Although the definition of streetwear has grown hazy in recent years, especially after its mainstream adoption, many can agree that what once started as a style for urban youth has made itself known across the globe, now penetrating into the world of high fashion.
While some are intrigued by the aesthetic designs and others plunge their hearts into the culture itself, the beauty of streetwear style has undoubtedly been the idea of self-expression since its inception. Just as its roots in hip-hop and street culture suggest, the appeal of streetwear is centered on its ability to make you feel comfortable in your own skin. And in a time where judgment and segregation are the strongest they’ve been in years, it’s no wonder streetwear has become more than just apparel – it has grown into a movement.
Defining streetwear: The pursuit of individualism
Although Dictionary.com simply defines streetwear as ‘fashionable casual clothes’, the lack of a concrete definition throughout is perhaps what defines streetwear itself. Every designer has a different idea of streetwear in mind.
As mentioned above, streetwear derives from individualism and independence. In this way, its vague definition is exactly right, as many people claim that streetwear doesn’t refer to any one style of fashion, but the style of the youth of its time and place. Korean streetwear may be quite different from the streetwear of Singapore. This perspective can change depending on the city as well.
Influential designers and artists of all kinds believe this is true. For example, Jeff Staple of Staple Designs comments on what he believes to be the root of it, “I like to call it independently created stuff. It wasn’t streetwear yet. It was just people hustling, doing their own thing without any business or financial gain. Just expression.”
Even in regards to its aesthetic design, the great Tommy Hilfiger notes, “The aesthetic has to be a bit sporty, a bit athletic. It’s skate and hip-hop, but it’s not exclusively any one of these things.” Perhaps, it is this ambiguity of not belonging that makes the youth gravitate towards it, as much like themselves, they are figuring it all out. As the famous illustrator and designer Bobby Hundreds states,
“Streetwear is about culture. It’s not about clothing.”
The evolution of streetwear
The very nature of streetwear is that it’s dynamic and constantly changing. Finding the exact point in time in which it was conceived is difficult, but the generally accepted period is from the 1970s to the 1980s. Said to have derived from the surf culture of LA, the idea is claimed to be born from these two elements: t-shirts and exclusivity.
Taking inspiration from rock and punk aesthetics, it soon found its way into the hip-hop scene of the 80s, where popular brands eventually merged with athletic brands to create a sort of exclusive underground community of consumers. It is during this period that the sneakerhead culture began to take shape, catapulting Nike as a leader in the streetwear sneaker market, especially with their Air Jordan line.
It was during this same time – while streetwear was at a high in the United States – that Japanese designers and fashion companies began penetrating this world, bringing streetwear style back to their countries.
Japanese designers began to market their creations as luxury items and make the clothes exclusive and limited. It was this change that led to the rise in price and quality that we see in streetwear today, ultimately pushing streetwear to become more mainstream.
The rising hype into everyday apparel
The popularity of streetwear can be attested to several things; hype, hip hop culture, and the rise of social media. Hype refers to the rise of excitement surrounding any given fad. This is often associated with marketing ploys. For example, any item that influencers and celebrities wear can result in the hype surrounding the product, eventually leading to a surge in sales. Given this, despite the fact that streetwear has been around since the 1970s, perhaps the massive hype in recent years has allowed it to enter the world of high fashion.
Another factor that has played a large part in streetwear’s surge in popularity has been the increased mainstream acceptance of hip-hop culture. Streetwear has always been associated with hip-hop, as its roots stem from the streets. However, since 2015, there has been a steady increase in global interest in streetwear as a whole.
Over time, elements of streetwear became part of our everyday life. For example, in the modern-day wardrobe, hoodies are a staple in everyone’s closet and yet, what many people don’t realize is that these were almost exclusively worn by graffiti artists and street gangs not so long ago. However, as the style evolved and casual style began to take over, hoodies became an item worn by all.
In addition, social media has allowed for greater interconnectedness between people all over the world. Communities of people with the same interests have popped up everywhere, and the ability to share information has definitely propelled the culture forward.
As mentioned above, the advent of social media has allowed celebrities to be seen wearing specific streetwear items more than ever before, giving greater promotion to these brands. Also, due to this open market, there are also a number of global platforms that have made buying and selling streetwear a whole lot easier.
The culture beyond the clothes
Streetwear is meant to represent the culture of the person wearing it, leaving an immense amount of room for originality and stylization. The best part of streetwear is the expression it allows for even the smallest nuances and differences. However, when it comes to the culture behind the style, these nuances are precisely what makes it so difficult to comprehend, and in a way, beautifully interpretable.
In streetwear, the clothes themselves are not at the center. The emphasis lies in the culture behind it.
Since the 70s, streetwear has always had hints to an anti-culture, freedom, and individualism. It has remained rooted in the message of these beliefs.
Respect and high-fashion
As time passed and more well-known artists popularized the style into the mainstream, this caught the eyes of high-end designers in the fashion world. With the hopes of gaining more mass appeal, the two worlds slowly merged together, with more and more collaborations seen.
The admittance of Virgil Abloh, Kanye West’s streetwear designer, as Louis Vuitton’s artistic director was a momentous event in urban culture as a whole. The fashion industry had completely turned upside down, with the perception of streetwear dramatically shifting from that of ‘urban wear’ to ‘high-end.’
This change has resulted in two viewpoints.
There are those who do not totally agree with the shift, as the whole idea behind streetwear was being able to express yourself freely – something that is believed to be disappearing as it becomes high-end. The belief is that the more expensive the clothes are, the more esoteric it becomes, and in turn, unrelatable. Most streetwear designers feel that the clothing is immersed in the culture, meaning that without the stories of normal lives and the culture to stand behind the style, there is no streetwear at all.
There is fear that the big business corporations have only one thing in mind – money – and that this desire will eventually strip the style of its value. More than just the lack of individualism or customization, the big corporations have bent the narrative of the clothing to fit false message stripping any real history from the story. These designers believe that any mass manufactured streetwear cannot really be referred to by that name, as once again, streetwear is about culture.
On the other hand, many in the fashion world are excited by the prospect that streetwear can bring to the fashion industry. Young new designers are working alongside streetwear veterans in order to create fashion lines that can do justice to the nuanced style. Moreover, streetwear designers are no longer gaining popularity through collaborations, but rather are being respected for their own work and commitment. For the first time in history, streetwear is being seen as a respectable style and mode of dress, as opposed to something that is associated with poverty or urban-living.
The future of streetwear
While streetwear today is at an all-time high, with brands like Supreme estimated at a worth of $1 billion USD, people believe that, much like the idea of hype, this high is merely temporary. In the past, people wore streetwear because it was different, the exclusivity and unique quality of the style were it’s driving force. The over-popularization of the style has taken away from that.
Today, people wear streetwear because everyone else does, leaving the clothes simply to be just that, clothes. The chase for individuality that took over the streetwear industry in it’s beginning years is all but gone. Without exclusivity, streetwear essentially becomes like any other style and loses its history and edge.
On the flip side, some may argue that with streetwear entering the high-end territory, it is possible the idea of exclusivity has only increased. With prices rising, this only leaves room for the true fanatic to buy.
Furthermore, streetwear cannot be diluted because the style cannot be defined by anyone single aesthetic, meaning no matter how it is adopted, the true culture of individuality cannot go away as long as people willing to innovate still exist.
Regardless of how expensive streetwear has become, there are still many that are willing to pay thousands of dollars for their favorite brand. Whether this is to have for their own or to make profit by reselling, the truth will continue to remain: people want what they can’t have. This leaves room for global resale platforms to allow the growing consumer market in Asia to buy and sell streetwear easily.