In essence, urban fashion involves the production, promotion, sale and resale of casual fashion, mainly footwear, such as sneakers, but also t-shirts and other items, in ways that avoid traditional retail channels and often subvert the way in which the fashion industry has long defined and dictated how to become “cool”. At first glance, the definition of urban clothing is deceptively simple. The fashion industry defines urban clothing as casual, fashionable clothing worn by followers of popular culture. Most of these followers are under 30 years old, live in urban areas and belong to a group of subcultures (e.g.
streetwear is a fashion subculture that emerged in the early 80s in California). Surfers and skaters in Los Angeles began selling screen-printed t-shirts with eye-catching and eye-catching designs. From the South, the style traveled to New York and spread to hip-hop fans. In the 2000s, the sneaker culture came together.
They were people focused on collecting expensive and unique sneakers. And in the next decade, when urban fashion became popular among social media influencers, luxury brands took action. Celebrities in the music industry and social media influencers are collaborating with big brands to make urban clothing more coveted. As such, urban clothing is more than overrated casual wear, logo t-shirts, oversized hoodies, and cool sneakers.
Urban fashion is an informal and youthful style of dress inspired by the culture of sneakers and skaters in California and the hipsters of New York. That's why we analyzed the most popular word in urban fashion to help you understand the complex and multi-million dollar industry that has taken over the global fashion scene. Sportswear and streetwear are often referred to interchangeably, largely because sportswear brands are the foundation of modern urban clothing. Each urban clothing category has a different aesthetic and style, and below, we'll break down the best urban clothing names in each category.
Dapper Dan, a designer based in Harlem who created luxury urban clothing for hip-hop artists and influencers of color. The silent logo style (without any logos) is all the rage now, so if your outfit screams a brand name, try to soften it up a bit. Shaun Stussy, a surfer from Laguna Beach in California, first created one of the best-known urban clothing brands in the early 1980s from the back of his car. In the past, designers and trend forecasters dictated what trends appeared on the runways, shoppers determined what styles appeared in stores, and magazine publishers told consumers what they could and couldn't buy during the next season.
They produce most of the highest-value items in urban fashion, sneakers, which gives them incredible financial power in the urban fashion industry. Known for launching small batches and limited editions, these urban clothing brands generate scarcity and high demand. Understanding the difference between the different types of urban clothing brands can make the difference between looking like an OG and looking like an aspiring cheap one. The best urban fashion designers also manage to make fun of classic brands even with authorized collaborations.
Design your clothes in a way that feels authentic to you and remember that, in essence, the aesthetic of urban fashion consists of mixing comfort and practicality with self-expression. In the United States, the modern urban clothing movement can be traced back to California's surf and skate culture.
