America were dressing like this laid back urban pop. Nike, Adidas, and Puma are some of the brands that followed this trend, signing endorsement deals and collaborations with popular rap artists, which further popularized streetwear.

The skate & surf culture of the 1990s moves into the mainstream

During the early 1990s, the origins of streetwear shifted from mostly drawing on hip hop to incorporating more laid back skateboard and surf cultures based around cities such as Los Angeles and Miami. Stussy, Supreme and X-large type of brands entered the market coming with ideas which included the mix of the surf/skate looks and the traditional urban wear. T-shirts that are worn loosely, torn and baggy jeans, puffy jackets, and flip-flops were epitomes of laid back west coast styles

New York metropolitan area remained popular among urban youths and youth-oriented brands such as Mecca USA and Enyce introduced more form-fitting casual wear. Rappers kept on endorsing brands and kept the urban wear prominent in the social dressing culture. 

It also gained prominence through tagging along with luxury brands as well as designers. In 1993, streetwear label by Designer Karl Kani had invested by the fashion conglomerate IMG whereas Tommy Hilfiger also started campaigning for rap endorsements.  

Japanese Streetwear and Sneakers on the World Stage 

Although, the initial streetwear inspiration was mainly derived from the American hip hop culture, Japan came to act as a global pioneer in the progressive years. Other brands from Japan including A Bathing Ape (BAPE), Goodenough and WTAPS received cult like status overseas for their radical urbanism in use of graphics, textures and colours. When Kanye and Pharrell were both starting out, they were both well known for wearing the colourful hooded jackets and sneakers from BAPE.

Athleisure wear also gained immense popularity in the 1990 s till early 2000 s with Nike and Adidas collaborations with athletes, musicians and boutique streetwear brands. Sneakers with a limited series turned into a frenzy of collectors and lovers of fashion and hypebeasts ready to buy a pair at an insane price just to show off a rare pair of sneakers. 

Luxury Fashion Embraces Streetwear

By the late 2000s, streetwear became a popular topic and we saw more people donning pieces of streetwear. Affordable, original brands continued to expand their casual wear collections; at the same time, fresh names such as Diamond Supply Co began to attract youth culture. 

Fashion brands such as Gucci, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, and Burberry that belong to the luxury segment have incorporated elements of streetwear in their collections including oversized hoodies, sneakers, and jeans to appeal to young customers. 

They also fostered an intensification of fusing high fashion with urban style. Supreme, a streetwear brand, received its moment in the spotlight in 2011 when Louis Vuitton’s artistic director collaborated with the company for a branded collection with significant appeal in the international market. 

The latter laid the foundation for a new trend, soon followed by Gucci, Dior, Chanel, and other representatives of the elite fashion houses. Today, few capsule collections can cause such a stir as to stir up excitement about ‘other’ luxury brands among the adherents of streetwear culture. 

Present Day: From Hoodies and Joggers to Sneakers and Sportswear, the Streetwear Look is the New Fashion. 

Streetwear started from the most humble beginnings and it now controls the entire world fashion, which generated more than $185 billion in sales annually. Used clothing business is expected to hit $77 billion by 2025 because people continue to chase the elusive products of rare collaborations and exclusivity. These are garments like hoodies, sneakers, and relaxed T-shirts that deserve a permanent place in the everyday wardrobe.

This year, thanks to celebrity endorsements and viral attention, reclusive labels like Fear of God and Off-White are as well-known as Gucci and Prada. At the same time, even exaggerated releases of new items from the old school streetwear giants such as Supreme or A Bathing Ape can provoke the demand and boost the secondary market price. 

Not even high fashion can get enough of the smartphone. Luxury brands want to work with cult streetwear brands in order to appeal to the younger crowd. It appears that time has no end to conventional fashion’s quest to assimilate elements of ordinary youth culture into its lexicon.  

Streetwear could not have had a more meteoric rise from its initial roots as an anti-establishment apparel trend to become an elite fashion brand that competes with industry giants. The streetwear now has the uncanny ability to dictate itself as the primary source of setting the trends. Its mentality of ‘do it yourself’ had ultimately triumphed over aristocratic tastes.

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