Streetwear Trends – Keeping Up with Times

Fashion is never constant. Over the centuries, fashion has been continually metamorphosing but over the last couple of decades, youth culture and streetwear trends have influenced the popular fashion as never before. The streetwear trend can be traced to the late 50s. The post war era was probably the first time when people had money to spare and of course the freedom to spend on themselves. That is how streetwear came into existence.

The early sixties saw two prominent styles that charmed the youth like nothing else could – Greasers and Preppies. Copied from the biker look set by the macho Marlon Brando, it was admirably reinvented for daily wear with the denim jeans completing the streetwear looks. The Preppy look debuted later and focused on the clean cut look that was forced upon the youth by the fastidious colleges and educational institutes of those times.

Freedom of speech was a much touted slogan of the early sixties and the influence that it had on the youth can be seen in the fashion of that era. They were highly influenced by pop music which also was echoing the feelings of liberation. Unconventional even risqué fashion was the style that reflected their choices. Mini dresses and tapered pants was the streetwear fashion of the era. The Hippy style was the ultimate symbol of rebellion and also brought in Eastern influence in to the way of dressing. It was not uncommon to see kaftans and beads form a part of the style in those heady days.

The streetwear of the early seventies was inspired to a considerable extent by the Indian looks. Polyester made its debut by then and opened up new vistas of colors and patterns. This spurred the trend for the new streetwear of the decade. The style reflected athleticism and modern forms of dance in the jump suits and flared pants. The comfort and versatility of wraparound items came into being also in this era.

The streetwear of the 1980s were influenced to a large extent by the icons of those times. This is when pop star culture influenced the youth to a great degree. Stretch fabrics influenced street fashion and so did baggy tops and tight fitting and figure-hugging dress especially the bottoms. Hip hop culture was a rage in the late 80s and the early 90s. American nationalism was in the mainstream and the then sporting heroes also left their stamp on the streetwear fashion.