Streetwear has been majorly influenced by a different set of subcultures. Because of this, there isn’t any particular style that exemplifies it nor is there a specific origin for it. It was created by mismatching a bunch of different subcultures and it merged to create a more universal style that a lot of people from throughout the globe are a part of. The culture is constantly evolving and everyone can be a part of it no matter their gender or age. You’ll find both children and adults embracing streetwear culture in different ways.
Who Influences It?
You’ll find a lot of different people influencing the trends in streetwear. From highly touted artists and fashion icon Kanye West to various popular athletes for example Michael Jordan and Nike basketball shoes. there is no boundary to who can influence it. If Kanye West works it at some point, you can bank on the style becoming popular within streetwear. However, if there is a greater element, it’s the subcultures present within the culture itself. You’ll find that various subcultures like skateboard culture and even hip-hop culture influence it in different ways. When you are looking at the various lookbooks of some of the popular trends, you can find a lot of subcultures penetrating the space throughout the history of the culture.
For instance, distressed jeans and skater shoes take inspiration from the skater trend that was popular in the early 1990s. Whereas, the oversized tees took some of the inspiration from the early days of hip hop culture.
Brands?
The brands that you end up wearing aren’t always the main thing to be concerned with when it comes to streetwear. However, the brands existing in the space do play a big role. The brands can do wonders for boosting your look and street-cred. Therefore, if you can stomach the price tag, you may want to opt for some of the pricier brands in the space. These brands include the legendary Bape and Supreme. Also, you will find YCL and even Gucci popular in the space. These are certainly some of the more popular brands with the most hype in the space. A lot of these brands use limited availability to drive even more hype for their ‘drops.’ That being said, not everyone can afford to spend hundreds on a box logo hoodie. If that’s the case, there’s no need to fret. You can still rock some basic Nike or Adidas brands and fit right in. There are also lower-cost brands entering the space making streetwear even more accessible to different budgets. These include MNML and Gnarcotic. Don’t feel like you have to go into debt just to embrace streetwear and the culture.
What Types Are There?
You’ll find there are plenty of different types of streetwear out there. Once you fully dive into the culture, you will begin to see some of the subcultures that exist and a lot of the nuances of it. There are so many that it would be nearly impossible to detail them all in this piece. But, we will be going over some of the basics of what you can find.
American and European Streetwear
If you are currently reading this article, you’re very likely in either Europe or the Americas. If so, you will be encountering this type of streetwear in your streets. If you’re wondering how it is characterized, it’s pretty much driven by hip-hop artists and athletes. Americans and Europeans get a lot of their influence from these industries. Therefore, you will see a lot of people dressing like Kanye West or their favorite artist. The majority of Westerners tend to have the same kind of look. They usually rock tapered pants, loose-fitting tees, and a lot of hypebeast sneakers. You will find a lot of tees and hoodies generally have logos of the brand. The biggest example of this is Supreme’s box logo. You will see people looking at celebrities, artists, and athletes the most for influence.
Asian Streetwear
This is another subset that you will find. The difference between American and European and Asian streetwear is dramatic. You will find a lot more creativity in Asian streetwear. You will also find a lot more risks being taken. You’ll find Asian streetwear using a lot of different aspects of streetwear and meshing them together. For instance, you’ll find some using vintage American streetwear and merging it with traditional Asian styles. You will also find a lot of the same brands in Asian streetwear with a lot of them being Japanese brands. These brands include Bape, Mastermind, and Visvim. Japan tends to have a more conservative streetwear style, but in Korea, you will see people embracing vibrant looks.
Athliesure
This is another common type you will find in the culture. This is pretty much as you would expect and how it sounds. It’s comfortable yet functional athletic wear that is worn casually for fashion. This is something you will find in the streets a lot in the U.S and the West. You will find a lot of tapered sweatpants, fleece, joggers, and more. You will also find sneakers predominantly the running type, which would be good to pair with special shoe insoles if you have any foot conditions.
That was the ultimate intro guide to streetwear. As you can see, a lot is going on. There are so many different styles and even types of streetwear. There are a lot of brands creating staples and pushing the culture forward. At this point, you should be able to spot some of the basic styles and elements of streetwear.