Street Culture: Now and Then

From everyday people to the fabulous celebrities that they watch, and everyone in between, street style combines formal and casual pieces in a way that people cant help but emulate. Individuals of differing racial backgrounds, music preferences, and other interests hardly differentiate between the pieces that can be incorporated into a cohesive street look. Some people gravitate towards the pieces that are more whimsical while others prefer to display a bolder attitude”¦ the all-inclusive style accommodates aesthetics ranging anywhere from bohemian to punk.

The evolution of street culture is fascinating because of how it has changed over the years. You can find examples of the styles development over the last few decades. Gwen Stefani owned the rights to the look in the 90s and the 40-something Stefani is still turning heads with her seemingly effortless ensembles in 2014.

And the effortlessness of the style is probably what naturally attracts so many people to it. Groups of people in our society with all different lifestyles, subcultures and interests seem to identify with street culture and adopt it as their own. People that are passionate about street art, dance and sports all display their own versions of street culture. For everyone from urban professionals and new-age hipsters to skateboarders, extreme sports enthusiasts and fans and entertainers in the hip-hop scene, street culture is a style that people of all different walks of life can appreciate.

Celebrities like Victoria Beckham, Katie Holmes and the Kardashian clan are watched and photographed for their innovative street style. From Jay-Z to Justin Timberlake to Justin Bieber, men in the music industry embrace street culture and use it to make themselves more relatable to fans.

Streetwear is influenced by hip hop and also reggae music and the colors of the Jamaican flag. Marijuana culture has influenced the aesthetics of the genre because of the styles link with youth and rebellion.

Achieving the Look

Street culture allows everyone to feel like a star. Its versatility and wearability is more important than ever in high fashion because of the street culture movement.

• Leather: From motorcycle jackets to combat boots, leather has been””and always will be””a staple.
• Monochromatic looks: Outfits that consist of one theme color.
• Its totally appropriate to mix formal and casual attire.
• Clothing pieces which are disproportionate or ill-fitting. This can be achieved either by wearing a single garment that is disproportionate to the other garments or an outfit that is disproportionate to the body.
• Oversized coats: Trench coats, pea coats for men and women.
• Skin-tight jeans paired with heels.

Monetary Movement

Probably in response to recent economic turmoil and the influence of hip-hop music, capitalistic culture is celebrated in street culture with serious displays of cash, diamonds and other bling. But beneath the materialistic love of cash, this larger than life attitude reflects the beauty of the endless possibilities that young people can work toward and attain in their long lives.

The style has a very urban look and feel to it, and you can find the most impressive and innovative looks in bigger metropolitan cities like Los Angeles and New York.

Sharing Styles

Street style photography is one of the reasons that street culture has spread so quickly and caught on for so many people. Individuals from different cultures are now able to influence each others style choices. Online blogs are full of tips for amping up your street culture photography skills as well as pinpointing specific pieces to incorporate into your look.

The development of current styles has been largely influenced by regular people posting and reposting pictures on the internet. Consumers now have a collective voice to speak to apparel designers and corporations through, with comments, critiques, likes and shares all traceable in a way that was not possible before social media.

The prevalence of street style blogs has created a globalization of fashion that has never been seen before. Now, styles are exchanged between people in different countries on a personal level. The way that street culture has also affected the fashion industry, including high fashion (runways, magazines, and commercial)””is incredible.

Chrissy Jones is the marketing representative at Street Laundry, creators and providers of fresh brand wear and street culture style.