Streetwear’s dictionary definition is simple enough: fashionable, casual clothes. But that definition underplays what has become a multi billion-dollar retail phenomenon, with roots in countercultures of the 1980s and 1990s, including graffiti, hip-hop, skate and surf.
In essence, streetwear involves the production, promotion, sale and resale of casual fashion, principally of footwear, such as sneakers, but also T-shirts and other items – in ways that bypass traditional retail channels, often subverting the way the fashion industry has long defined and dictated how “cool” is made profitable. The audience, and therefore the target market, is very young: mostly under 25.
The communities that originally led streetwear were largely male dominated, and as such the style was originally adopted and driven by men, depicting traditionally masculine looks. In the beginning, streetwear was simple and an antidote to the elaborate, complicated styles that were in fashion at the time. The formula was straightforward: people wore T-shirts and hoodies because that’s what they liked. This uniform was tied to both comfort and self-expression.
.png "English"){kind=small}
0 comments