Clothes and accessories are the medium of expressing our inner persona and the particular statement that we want to possess outside. No matter what you are inside, your first appearance matters to others.
They will mostly take you the way you represent yourself at first glance. So, where your appearance matters, clothes play a pivotal representing role.
People have identified the prominence of street fashion long ago in search of authenticity and individual identity. Not only that, the transition of street fashion is also significant.
From suburbanization to mass marketing, the street fashion chain is long and exclusive. It’s not only about sports and comfort, but elegance comes into play with a better infusion.
Here, we will focus on the evolution of street fashion in particular. Apart from that, the focus will also be on what makes it a thing!
What Is Street Style?
Street fashion is an example of a common social practice that transcended into a big fashion industry. A major part of our modern industry follows street fashion!
However, the evolution coming from extensive social, cultural, and economic changes made it happen.
- Skateboarding.
- Hip-hop.
- Graffiti.
These are the major urban subcultures that influenced street fashion from the 1960s to the 2000s. Well, street fashion mainly originated from British Culture. Surprised?
Well, it’s true!
The fashion that differs from the mainstream is street fashion, where you can showcase individualism intersecting with contemporary trends of every era. It is not about single but multiple identities.
Street fashion is the performance of individuals and always goes viral with its vivid sense of nature.
- Hats & Caps.
- Baggy Jeans.
- Eyewear.
- Hoodies & Sweatshirts.
- Oversized T-Shirts.
- Bomber Jackets.
- Sneakers.
Although baggy jeans are coming from hip-hop musicians and skaters and largely prioritizing comfort, in the last 15 years, there has been a shift in choice. Nowadays, clothes are getting slim and flattering!
For instance, biker denim is contemporary and popular for its look and skinny fit. For riders, baggy clothes can cause them to get caught in the riding equipment. So, they prefer skinny fit with comfortable and durable clothing.
Contributions To The Evolution Of Street Fashion
The evolution of street fashion was mixed with culture and art. So, society is largely responsible for this evolution.
Here, we have found some amazing sources of street fashion evolution.
Hip-Hop Influence
In the 1980s, hip-hop culture emerged in our society. However, this particular culture bridged the gap between art and fashion. Though we know hip-hop through its musical emergence, it is not just stuck there.
If you look around, you will see people wearing tracksuits, oversized gold chains, and bucket hats. So, the hip-hop musicians not only added a new glimpse of music but also contributed a new fashion sense to people.
The evolution of hip-hop has already set the trend of street fashion with the fusion of style and music.
Roots In Rebellion
If you do something unique, people will notice you. The same logic worked finely for street fashion. Finding the root will lead you back to the 20th-century neighborhoods.
Youth of every era have found street fashion as a sense of freedom and necessity. It helped thousands to promote self-expression while challenging contemporary norms. From zoot suits (1940s) to punk aesthetics (1970s), this distinctive fashion became a statement for people to showcase a conformity-less presence.
Artistry On The Street
We have already mentioned the contributions of Graffiti and skateboarding to the evolution of street fashion. From baggy jeans to graphic tees, these have made street fashion pollution a form of culture.
Useful to mention Graffiti brought a mixture of bold colors and vibrant patterns in the fashion industry. Nowadays, being bold or going for abstract printed tees is a new style form.
Everything came into action to give birth to street fashion, which we can notice distinctively from other fashion senses.
From Runway To Retail: Role Of Streetwear Brands
In the 1990s, the streetwear brand started emerging and creating pathways for street fashion lovers. They have a greater contribution to bringing street fashion as a global phenomenon.
Additionally, the digital world has enhanced the power of retail sectors to increase sales and fashion sense for people worldwide. Street fashion came into the mainstream as an edgy alternative for people who like to identify themselves separately with fashion and comfort.