How Streetwear Has Evolved Today?
Streetwear clothing has continuously evolved since its early days of establishment back in the 90s. Today, streetwear can be considered interchangeable with some luxury or high-end brands. Though streetwear clothing can be divided into multiple subgenres, its influences are a culmination of different cultural influences from pioneering decades such as the 70s, 80s, and 90s.
Streetwear clothing today is heavily influenced by contemporary culture with sports and music being its most prominent contributors to the overall aesthetic. The hip-hop scene and skateboarding culture are probably some of the biggest influences in terms of the way streetwear is worn. Streetwear has evolved so much, over the years, and it seems like it’s going to be around forever. This clothing type wasn’t always considered fashionable by the fashion elite but it’s made its way up the fashion ladder and now most high-end designers would have at least some pieces of streetwear in their collections. Thoughstreetwear continuously evolves along with modern pop culture, it remains one of the most prominent fashion choices among the general public.
Limiting Supply
Many streetwear companies today are known for how they can evoke a feeling of exclusivity by limiting their production. Many companies would release limited edition items that can only accommodate a certain number of streetwear enthusiasts. This causes products to reach exorbitant prices, especially in the resale market.
Interestingly, no matter how high prices may get, the demand for limited edition streetwear clothing has always been high and is continuously soaring in numbers. The overall aesthetic of streetwear continuous to attract plenty of fashion enthusiasts and has even caused different subgenres.
It’s no secret that high-end streetwear is scarce, especially if you want to get your hands on popular styles. This makes buying high-end brands a coveted prize for sneaker heads and resellers and designers alike. These limited runs ensure hype around certain products and keep customers coming back for more of their favorite drops. As long as there is demand, a clothing company will be happy to sell its products at a premium price. Read on as we list some of the most common streetwear categories that are popular as of today.
- Athletic Wear or Athleisure
Athleisure is for people who prefer a more athletic look that can provide material durability and comfort. Because of this subgenre, big companies have invested in clothing lines specifically designed for athleisure. Aside from creating high-tech textiles that can keep up with people’s active lifestyles, companies have also started designing clothing that can look aesthetically pleasing for activities outside of sports.
This is a newer trend. These are clothes that look like they’re athletic wear, but they look good with everything and you can wear them any day. They still make sense for a workout, though. A lot of women will mix these into their normal outfits as well. You’ll see some cool patterns and designs in athletics wear too, although you should be careful because these tend to get old quickly. It’s easy to stand out in an unflattering way if you go overboard here. Make sure it looks like an intentional choice and not just laziness or out of taste.
- Skateboarder Aesthetic
Skateboarding has a huge influence on streetwear clothing. Plenty of the big streetwear companies today initially marketed their products to skateboarders back in the 90s. Today, though these big companies cater to everyone even outside of the sport, the oversized and baggy aesthetic remains a staple in the streetwear community.
Skateboarders brought a more radical look to streetwear. Influenced by music, surfing, and skateboarding culture, many of today’s most popular brands have a decidedly skate-influenced feel. The larger logos, bolder graphics, and distressed fabric all remind back to early skate styles but are updated for an urban audience. Over time, these elements took over traditional clothing style aesthetics and color palettes were altered to black, grey, and white. Nowadays we find it commonplace to see large oversized logos from streetwear brands on t-shirts paired with jeans that are cuffed just above boots or sneakers with chunky soles.
- Minimalist
A new subgenre that sprouted recently is minimalist streetwear. This type of streetwear clothing is different from others because it utilizes more plain and basic clothing with a toned-down color palette. Minimalist streetwear clothing focuses more on everyday clothing like shirts, sweaters, and pants but it emphasizes the aesthetic with how it’s well-put together.
A minimalist designer focuses on stripping an object down to its most basic components. This can be achieved through materials or by removing features that aren’t absolutely necessary. When applied to streetwear, you could remove elements like branding and logos and focus solely on fit, fabric, and silhouette.
If you’re trying to have a more stylish wardrobe but still don’t want to buy more stuff, minimalist fashion might be for you. In its truest form, minimalist style is all about having less in your closet just a few great items that you wear over and over. The idea of fewer-but-better things appeals to many people who are looking for better quality at a lower price. There are some good brands out there with minimalist pieces as well as some great thrift stores which will allow you to get designer pieces at very low prices!
- Technical or Techwear
Considered as a more avant-garde type of streetwear clothing, technical or Techwear emphasizes retro-futuristic and tactical designs. The overall aesthetic is often accentuated by outerwear that features straps, zippers, huge pockets, and tactical accessories. Technical streetwear clothing also features a darker tone especially the color black.
Technical clothing is a niche clothing and fashion subculture. It is a combination of multiple fashions and styles that are generally centered on function, durability and construction. These functional elements include waterproofing and breath-ability in outerwear, insulation in cold weather gear, moisture wicking to avoid over-sweating in warmer temperatures and sun protection in light fabrics or at high altitudes.
Additionally, technical clothing may also contain features such as hidden pockets for carrying equipment and tools to be used by a technical person.In most cases, it will be treated with a Teflon fabric protector or other similar durable water repellents so that it doesn’t soak up water when used in wet conditions.The idea behind technical clothing is to optimize wearer comfort by tailoring garments to specific environments and expected physical activity levels, therefore making them more suitable than typical fashion garments.
- Outdoor or Gorpcore
Outerwear has become an essential part of the overall aesthetic of streetwear.Outdoor clothing often meant cotton and nylon based fabric, weatherproofed with waterproof dyes. Climbing, skiing and mountaineering influenced these garments through their durability and breath-ability. In recent years there’s been a huge trend towards softer fabrics that are less weather resistant but instead provide comfort and insulation during high-energy activities such as running or cycling.
The name Gorpcore refers to apparel that is an amalgamation of Gore-Tex with traditional outdoor gear. It is characterized by its water-resistant exterior membrane, four way stretch interior fabric for maximum freedom of movement, moisture wicking properties for dryness and zippers for added ventilation. These jackets also feature longer cut arms and bottom hemlines which provide protection from wind-chill.
Outdoorstreetwear clothing features outerwear and baggy pants that you would otherwise see on someone in a mountain trail. Some call it “Gorpcore” which is an acronym for “good old raisins and peanuts”, something that most hikers eat for sustenance during long outdoor excursions. Streetwear clothing must-haves for this subgenre include insulated jackets and windbreakers.These outdoor garments look slick when paired with denim or casual streetwear. They can be worn all year round in mild climate zones and provide excellent warmth in colder climates as outer layers under shell jackets. This type of clothing offers versatility and portability. Most Gorpcore garments are packable and thus portable and adaptable for travel on long journeys whether on foot or by bicycle.
