Streetwear is not just a way of dressing, it's not just fashion, it's history.
Streetwear is an English term coined in 1994 and refers to a way of dressing inspired by the street.
The street was and always will be the main inspiration for fashion.
Like a catwalk with traffic lights and crosswalks, is in the streets where the real show take place. Millions or even Billions of models walks in this catwalk everyday trying to reflect themselves and their personality through their outfits. The New York Times’ fashion photographer Bill Cunnigam once said: “the best fashion show is on the street. Always has been, always will be”.
Streetwear was born around the 70s and early 80s, initially it was a sub-culture born in the West-Coast belonging to the world of Skate and Punk and it was part of the young people who created a real way of dressing.
They defined their dress codes without looking at the suggestions of haute couture, but taking a cue from the environment in which they lived.
The most iconic piece of streetwear is definitely the hoodie, one of the most controversial garment ever created.
This piece of history is a vivid symbol for music, art and rebellion. Since the first prototype of this “hooded” sweatshirt, created in the 30s, it rapidly became a strong symbol of different cultures all over the world.
The beginning
In the 1930 the first prototype of hoodie was created by Knickerbocker Knitting, a company that later took the name of Champion. The goal for this product was to provide extra warm for athletes by keeping the body heat. Rapidly this garment was adopted by many workmen allover the world. According to Haggerty, construction workers in New York also adopted the Champion hoodie to protect themselves from the elements while working outside in the city during cold NYC winters. In those years the hoodie was also adopted by the US Military academy during the troops training.
By this time, hoodies gain popularity amongst sport industry and some of the world-top athletes start to wear this piece of clothing.
Photo: Muhammad Ali was spotted wearing a white hoodie before his historical fight at London Wembley Stadium in 1963.
Hiphop culture and prejudice
Was in the 70s that the hoodie start to gain the popularity that it deserves. With the emerge of hip-pop culture in the Bronx from rap music to graffiti and breakdance the hoodie became part of this culture. Perceive as a uniform for this movement, the hoodie was able to give comfort to breakdancers and anonymity to graffiti artists. Anonymity creates prejudices and prejudices lasted for many years.
But the history of the hoodie did not end in the 70s, nor was it relegated only to the sports, work and underground world. Indeed it has even become part of the luxury fashion.
There is a particular event that marks the takeover of streetwear on luxury fashion and it is that of the collaboration between Louis Vuitton and Supreme in 2017, able to make the culture of the very young communicate with the world of luxury.
On the morning of the launch, 7500 people in Tokyo, 2000 in London and 1500 in Sydney lined up to buy the products in the collection.
Wearing casual clothing has become socially acceptable on formal occasions and events.
Especially in recent years, dozens of very young successful men have started wearing the hoodie as an alternative to office clothing. Today, many companies produce various models, and its design is constantly evolving.