The ‘90s was an era that was well known for its fashion and style and was a decade that still has dominant trends in the present day. A city full of rugged skateboarders who were look down upon from wealthy Manhattan socialites and suited up business men had many ties to the state of fashion. Hip-hop fashion was also all the rage and streetwear was a part of the Big Apple’s culture.
Photo courtesy of HighSnobiety.com
Supreme opened in April of 1994 on Lafayette Street and was a referred to as a “skate rat clubhouse”. The brand really drew in the young, creative, rebellious minded crew. The store was meant to feel like a gathering place for people alike and it really flourished as skater streetwear hit the scene. Fashion always come full circle and the pendulum aways swings back. Supreme is still a super popular brand and has collaborated with the likes of Louis Vuitton and Nike with the other super hyped up streetwear brand, Off-White.
Photo courtesy of WWD.com
Supreme is now found on sites like GRAILED and the resale market has made Supreme a classic streetwear staple. Oversized shirts with the simple red logo will sell for hundreds of dollars. Speaking of oversized shirts, 90s hip-hop fashion from the time of Bones Thugs-n-Harmony and Boyz II Men is still heavily celebrated in current streetwear styles. HighSnobiety.com said “From the beginning of the ‘90s well into the late 2000s, hip-hop fashion was largely defined by oversized fits and long silhouettes. One reason cited for this is that many kids growing up in poor cities like New York, LA and Chicago would receive clothes as hand-me-downs from their older siblings.” Nowadays, oversized tees are a staple whether it be layering it with bike shorts to go run errands or curating an outfit of an oversize tee, baggy jeans, and sneakers to stay on trend. Other nineties looks like Kangol caps were scattered all through pop culture references from music videos to movie films. Bucket hats were another popular accessory during this time, often sported by rappers, are still seen on the fashion scene even in 2022.
Photo courtesy of HighSnobiety.com
The question of “Have styles gotten better or worse from then to now?” is subjective to the wearer. Styles that were popular back in the day always have a way of sneaking back up on us. Combat boots and plaid flannels had coveted spots in just about everyone’s closets a handful of years ago and that was inspired by ‘90s grudge. You could look at nineties workout videos and can pull similarities to the styles we see in the athleisure market today. I think styles can only evolve into something better and still having trends from the 1990s pop up in today’s fashion industry is an ode to an era that really allowed people to express themselves creatively in their clothing and accessories. We had a huge flux of ‘90s inspired trends come hit the scene in the 2010s and now from 2020 to 2022, 70s inspired fits are scouted out for.
Photo courtesy of HighSnobiety.com
Fast-fashion has definitely impacted current street style in my opinion. Copping a vintage Supreme t-shirt or sweatshirt was a homerun a few years back, but with the rise of online sites like SHEIN, who will steal designs and slap nearly identical labels to big brands can tarnish the true vibe of streetwear. When you see a really solid streetwear outfit, nine times out of ten, multiple pieces of that outfit are vintage core pieces from brands that had a lot of impact on the industry in the ‘90s. A true vintage pair of dungarees is going to come off a lot better in aesthetics than a fresh pair of a fast-fashion brand’s take on the style, which comes off as starchy denim overalls when not styled properly. Fast-fashion has put a strain on brands, designers, and artists. The creative process behind curating pieces for future collections and helping future trends take
off have to be held down with a lock and key so the ideas are snagged straight from conception to mass produce cheaply made t-shirts with mindless graphics to push forward the streetwear aesthetic. Having core brands and legit resale shops on the market that keep timeless pieces from the true '90s style is a huge part in maintaining the vintage, homage feel to streetwear looks today that were born from styles crafted in the 1990s.
댓글