consolidated streetwear discussion thread

[dunkin deeznuts]

hey i like jungle brothers ahaha. what was that song they had with todd terry? girl i'll house your or something right? GIRL I'LL HOUSE YOU! hahahaha

yeah but u getting it second hand...u werent aound whn it was the new hot shit in school bumping it on your yellow waterproof sony walkman...fucka ipod.....

jungle brothers to you is like beatles was to me....

[Raskol]

i agree with you raskol to a large extent, but being that i grew up in skate culture and shit i know that dudes like the dudes behind supreme or any old school skater (im sure cheep would attest to this) used to rag on kids who would pick up skate gear cause they saw it and thought it was cool. now i know supreme definitely is not the average skate company and had broader ideas but when it boils back down to it, they are a skate company who acts elitist as the klan yet are really are just in it to make a buck at this point. and holy shit are they ever. i still respect supreme for what it was and for what they have done, but at this point much of it is just a joke. i mean how much of a counter culture is it? i see middle aged midwestern tourists wandering around nyc with their bags while they wait for their kids to finish up in urban outfitters

im not a skater (never was) so i guess im in no position to discuss how they would feel about non-skaters appropriating their shit. but it's just that some of their references have nothing to do with skating and it would strike me as odd if the supreme staff would look down upon non-skaters who picked up on those references. i mean, i cant skate, but ive been saying "fuck bush" since 2001. and i wouldnt call myself a bboy if i couldnt get down with james brown. i dont have a harold hunter tee cause i didnt know who he was before i knew about supreme, but regime change and evil empire, im on it. but still, i understand where you're coming from. it must be hard for real skaters to distinguish between those who really understand the counter culture and trend hoppers wanting to be cool. i imagine it must be frustrating to see the latter group all up on your shit.

[dunkin deeznuts]

you're right about that i guess. i hate the beatles tho. i hope you dont mind that i put the quote in my sig. if you want, i can take it out. i am not trying to be a poseur, i just like the song/saying.

damn u crazy man...sgt peppers changed my 6th grade life....

just like it take a nation of millions to hold us back changed my high school life....tape stolen from woolsworth!! what what!!!

[dunkin deeznuts]

bahahaha woolsworth? does that even exist anymore? yo not trying to turn this into "ask an old person" but yo do u like chicago house too? whats ur favorite new york house (aka garage)? btw have you ever been to liquid sky? from what i hear it was near supreme when it existed.

heard of liquid sky...dont remember if i was ever there...did it used to be where the second vice store was?

it sounds like you are talking about house music...i was never really into acid and shitf like that...

[Guest sinXXXter]

polo, hilfiger, nautica were big in the early days because it could be found on the cheap at marshalls, ross, tj maxx, jc penny's etc. and it was classy... but obviously none of those brands were marketing to a "streetwear" clientele

not to knock on you joey but hilfiger was one of the first to advertise to "streetwear" then ralph and others caught on

in the 90s hilfiger was try'n to hit a younger crowd so he logo'd and purposely changed the size's and such to copy nike, addidas, gucci so rappers would sport them in there mtv vids.

the end of fashion by teri agins. its got some good information in it. not to streetwear but the fundamentals of fashion marketing.

[JackPhotography]

streetwear originally wasn't about specific brands, but an aesthetic influenced by a lifestyle. IT evolved into brands that reflected this street style or aesthetic, then further evolved into brands that tried to manipulate the culture.

and joey no need to get defensive homie I edited my post because I misread your post.

[dunkin deeznuts]

streetwear originally wasn't about specific brands, but an aesthetic influenced by a lifestyle. IT evolved into brands that reflected this street style or aesthetic, then further evolved into brands that tried to manipulate the culture.

and joey no need to get defensive homie I edited my post because I misread your post.

not sure what street wear you are talking about but as far as i can remember, its always been about brands...cause peeps were too poor to afford "brands" so they aspired to own them....like b-boys and all that one up manship in the late 70s and early 80s. thats the beginning of street wear to me...unless u going back to greaser days and shit like that.....

even soldiers back in the day used try and get armor/shit made by specific smiths....if thats not "brands" i'm not sure.....

of course being sarcastic about the last part but u get my point....

[Guest '___________________']

Using JackPhotography as a source on streetwear is a bad idea.

-'______________________'

[JackPhotography]

not sure what street wear you are talking about but as far as i can remember, its always been about brands...cause peeps were too poor to afford "brands" so they aspired to own them....like b-boys and all that one up manship in the late 70s and early 80s. thats the beginning of street wear to me...unless u going back to greaser days and shit like that.....

even soldiers back in the day used try and get armor/shit made by specific smiths....if thats not "brands" i'm not sure.....

of course being sarcastic about the last part but u get my point....

Yes I get your point but I don't think you got mine.

Streetwear of course was about brands, as its an extension of the philosophy of futility and based on the ideas of consumerism.

But it wasn't about specific "streetwear" brands in the beginning, it was about an aesthetic. A look or style based on a lifestyle.

[JackPhotography]

Using JackPhotography as a source on streetwear is a bad idea.

-'______________________'

and you are?

stop following me around and talking like you know something about me.

[dunkin deeznuts]

Yes I get your point but I don't think you got mine.

Streetwear of course was about brands, as its an extension of the philosophy of futility and based on the ideas of consumerism.

But it wasn't about specific "streetwear" brands in the beginning, it was about an aesthetic. A look or style based on a lifestyle.

i see...you're right..it wasnt labled streetwear back then...it was called bboys or whatever... but it was still about brands like kangol, adidas, kazal, lee was all streetwear, even if it wasnt technically a term back then....or am i still "misremembering" what u saying....what time period are u talking about?

[Guest youkinorn]

Today I walked by Supreme and saw a hat I liked and bought it. It is big black and white check/plaid. That is all.

I will probably wear it with an american apparel shirt and some clarks desert boots or maybe some crocs. Or maybe some gap gear. Or a jock strap.

I GO FOR ZERO BRAND SYNERGY.

[fndmybetterhalf]

i see...you're right..it wasnt labled streetwear back then...it was called bboys or whatever... but it was still about brands like kangol, adidas, kazal, lee was all streetwear, even if it wasnt technically a term back then....or am i still "misremembering" what u saying....what time period are u talking about?

tried to +rep dunkin deeznuts but cant. but +rep when i get the chance for dropping legitimate knowledge.

[arem]

Yes I get your point but I don't think you got mine.

Streetwear of course was about brands, as its an extension of the philosophy of futility and based on the ideas of consumerism.

But it wasn't about specific "streetwear" brands in the beginning, it was about an aesthetic. A look or style based on a lifestyle.

A lifestyle that no one in almost no one in the current "streetwear" scene knows anything about. In the 80's in NYC it was all about brands. People wore stuff that looked iffy as long as the brand was right (Remember Coca-Cola clothes? Probably not. Shit was big in Brooklyn for a while there). And even if a piece looked fly, if the brand was wack the piece was wack. Nothing has changed on that front.

The big difference now is all of these "experts" who talk authoritatively about things they never experienced firsthand have managed to re-define what urban and street style are all about, and they've created brands to cater to other "experts" who believe their BS. Meanwhile, on Fulton St and Jamaica Ave and Fordham Rd the real streets don't care one bit...

[ktothe]

not to knock on you joey but hilfiger was one of the first to advertise to "streetwear" then ralph and others caught on

in the 90s hilfiger was try'n to hit a younger crowd so he logo'd and purposely changed the size's and such to copy nike, addidas, gucci so rappers would sport them in there mtv vids.

the end of fashion by teri agins. its got some good information in it. not to streetwear but the fundamentals of fashion marketing.

I dont know about this. It doesn't make much sense. I have Hilfiger wares that date back from like 92 to 99 and the sizes are the same. Ive never once seen an add from Hilfger that was at all 'urban'. At the time Hilfger became hot in the hood, it was rung up with the 5 finger discount code anyway.

[ktothe]

A lifestyle that no one in almost no one in the current "streetwear" scene knows anything about. In the 80's in NYC it was all about brands. People wore stuff that looked iffy as long as the brand was right (Remember Coca-Cola clothes? Probably not. Shit was big in Brooklyn for a while there). And even if a piece looked fly, if the brand was wack the piece was wack. Nothing has changed on that front.

The big difference now is all of these "experts" who talk authoritatively about things they never experienced firsthand have managed to re-define what urban and street style are all about, and they've created brands to cater to other "experts" who believe their BS. Meanwhile, on Fulton St and Jamaica Ave and Fordham Rd the real streets don't care one bit...

A lot of times the brand was big, but the clothes were wack. Like Iceberg, and Karl Kani. Even DADA.

[MilSpex]

When I was in High School (`90-`94) in Australia, kids had style. Kids wore black Jordan VIs and Stussy. Eastpak backpacks, etc. Then later half of the `90s kids in Australia got lame, wore rags, fucked off brands and dressed like Kurt Cobain or some shit. In Uni when I saw the Jap exchange students come over they had Stussy and Jordans like I remembered plus reissue dunks and all this dope gear like Bathing Ape and WTAPS I`d never seen before. The Japs took that early `90s style to a whole different level. Australia went backwards, Japan went way way next level. Made their own dope shit, respected and coveted the US originators and from then on I knew thats where I had to get clothes.

[cheep]

for me, i approch streetwear(i kinda hate that term... its just clothes) like i do skateboarding... its about taking what you have in front of you and making it your own, with your own style, and hopefully in a way that someone else hanst done(or at least hasnt done better). brands play a role( i know ill wear polo shit that id never wear if another brand made it), but just as important is wether something puts out a vibe...

i dont really see most streetwear brands as being streetwear... because i dont think it is a look or style as much as it is a way of thinking about how to present yourself. i tink its more "streetwear" to wear brands out of context and make it work than to have a nice pre-packaged asthetic. supreme gets a pass from me just because they were so involed in the mid 90s east coast skate scene, which is were the current asthetic of streetwear draws most of its influences.

but really... what do i know. im just doing this from my own experiences as a skateboarder... which is something ill hold onto long after this streetwear thing is dead, or evolved to something else. my look may not stay the same, but the base is always the same.

[djrajio]

Am I missing something? I was under the impression that streetwear came out of surf and skater wear from LA, i.e. Stussy, Mossimo, and all the rest in the early 80s...

However, I'm not too familiar with the history of the east coast, but I stand to believe it comes from the appropriation of Ralph Lauren, et. al. by poor blacks although originally targetted towards middle-class/rich whites.

In my opinion the original streetwear label is still Stussy.

[cyberPUNK]

shit, like i said in best waywt, i was under the impression that black people in the united states streetwear. i know a lot of what i learned about clothes came from me going to public schools in st. louis city for the longest where the student body is predominantly black. the best thing you could do back then was wear the newest jordans and the worst being wearing "flood pants."

[Quixotic]

personally (from a london UK viewpoint), 'streetwear' was always about brands. you had to have the hottest shit, whether it was trainers, jeans, jumpers, jackets, whatever. Streetwear was more about dressing well. Some kids had two stripe adidas trainers, so they cos shat on..gotta have the real deal. it was also about making yourself look richer, or at least that's what you thought you were doing, when in fact you were just looking like the hoodrat you were wearing your stolen Tommy Hil pullover. and taking pride in your appearence.

Streetwear, not skatewear, or hypebeast wear comes from poor kids trying to show they have cash and steez, its like saying to the world "fuck you - you may think im poor, but im wearing Tommy Hil, Polo and Karl Kani.." I still remember back in the day when someone would come in to primary (elementary) school with Reebok Pumps, everyone was amazed and wanted to be the first to pump em up. Same thing with Starter Jackets, everyone wanted either Raiders (cos its LA, and thats gangsta innit?) or the Bulls (it was all about Jordan).

No hate to anyone here, but when i see waywt's from people like Milspex (not picking on you, just you have your look down to a t and do it well), i dont think of streetwear. mainly cos i think those outfits make someone look like they are just about to cycle courier something up a mountain or some shit.

[cyberPUNK]

haha they were rippin' off black people.

[Quixotic]

yea but then the blk ppl were stealing it frm the stores and not paying rent to get the stuff. who stole from whom first?

its not as simple as who stole it from who. here's how i see it - trend starts on the street, cool hunters/designers see this, pass it on to a brand, the brand uses the trend and sells it to a mass market, knowing that if something is big enough to start a trend just under a mass market radar, it will usually be strong enough to be sold to the mass market. people originally wearing whatever trend get sick of seeing people wearing it and move on to something else, or ride it out and wait for the mainstream to move on.

[arem]

yea but then the blk ppl were stealing it frm the stores and not paying rent to get the stuff. who stole from whom first?

Blacks stole the clothes, whites stole the culture...

[Fuuma]

Am I missing something? I was under the impression that streetwear came out of surf and skater wear from LA, i.e. Stussy, Mossimo, and all the rest in the early 80s...

However, I'm not too familiar with the history of the east coast, but I stand to believe it comes from the appropriation of Ralph Lauren, et. al. by poor blacks although originally targetted towards middle-class/rich whites.

In my opinion the original streetwear label is still Stussy.

I do believe they're going at it from the angle discussed in your second paragraph and are thinking of "Lo-lifes and all that middle-class/upper middle-class gear being re-contextualized by black urban lower-classes adopting their products.

I'd say the appearance of brands specifically designed to be streetwear marks the adoption of street culture by middle class white kids because they're usually the ones looking for “authenticityâ€, something that people actually living the life couldn’t care less about. Ironically the arrival of the middle class white kids and their habit of bringing all that good stuff in the limelight and creating products and a market linked to street culture usually marks the end of authenticity, keeping it real or whatever you want to call it.

Being a member of a subculture is always a flight ahead anyway because as soon as you see the mass of early and late adopters moving towards you it’s probably time to move on, usually to something even more extreme than what you were doing before.

[dunkin deeznuts]

what about the very old and often now defunct brands that sold tshirts primarily to like graffitti kids and stuff? i mean ecko you guys knock down for being commercially successful, but grnappletree was originally one of these brands. are they posers? there was a new york brand i can't remember the name of but they sold genuine getto clothes (stuff that you would find at fulton, but would now be called streetwear) to a genuine getto populace and, after like a decade of being defunct, just recently resurfaced . what about the stuff like eazy and nwa used to wear? that's obviously streetwear, but you cant really see brands they're ewaring. its all swap meet/generic stuff.

not sure what u are talking about, but some of the first "official streetwear" brands that come to mind (time frame, late 80s to early 90s) is fuct, pervert, stussy (west coast influences) and here on the east coast, third rail, pnb, ssur, angry young males (XL was around that time as well)...stuff like that..and then brands sold at union

these were all brands trying to fit in all their styles...street, surf, graff, skate into fashion imo. alot of iron on tees going on

thats what i remember..i'm not even talking about the bboys which i didnt try to wear except for the sneakers and the Lees

[joey_formal]

forgot about third rail and pnb that is some old shit. i remember thrid rail tried to relaunch its self again like 6 or 7 years ago.

[dunkin deeznuts]

forgot about third rail and pnb that is some old shit. i remember thrid rail tried to relaunch its self again like 6 or 7 years ago.

werd..i had a box of pnb / ssur / 555soul and third rail stuff at my parents house and my mom tossed most of it away....typical kid / mom / baseball card story.....

[baskew]

My 2¢'s;

I don't think prior to the last 10+ years there was really streetwear. Alot of original brands like freshjive, stussy, mossimo wear more surf/skate activewear, same thing with brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, and Polo (prep/wasp).... The street culture it self and the idea of people trying to be 'cool kids' or 'trendsetters' were just borrowing bits from other types of clothing styles to create a unique style. Brand's like Supreme which started as skatewear and evolved with their market and inspiration have just fused other styles together from skate culture, activewear, prep, and military.

It wasn't until brand's like ecko, coogi, LRG, etc (dada, pnb, etc were even earlier then them) started specifically designing for the urban community that we saw a real surge in pesudo street-wear. However we didn't call it street, we called it urban... When urban-wear got played out and people were searching for the alternative we started seeing the second wave of independt brands like Lemar & Dauley, No Mas, etc designing clothes and styles specifically for the niche consumer... Someone who has evoled somewhere past urban-wear. Anyways, I'm sure alot of this has already been covered...

Point is, it's just a melting pot of different styles. Streetwear isn't anything specific it changes to whatever the people are dictating, what the market is asking for, etc...

[mspark]

Blacks stole the clothes, whites stole the culture...

Amen, my bruva.