Streetwear refers to a style of clothingculture that borders heavily on casual wear and finds its origins in the 1990s in the United States. The New York hip-hop fashion scene and the Californian surf and skate cultureheavily inspired this fashion subculture. Because of this combination, streetwear has many elements from various genres such as punk, sportswear, skateboarding, and Japanese street fashion.
Because of this rich history and fluidity in styles, there are many ways to execute the “streetwear” look. This fluidity is further heightened by the freedom to create that it also affords designers and curators. Styling streetwear is an enjoyable task because your hands are not tied, and you have a wealth of choices and influences to draw inspiration from.
The many influences that streetwear showcases today through the diverse media for expression are thanks to many years of dutifully creating only the best looks from the best fabrics. The popularization, however, is down to the hypebeast culture and haute couture.
Hypebeast is a fancy word for aggressive promotion, and haute couture is French for high fashion. The two combine to necessitate an atmosphere where brands can create an insane amount of clout for their products, both limited in number and made from high-quality fabric and techniques.
However, there is a lot to consider when styling streetwear outfits, from the tones to the texture and how they all work together in combination. It can get confusing but do not fret, I have got you covered with all the tips and tricks for styling streetwear.
In this article, we will be exploring the many ways to style streetwear and just what you need to create that special look that is uniquely tailored for you.
The Streetwear Look
Streetwear, a legit and independent niche in the fashion industry, has its own identity and, of course, the looks accompanying it. “The streetwear look” has many variations and can be executed using many clothing pieces.
Streetwear is broken down into sub-groups; these groups give more context to the many variations of the look you might find or that might tickle your fancy.
- Skatewear: This version of streetwear is perhaps the oldest and was made popular by the skateboarding culture around the world. It includes clothing items such as beanies, flannels, baseball hats, skate sneakers, and wide-leg shorts.
- Techwear: This is streetwear that focuses on style and functionality. It consists of rugged pieces such as military jackets, camo, and cargo pants.
- Hypebeasts: This streetwear sub-group prioritizes the exclusivity culture and is promoted strictly by celebrities. It includes clothing pieces from top luxury brands such as Gucci, Prada, Balenciaga, and Supreme.
- Athleisure: Streetwear is defined by so much, but it is more about combining a casual athletic look with a leisure lifestyle in athletics. It includes clothing such as running sneakers, hoodies, tapered sweatpants, twill joggers, and face caps.
Streetwear Outfits:
1. Loose Fit Hoodie With Fitted Pants
A classic look for streetwear is loose-fitting clothes. It is, in fact, a timeless classic for any wardrobe or outfit combination. Loose clothing can be mistaken for baggy clothing, which is wrong. When styling streetwear with loose-fitting outfits, ensure they’re loose-fitting and not baggy.
Loose-fitting clothes are those that sag or appear to sag but are made to fit your overall silhouette. Examples of excellent outfit ideas for loose-fitting clothing are a top and a hoodie. Loose-fitting hoodies go great with shirts and trouser combinations.
When you choose to pair loose-fitted clothes with fitted ones, you accomplish a laid-back look on purpose. And it does not only have to be a hoodie, loose-fitting clothing includes graphic T-shirts, sweatshirts, or even a jacket.
2. Bright Colors
One thing with streetwear is that it affords you to chance to experiment and have fun with colors. It is also the one space in fashion where you can express your creativity to the fullest without fear. You can style your streetwear outfit with a lot of color creativity. You are free to use colors such as vibrant and bright for the more retro neon look.
The possibilities of what you are permitted to can create with streetwear, the amount of pastels you are allowed to use is simply breathtaking. You are also free to use muted pastels, go crazy, create new and bold looks tailored just for you.
You must pick the colors that work for you and not just jumble random colors together. The trick is pairing a bright or vibrant color with a much warmer, laid-back one.
3. Cargo Pants
When you think of streetwear, cargo pants usually come to mind, and lately, they have been making a resurgence back to the forefront of modern streetwear. Originally, cargo pants were made for the British armed forces and were considered unorthodox for streetwear until recently.
Cargo pants are best when they’re loose-fitting. However, today’s styling isn’t as loose as it used to be. But best believe you can still get exactly what suits you, as many cargo pants today come with tapered legs, which make it way more fitting.
The great part about styling your wardrobe or outfit with cargo pants is its convenience, whether it’s the loose-fitting design or the many huge pockets. It doesn’t matter, just know it was designed for your comfort.
4. Retro Athletic Wear
The center of streetwear is its strong ties with the sporting community, first with skating and then surfing culture. But it does not end there, and streetwear is notoriously famous for finding its way into fashion scenes. You would least expect to find it and make it quite easy to style streetwear because of the many options and possibilities.
The influence of sports on streetwear extends outside of skating and surfing. It morphed into literally every sport and the unironic practice of wearing sporting/athletic wear as everyday clothing-peak streetwear.
If you want to do streetwear right, then you have to consider classic sportswear. It is a modern inclusion to the fashion subculture but makes no mistake, and it is definitely worth paying attention to.
Try brands such as Champion, Adidas, and Nike, making strides in the streetwear (menswear) scene. They make cool, affordable, stylish shirts, jackets, and pants you can wear anywhere.
5. Joggers
Joggers are simply one of the most recognizable parts of any fashion subculture that promotes a “laid-back yet stylish look.” And lucky you, if you like them, ’cause they are making a resurgence to the forefront. If you know just how to style it right, joggers work for any look, not just the “gym bro” look.
For styling streetwear, a pair of classic fitted joggers goes a long way to give you that everyday casual look. There are even joggers now with tapered ankles from top athletic brands that you can purchase. They are versatile and stylish, combining athletic with leisure-Athleisure.
Oh, before I forget, don’t confuse joggers with sweatpants when you are styling your streetwear outfit. Joggers are tailored to be more fitted and made from much lighter material, while sweatpants are made with thick fabric, specially made to offer warmth.
6. Sneakers
If you are styling streetwear, there’s really no way you leave out sneakers, and they are literally the foundation the subculture stands on. They have been the pillars of streetwear fashion, and they are not going anywhere, so you better get used to it too.
Sneakers are part of the newer, more modern wave of streetwear as well, championed by big players in the sportswear industry such as Nike and Adidas. You can’t go wrong with sneakers, and the best part is, there are bolder designs today that draw from the older sneaker era. So trust me, you don’t have to worry about a dip in quality.
The classics these brands are using as inspiration for the modern designs make it easy to find the right one for any occasion and from any brand even.
7. Military Watch
Streetwear fashion pieces are timeless, and what is more timeless than a great watch? Nothing, of course, that is the only right answer if you were wondering. When you are styling a streetwear outfit, there is always room for some flash on your wrist. A cool watch will catch a lot of stares, turn a bunch of heads, and is an awesome way to accessorize.
The point of streetwear fashion is making bold, eye-catching statements which often means a lot of bold, aggressive, and intentional styling and, of course, accessorizing. This is where the watch comes in. Its job is really to crown an already amazing look with subtle grace.
When you think aggressive, a military watch definitely embodies it. They are rugged, bold, and also surprisingly stylish as they are functional. And the functions are amazing, from GPS to directional guides.
8. Camo Pants
Still, in the military section of the ever-growing and ever-versatile streetwear fashion subculture, we must introduce ourselves once more to camo pants. The reintroduction is because they did go out of style and fell out of favor with the fashion consumers. But camo is back, put the word out.
When styling streetwear with camo pants, it’s always best to go with fitted camo pants, but always remember to match camo with solid colors but not colors that would cause a crash. The idea is that camo is already, so it makes more sense to pair it with a more laid-back shade to form a seamless finish. Go simple, like a white or blacktop.
And you are free to experiment with the fabric choice or design, and it can be a camo jogger or even camo cargo pants. Just make sure they are tapered that fit loosely around the rear and thighs.
9. Denim On Denim
Denim is an age-old classic in the fashion world, and of course, we do not mean just jeans here. Denim can complement just about any outfit, and there really is none it can’t go great with. When styling it into streetwear, try a cropped denim jacket over a loose-fitting shirt. That is a tested and trusted favorite streetwear look.
Denim is also a great and easy way to layer up your outfit, and it can take your wardrobe from “tired and repetitive” to “fresh and layered.” It can make an old outfit look brand new
But of course, denim does not just work as a jacket or shirt, it also works as jeans. And last I checked, jeans are always in style. Right now, in streetwear, the prevalent trend is loose-fitting jeans, but you can still do a lot with tapered and fitting jeans.
Oh, the final tip to styling streetwear with denim is the denim on denim variation. That’s right, denim jacket or top worn on denim pants. It actually works, throw in a graphic or plain white T-shirt, and you have a great look.
10. Headwear
When you’re styling streetwear, you are allowed to basically go beyond the boundaries of the normal fashion templates. This means your outfit does not stop at your ankles or shoulders. And since we’ve sorted below your ankles with sneakers, it’s time we talked about above your shoulders now.
Hats are a great way to “crown” your well-curated outfit. So, when styling your next streetwear outfit, remember to utilize a hat. They add a much-needed final touch of uniqueness and individuality.
One of the most iconic choices remains the baseball cap. It goes great with just about anything. In today’s modern take on streetwear, you find muted, classic baseball caps alongside the “dad hat.” Baseball caps are not the only ones in this category, and you can also see the likes of bucket hats and even visors are making a comeback.
Always remember to go with a simple hat with a solid, muted color that won’t clash with your outfit.
11. White Tee-Bold Patterns
There is never a wrong time to style streetwear with a plain white tee, and it works for whichever look you are going for. It is important to remember one thing when you’re styling streetwear is that the essence of streetwear is accentuating simple designs and outfits with much bolder ones.
A great way to style streetwear with a white tee is to combine it with bold patterns or colors. The white tee is there to act like a “canvas” for the much bolder tones, kind of like in a painting. There is a subtle background for the bold patterns and colors to pop.
You can take any simple outfit from mediocre to amazing with the right combination. Pair a white tee with bold patterned pants; this adds more layers and improves the overall look. White tees do not have to be bland, and you can take it up a notch with the right accessories and clothing additions.
Streetwear, at its core, is flexible and gives you the freedom to tinker, but you still have to use clothes that fit you well and with colors that match. The flexibility isn’t a license to abuse the beauty that is streetwear. So, when you’re styling streetwear, remember to let your creativity flow but also remember not to create chaos.
Conclusion
Fashion is art, a chance to express creative brilliance using fabric and colors. This has always been the case for any and every section of the many subcultures in fashion. This is also true for streetwear, and here you can boldly find the most artistic and creative works in the fashion world.
It is important to make art the right way, and else it would just be chaos. When styling streetwear or curating a streetwear look, it is vital that you engage your creativity to the max and practical that you remember there are rules for combining colors, patterns, and texture.
In the end, make sure you create looks that make you most comfortable and looking stylish.
