The concept of streetwear has gone so far from the olden days to the present time. Looking back to its original thought, streetwear, from the humble beginnings, was only characterized by comfortable clothing that is generally worn by surfers and skateboarders in LA. But who would’ve thought that in over four decades, streetwear could be restyled into a higher fad level?
From the casual street corners to the luxury market, streetwear is now followed by fashion royalties and the rest of what they call ‘the hypebeasts’. And not to mention luxury brands ‘Palazzo’, ‘Supreme’, and ‘Balenciaga’ that riff on the same style signature, I’m still surprised at how a casual mainstream has influenced not only the surfer and skateboard subcultures but also the massive people and the elite.
What exactly is a hypebeast?
In fashion vocab, hypebeast is a slang term that refers to any avid follower of the latest brands of streetwear in the market. They are the consumers who would deprive themselves to spend some money on whatever hype outfits will be released in just a week. In other words, hypebeasts have their common interest in collecting hype clothes, accessories, and shoes that are only worn by their favorite Hollywood stars, famous cover models, and popular fashion-blogging icons.
Although there are still arguable manifestations on how to exactly define a hypebeast. Other critics would also say that hypebeasts are generally spending too much on clothes and all just to impress the others, to call up everyone’s attention like “Hey dude, I’m wearing what Khalid was wearing from his concert last night.”.
Another thing that describes the hypebeasts is their obsession in social media popularity. Social media has paved them the way to show off their branded clothes and other belongings in the intention to become generally accepted and praised by their social media followers and subscribers. This only proves the credit to social media for being part of the fast evolution and universality of popular culture and fashion trend.
What are the effects of these changes?
While there’s an immense transition in how people accept and praise the modern streetwear, certain effects towards these changes have also become more visible as we take a closer look on the hypebeast thing itself. I mean it’s not just the designs or colors or schemes, but I think the major change that truly happened here is how these people care about the brands more than the actual clothing itself.
These days, people purchase something just because there imprint the influential texts like ‘Supreme’ or ‘Nike’ or ‘Gucci’, not because it’s comfortable to wear or because it look good on them, but because it’s the brand that deprives them to buy the product. This is pretty far from how we used to view the streetwear style.
What could be the future of modern streetwear?
Amidst this popularity, the big question is would this trend last or maybe just be diluted like the old streetwear style we knew. Now that a lot of people are still attached to brands and the modern touch of urban clothing that’s also becoming a casual day uniform, it’s so hard to foresee what the future of streetwear holds. At the end of the day, streetwear is always part of the fashion culture.
By: Sarah Contreras
Sarah is a lifestyle blogger by heart and by profession. She currently writes for a digital marketing firm. What motivates Sarah to keep writing is her passion of providing information to all readers out there. She also dreams of writing her own book that will inspire others one day.
