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Streetwear is something that has been around for decades, although the controversy and discussion over where it started is still a sore point for some. It itself is something we all take part in, in some way or another, because what can really define streetwear more than what we wear on the street. Obviously over the years, tribes/ codes and trends have been and gone, with brands that have withstood this and brands that have not. I think the idea of streetwear is something that is fascinating and can be completely unique to the individual, but are we swaying away from this notion with this wave of uniformity?

A definition taken from Hypebeast Streetwear Impact Report states this “Streetwear’s dictionary definition is simple enough: fashionable, casual clothes. But that definition underplays what has become a multibillion-dollar retail phenomenon, with roots in countercultures of the 1980s and 1990s, including graffiti, hip-hop, skate and surf.” (Menendez, 2019). So the inspiration comes from many cultural angles and I think depending on where you come from/ enjoy, than this changes how you interpret and consume streetwear as a whole.

Consuming streetwear is as simple as going to retailers, independent shops and shopping online for the obvious items such as t-shirts, hoodies and something that has risen in popularity is household items, like a Stussy candles or a pair of Supreme chopsticks for example, as streetwear is more than just a wardrobe for your daily life, but a lifestyle you live. But the key for streetwear is keeping it cool, as cringeworthy as it is to say, the idea of streetwear being the cool thing to be in and get involved in is quite an old-fashioned way of looking at it, but major brands and companies still do, as the main consumer for streetwear brands tend to be the younger generations, so around 30 and under.

So a typical streetwear consumer looks like a younger person, going out experiencing bigger cities, holidays, new careers and nowadays, posting it on social media like Instagram. According to an in-depth report by Strategy&, 60% of consumers surveyed were under 25 and around three quarters had a yearly income of less that $40,000. As I said before, according to statistics, the top source of their influence (84%) is social media and the other young, urban people that they follow (Leeb, 2019) But why is this? Generation Z currently makes up a lot of the streetwear consumer at the moment as they’re currently between the ages of 27 and 12, so the current and near future of streetwear will depend on their consumption. Gen Z was the first generation to take up a proper influence from technology as this was what most of them knew from an early age, so this cultural influence happened more so over social media than any other generation before them. A research from McKinsey had this to say about Gen Z’s “From earliest youth, they have been exposed to the internet, to social networks, and to mobile systems. That context has produced a hypercognitive generation very comfortable with collecting and cross-referencing many sources of information and with integrating virtual and offline experiences.” (Francis, 2018). This exposure is an accumulation of everything that we take inspiration from, such as music, influencers *eyeroll* and film/ tv shows/ anime for instance. We rep what we want to represent and this helps us identify where we sit in terms of our tribe or community within streetwear, this is all subject to change of course.

For example, 4 years ago, I was buying every Yeezy 350 V2 under the sun, trying to be part of that Hypebeast resell market and secure the bag, but now, I would say I align myself with more sustainable and self sufficient brand values, like shopping at a higher quality point and consuming less and making the most of what I’ve got, layering/ styling a smaller collection of clothing that represents me more. So I’ve made that transition from wearing more mainstream and casual streetwear to wearing and curating more individual and creative styles. Which I think has been part growth as a person but also within the industry itself for me.