I miss 90's streetwear. Anybody else feel this way?

[10(50)]

fucking great read

thanks

young bucks don't know this, but remember how people used to be fucking SHOT DEAD for jordans? my buddy was telling me how some dude got killed in middle school for his starter jacket that had the ninja turtles as NWA airbrushed on the back of his jacket

i bought a bunch of old si magazine covers from my basketball coach

one of them from 90-91 had the cover "your sneakers or your life" with an ill picture of a dude in a starter jacket and V's slung over his shoulder with a gun to his back.

im sure a scanned copy exists somewhere out there if not ill scan it.

[poly800rock]

would love to see that pic

[red]

everytime i see canice posting, i always think its ftb for some reason.

[wEstSidE]

The hot shit was back in college.....chillin with the Lo Lifes...Polo down from glasses to Polo bear sweaters down to the $250 Polo boots. Late 80s to mid 90s, kid. Brooklyn,Brooklyn!!!

i was about to say this. unfortunately vintage lo is on the come-up right now. acupulco gold (yet another played streetwear brand) made a shirt with the polo bear on it trying to claim 'lo lifes. maybe it was a collaboration, who knows, everyone collaborates nowadays; i just think it's stupid to claim defunct crews. i'm going to start bringing it back as soon as i can find the good vintage shit (the ski '92, indian head, and p-wing are mostly what i'm looking for). shit is tough to find though. hopefully i'll get lucky thrifting in ny...maybe someone here could direct me? ironic thing is nobody back in the early '90s paid for it, unless they were members of a country club and their friends called them "chad."

edit: damn i didn't read canice's post. yeah, i too am too young to remember that but remember the adults around me wore a lot of 'lo (i'm from a trad/prep town). also i read those articles (don't remember what mag though. might've been online on vintage gear addicts). good hearing from the originals.

[FootlooseSF]

young bucks don't know this, but remember how people used to be fucking SHOT DEAD for jordans? my buddy was telling me how some dude got killed in middle school for his starter jacket that had the ninja turtles as NWA airbrushed on the back of his jacket

"...doin' target practice on kids with starter jackets." - Eminem

Damn, that's some serious shit.

[xcoldricex]

TROOP

didn't they start reissuing stuff for awhile back?

[Loop]

I think there is a major difference in early and comptemorary streetwear which stems from the fact that the styles from back in the day comprised of brands which were appropriated as streetwear.

Look at the Polo example, these clothes were being made for rich white people and were appropriated (I need a thesaurus..) by poor black people.

Maybe a better example would be the Nike Jordan. The brand has lasted the test of time because although there might be a little more concern over street aesthetics, the product is still the same, you could still play basketball in them.

But nowadays there are specialised 'street' brands. Part of the original appeal was in wearing something in a way that it was not intended to be by the designer or marketing people. I think there is a direct comparison with workwear brands (see this thread) such as Levis or Wrangler. Their product started out as purely practical garments but was embraced as casual wear and they have now because some of fashion's biggest names.

Modern streetwear can become very tiresome because it is just derivatives of the original popular brands.Modern streetwear brands limit themselves because they're so vocal about 'what they're about,' so they can't progress and move into a different market without alienating their original customer base and losing all their hype (which of course is a major problem since most of these new brands entire foundation is hype).

The other thing of course is that although on the one hand it's hard for an out and out streetwear brand to launch a credible and successful high fashion range, the major non-streetwear brands can't nessecarily launch an out and out street range with any level of credibility. You know Phil Knight isn't from the streets. Nike might make footwear that appeals to a street audience but they can't pretend they're not a huge corporation. They won't be throwing a block party anytime soon, with their entire crew there that everyone knows on first name terms...

Sorry I have rambled. My main point is this: that a major part of the original appeal was the subversive element and if you're wearing a 'streetwear' garment as streetwear then you're just confirming to ideas that have already been accepted and condoned (and to use what I believe is the street vernacular, "played").

Loop.

[poly800rock]

TROOP

didn't they start reissuing stuff for awhile back?

i know they were going to, but don't know if it every really came about....that's like 80's shit though

[englandmj7]

can we please bring back Jnco jeans?

Bring them back? They are still here; and as cool as ever:

http://www.jnco.com

While we're at it, how about IS jeans?

[mspark]

I just remembered....Just Blaze collects vintage Polo shit. Has a pretty sizable collection.

[Brienneoftarth]

no one is gunna find the classic ski 92 and p wing shit in a thrift store. It commands alot of cash on the aftermarket.

[cheapmuthafukr]

^^ we will see about that.

[Brienneoftarth]

hey cheap...if you can...more power to you...you find some near deadstock p-wing sweats or varsity jackets and youve got 100's and 100's of bucks on ebay.

[Selegna]

While we're at it, how about IS jeans?

Interstate! HAHA! dude i worked for them for like 3 months but got caught stealing.. oh man thats brings it back for me.

[FootlooseSF]

I think there is a major difference in early and comptemorary streetwear which stems from the fact that the styles from back in the day comprised of brands which were appropriated as streetwear.

Look at the Polo example, these clothes were being made for rich white people and were appropriated (I need a thesaurus..) by poor black people.

Maybe a better example would be the Nike Jordan. The brand has lasted the test of time because although there might be a little more concern over street aesthetics, the product is still the same, you could still play basketball in them.

But nowadays there are specialised 'street' brands. Part of the original appeal was in wearing something in a way that it was not intended to be by the designer or marketing people. I think there is a direct comparison with workwear brands (see this thread) such as Levis or Wrangler. Their product started out as purely practical garments but was embraced as casual wear and they have now because some of fashion's biggest names.

Modern streetwear can become very tiresome because it is just derivatives of the original popular brands.Modern streetwear brands limit themselves because they're so vocal about 'what they're about,' so they can't progress and move into a different market without alienating their original customer base and losing all their hype (which of course is a major problem since most of these new brands entire foundation is hype).

The other thing of course is that although on the one hand it's hard for an out and out streetwear brand to launch a credible and successful high fashion range, the major non-streetwear brands can't nessecarily launch an out and out street range with any level of credibility. You know Phil Knight isn't from the streets. Nike might make footwear that appeals to a street audience but they can't pretend they're not a huge corporation. They won't be throwing a block party anytime soon, with their entire crew there that everyone knows on first name terms...

Sorry I have rambled. My main point is this: that a major part of the original appeal was the subversive element and if you're wearing a 'streetwear' garment as streetwear then you're just confirming to ideas that have already been accepted and condoned (and to use what I believe is the street vernacular, "played").

Loop.

Dude. I agree with almost all of this.

[artificialsky]

You know Phil Knight isn't from the streets.

SO TRUE.

IF MOST KIDS KNEW THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY RUN BRAND JORDAN (HERE'S A HINT: THEY LOOK LIKE THE GOLDEN GIRLS) THEIR HEADS WOULD PROBABLY EXPLODE.

[holotekor]

young bucks don't know this, but remember how people used to be fucking SHOT DEAD for jordans? my buddy was telling me how some dude got killed in middle school for his starter jacket that had the ninja turtles as NWA airbrushed on the back of his jacket

fucking great read

thanks

i bought a bunch of old si magazine covers from my basketball coach

one of them from 90-91 had the cover "your sneakers or your life" with an ill picture of a dude in a starter jacket and V's slung over his shoulder with a gun to his back.

im sure a scanned copy exists somewhere out there if not ill scan it.

[sean_]

niiiice pic there, thats a classic

canice, much respect for that article that was a fucking great read

[poly800rock]

bring it

[FootlooseSF]

Oh Shit! Shit Is Mad Feelable Poly!!!

[cheapmuthafukr]

bring it

guaranteed fresh!

[paradigm_shift]

Shoe I miss most from the 90's ....

[MilSpex]

real late `90s some of the stuff I had was Airmax `97s, `80s vintage 501s from Buffalo Bobs that used to be over BWS Harajuku, gramicci climbing shorts, OG brown leather Nike Air Mocs, Bathing Ape sweats, tees, border long sleeve and OG camo snowboard jacket, Gregory Day and a Half backpack and G-shock frogman (the same one I still use) and wtaps BDU pants. I also used to wear these plain back towelling oversized headbands that you got in Japan for women to hold back their hair putting on makeup.

[Ryan]

I still remember my first pair of tims. i rocked those things to death, id still wear em if they fit

i remember my friend getting a michigan starter and man was i JEALOUS

had a couple of nautica jackets though, it was great how alot of them were reversible, practically doubled your wardrobe.

did any one else rock the jansports and sagged them waaay low? or put padlocks on them ..

anyone remember triple fat goose??

beri still remem

[cheapmuthafukr]

had the jansport witht the straps all the way out... middle school...

[MilSpex]

Eastpak was always better than Jansport so thats what I had in about `94.

[doctorgnar]

It's still alive!

Check the galleries here:

http://vintagegearaddicts.com/

You used to be able to read their forum - looks like you need to be invited or some shit. Dudes were selling all this stuff - old Lo bear sweaters, OG TNF steep techs.

[sont]

i was too young to appreciate this. still if you go into any public high school in nyc, you'll still see that one kid that's still rocking the old school north face and lo from like 15 years ago.

[peteyross]

Oh shit, you brought this back.

Met up with some old high school friends this weekend and still expected them to be wearing:

Nautica sailing jacket

Dolomite boots

Carhart work jeans

Tommy Hil work jeans (the hammer loop was the TH flag)

Adjustable polo hats

Sagged Eastpak

NorthFace bubble

Polo Sport cologne

[peteyross]

Oh yeah, and MilSpex is the only dude on here who is keeping any streetwear from the 90's alive.