Are you interested in learning more about streetwear? You’ve come to the right place! Nowadays, streetwear is very important to the youth who are in pursuit of fashion. Brands like Nana Judy cater to those who are into streetwear.
The central concept of streetwear came from the streets of the United States. It mostly features passion, vibrancy, and dynamism. These often attributes to rebellion and youth. Because of this, young people drove streetwear to the mainstream.
What is Streetwear?
Streetwear is a street fashion with a distinctive style and is greatly influenced by what is going on ‘in the streets’. As such, this style is continuously evolving. It has a few principles, but it often centres on comfortable and casual pieces like sneakers, hoodies jeans, baseball caps and t-shirts.
However, be very careful not to represent only one culture with streetwear even if it is somehow like hip-hop. Streetwear is mostly anything and everything that does not belong to the system of fashion. It has combined many elements from rock, grunge, emo and other subcultures. Today, the streetwear fashion can be associated with the modern urban style all the while creating variety and diversity while focusing on the innovative youth.
Very much used today, let’s go back to how streetwear started. Let's delve into its roots.
How Streetwear Began
Streetwear honestly started in the late 80’s and originated to Shawn Stussy. He was a surfer who started a business in 1980. He drew inspiration from punk aesthetic in creating unique graphics for his first board. By the mid-1980’s, he partnered with Frank Sinatra Jr. and expanded his business into clothing. He mostly focused on caps and t-shirts.
Most of his early designs were from music such as reggae, punk and new wave. As his business grew, he mixed a few more elements from Tokyo, London and New York. However, one crucial reference for his brand is hip-hop. Mostly, his style was that of bombers, sagged jeans and M-65 jackets. Despite starting in Southern California, Stussy’s brand was transformed in New York.
From Stussy’s brand, streetwear came to be and has been continuously developed to become what it is today.
How To Style Streetwear
So how do you start wearing something that is continuously evolving and changing? Ever since streetwear started, it is like a fluid genre. And more often than not, it is difficult to decide which piece belongs to this style. A lot of things can come from streetwear. However, it only has one theme - comfortable essential items and casual clothing including T-shirts, jeans, sneakers and hoodies.
Aside from the influence of hip-hop culture, surfing and skateboarding, streetwear is also influenced by the 1980s nostalgia. As such vintage t-shirts, the 80s-inspired logos and tees will be great to add in the mix.
If you want to know a few more tips and ways on how to style streetwear, then do read on.
Thrift Styles and a Few Premium Pieces of Work Great
Since streetwear is somewhat hard to define, it is somehow a combination of all the different trends. However, it is also important to note that streetwear is composed of high-end pieces and a few limited edition items like premium branded sneakers thus making streetwear a luxury aesthetic. Also, streetwear is a mix of scrappy punk, skateboarder, surf and hip-hop fashions. What makes streetwear so unique is this combination of thrifty pieces and expensive items.
As such, one way to style your streetwear fashion is to combine ‘do it yourself’ style and the ‘new and shiny’ limited edition items. Try to mix tee shirts, ripped jeans with premium items such as a high-quality leather jacket.
Go Big
One of the most common streetwear fashion that we see today are the loose and baggy items. If you’re having a hard time deciding, remember to mix comfort with style. Layer a few pieces and don’t be afraid to go big.
Oversized tee shirts, sweatshirts and jeans won’t look out of place if you layer them all together. Keep things loose with baggy shirts and undone buttons. For a pop of colour, you can go with an 80s inspired tee. Just try to give the hip-hop style of the 80s and 90s some modern details and you’re good to go.
Love the Logos
It is not considered bad taste when you wear a t-shirt with a massive logo in front or a jacket with the logo at the back. Aside from showing how much you paid for your clothing, you can use logos as a badge of acknowledgement and belonging.
It is also one of the greatest excuses to rock a tee shirt with a print and show off your favourite designer’s mark. It also allows you to rock the 80’s nostalgia look.
Just Wear Whatever You Think is Comfortable
Since the streetwear fashion doesn’t have any strict rules and always changing if you’re in a hurry and don’t have enough time to think of what to wear, look for the most casual and comfortable clothes, put them on, go out the door and rock on!
Conclusion
All in all, the streetwear fashion is an excellent style that appears to be casual and rebellious. Punk rock mostly influences streetwear, but it can be paired easily with clean and glamorous styles of high fashion. Because of the constant changes and evolution of this style, you have a lot of opportunities to experiment with what you can wear.
You can take a look at our tips above on how to style streetwear. Keep the origins of the streetwear in mind and find some inspiration online or in window shopping. You can do some ‘do it yourself’, buy from thrift shops as well as purchase the 'limited edition premium' item that you’ve been dreaming of.
In the following years to come, we can only think of how streetwear can and will evolve to be something better. We’ll see. For now, we’ll have to work with what we have.