Have you ever noticed an especially well-dressed person on the streets and thought “wow?” Street fashion has been a source of inspiration for many designers in the past, but street fashion, thanks to social media, is now a category on its own.
Virgil Abloh immortalised street fashion with his streetwear brand Pyrex Vison in 2014, which morphed into the hyped Off-White brand, now 60% owned by Louis Vuitton (LVMH). The focus on and the success of streetwear has led to a surge of people using the streets as personal runaways, showcasing outstanding outfits with distinctive styles and combinations of fabrics and colours. This is all part of the worldwide movement of streetwear. But what exactly is it?
Streetwear-/ fashion is what it says on the tin. A style born and developed on the ‘streets’, not from designers, but from people that show off their unique outfits whilst going about their daily lives and making an identity statement at the same time. Street fashion’s roots lie in the youth culture of the recent decades (messycloset). In fact, as with most cool things, street fashion is carried exclusively by the younger generation, who are comfortable to use the streets as their catwalk and are incredibly invested in fashion and its importance as a method of self-expression. Street fashion doesn’t cover just one style of dressing but encompasses a whole range of styles. All these styles are mixed and matched to create a patchwork-like image. You can take hoodies and mix them up with button-ups or take suits and match them with sneakers. No rules apply, everything is possible. Getting into streetwear is all about sharing your personality and feeling confident to do so. It’s not about achieving a certain standard or follow certain codes.
Where can you find it?
As with most fashion, big cities take the lead for being the main centers of attraction. Street fashion is extremely present in Milan, London, Paris and New York. Lots of places that you will already recognise as the homes of fashion. However, the good thing about a fashion with no rules is that anyone, anywhere, can be part of it. In fact, also some lesser-known cities (for fashion that is) such as Lagos, Mexico City and Shanghai are thriving as street fashion capitals. China is especially strong for street style and social media are full of compilations capturing amazing Chinese streetwear. Of course, streetstyle is different all over the world and it’s wonderful to see the candid photographs taken by fashion fans that immortalise these outfits. So have fun and discover the blend of traditional and modern of Lagos, the casual-chic of Milan or the colourful style of London.
How to be part of it?
It’s important to know that streetwear is composed of every-day outfits and doesn’t have to be always something so amazing looking. It is the combination and the artistry that matters. Any outfit you put together, one that feels like it reflects your style in the shapes and colours you choose, combined with the courage to wear this outside, that is your contribution to street fashion. Something that has that little bit of ‘je ne sais quoi’ that makes it uniquely yours. So, take that low-cut shirt you never dared to wear during the day out of your closet, cut the sleeves off your hoodie, wear those bright sunglasses that match a random skirt or a pair of track bottoms you have and make something out of it.
Streetwear is about turning every rule on its head to make fashion more accessible. The people become the designers and models and the streets their red carpets. There is no budget restriction either; some outfits will be cheap and some very expensive; some very casual and others more formal. Street fashion is a beautiful mosaic that externalises the individuality of people, showing on the outside what is on the inside. It is about being confident, flouting the fashion rules, not giving a toss. It is liberating.
So, what are you waiting for? Get out of your comfort zone and be the person that everybody turns their heads towards - while you are walking the streets - and think “wow”.
Recommended Links:
https://getbaggizmo.com/the-evolution-of-street-style/
https://www.messycloset.com/fashion/street-style/864/
https://www.thethreadability.com/breakdown/what-is-street-style
https://www.whowhatwear.co.uk/london-street-style-2021-august
https://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/london-fashion-week-street-style
https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/gallery/copenhagen-fashion-week-street-style-spring-2022
https://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/milan-fashion-week-street-style
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