People’s taste in fashion changes constantly as well as the market for the fashion industry. The internet is one of the biggest impacts on the fashion industry. It allows us to see what the new fashion trends are with influencers and celebrities. TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter have plenty of clothing advertisements across the platform.
Fashion trends come and go and some can last for years. Streetwear is one of the best styles out there as it can be bought at a premium price. It can also be bought at a cheap price if you shop in the right places.
How Has Streetwear Dominated The Fashion Industry
Back in the early 1980s, streetwear was associated with hip-hop rappers and teenagers who were lawbreakers. Streetwear became popular rapidly in the western part of the world, especially in the 80s/90s. It continues to dominate the market now and is popular with African Americans and Latin Americans.
This style is all over the world now. It is in countries such as England, China and Japan. As well as spreading across central Europe. There are plenty of luxurious brands out there that are also adopting the streetwear style. Both Gucci and Louis Vuitton are just a couple of the brands that have decided to collaborate with streetwear brands for their clothing.
The definition on Google for streetwear is: “Casual clothing of a style worn especially by members of various urban youth subcultures”. This underestimates the style massively but was not wrong back in the 1980s/90s. Although it is right with the style being more popular for the youth, it is also a style that fits well for middle-aged people as well.
Streetwear used to be male-dominated when it first became popular. Even those who created streetwear were males. Now it is a mixture of both males and females making it. As well as being a unisex style to wear out in the street. You can understand why because it is a very unique and fashionable style.
The first person to introduce streetwear to the world was, Shawn Stussy. Stussy was born in California and a surfer. He made surfboards that he then put his name on and sold to other surfers. This became so popular that he decided to make his clothing brand with his name printed on them.
Streetwear became popular through other pop cultures as well such as hip-hop and punk rock. Many artists decided to print their brand name on clothing such as ACDC, Pink Floyd and Nirvana in the later years. This is something that you will still see on the street and in-store today.
Photo by Philip Boakye from Pexels
Streetwear and celebrities
Streetwear is a popular style within the celebrity world as well. Like mentioned earlier, it was popular within the hip-hop community and progressed from there. Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber and Kanye West are just a few celebrities that wear streetwear.
Supreme was one of the first streetwear brands on the market and, it is still popular today. It was not long after Shawn Stussy created his brand of streetwear. Now, luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton have collaborated with Supreme.
Louis Vuitton released a collection with Supreme called ‘Louis Vuitton Supreme collection’. These are your more costly brands for streetwear which, is what you would expect the likes of Kanye West and Justin Bieber to wear.
Wheelers and Dealers
Streetwear can be an excellent side income for many people if they know their brands. It is key to know which brands to buy and sell to make money. Vintage streetwear can be found in second-hand shops as well at cheap prices. There are also vintage stores out there that sell streetwear. However, this can be where they are more pricey as the owners of these shops do exactly what you are doing. One thing to consider is buying from wholesalers.
The internet is a great place to shop around because everything is in one place. Websites such as Depop, eBay and StockX are all great places for finding streetwear at affordable prices. Buying online can be slightly riskier due to some sellers not sending off the item that you have bought. This is a rarity but it is something to check before you begin your purchase.
For those that invest in the stock market, streetwear can be a brilliant place to invest into. As soon as you hear about a collaboration between two very successful brands in streetwear. You can be almost certain that it will increase the brand’s overall value. Celebrities will also create their own clothing brand’s which can come along with the streetwear style.
How Did Streetwear Become So Popular?
Streetwear is popular across the world for multiple reasons. Firstly, it is the perfect market for branded clothing which is why many people buy streetwear. They love the idea of having a brand name on their clothing in big bold letters or even print. Urban streetwear has given something a bit extra to the clothing. It makes people feel like they are a part of a community.
You will also find that streetwear can be nice to wear due to its relaxed fit. It can mix and match with many other clothes and is something suitable for all temperatures. Jeans go well with printed t-shirts and sweaters but, they can also go well with joggers or shorts. Sometimes, you might find it difficult to mix and match certain clothes in your wardrobe. However, if you are going for a casual look for the day then streetwear is one to consider.
Not only does streetwear look great but, it also gives people that “edgy” look making them stand out. Streetwear is great for many reasons as well as visually looking great.
Streetwear is available both in-store and online
Streetwear consists of many different types of clothing such as footwear, t-shirts, sweaters, hoodies, and accessories. There are plenty of top brands that make footwear for the streetwear community. Social media is the most popular way for brands to promote their streetwear products and, something that you will not see often on television.
The internet has not always been around, especially in the 1980s when streetwear was created. As mentioned earlier, Surfers and hip-hop lovers made streetwear popular throughout these communities.
Consumers buy their clothing products from multiple places but with very different streetwear. Those that do wear streetwear will often buy their clothes in-store as they want to try them on and get a feel of the quality. There are many brands out there that try and make their own streetwear clothing but, do not quite pull it off due to the quality and competition. This is why people prefer buying in-store.
Nonetheless, streetwear is becoming more popular by the day on the internet. You will get plenty of social media brands that will sell their products through Instagram and Facebook. Without actually having a store. There are many e-commerce sites already out there that have managed to build up a reputation to gain the trust of the streetwear community.
The internet can be a bad place but can also be good as well. If you are looking to start your own business these days then making social media accounts for your business is the way forward. It is an easy way to get free promotion on your products. The competition is massive with streetwear and, that is because it has been around for so long.
ASOS and Boohoo are the main hubs for people buying clothes. High street stores are slowly falling off the face of the earth due to online shopping being so easy. Some people still enjoy going in-store to try on new clothes but, it is slowly becoming a thing of the past. You cannot give a piece of clothing a proper quality check before purchasing online. This is why buying in-store is so good.
There is an endless amount of stock to choose from online. Something that can be a bit of a downfall for the shops on the high street. It is down to the buyer at the end of the day. There is a risk factor when it comes to purchasing clothes second hand. But, if the seller is trusted and has a good reputation then it might not be too bad. There are plenty of sites to buy streetwear as well. You are not limited with choices.
Summary
Streetwear is only going to get bigger as it has been around for several years now. It does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon. This is why more brands are jumping on board with this amazing fashion trend.
Streetwear is not for everybody. However, it has been extremely prominent within the fashion industry, especially in the last 20 years due to the internet. Influencers and a-list celebrities promote streetwear just by wearing it. People will always follow celebrities with their style so until celebrities stop wearing, streetwear is here to stay.
