Wednesday 11 September 2013

Why I hate "Streetwear"

This is going to be a ranty post about my least favourite trend of the last 2 years.

I wanted to like it. I tried so effing hard to like it but I just can't. I welcomed it with open arms but when it arrived I ran for the fucking hills. And I can't escape it. Nobody can escape it. What is it?

It's

That bandwagon that EVERY high street brand in every country has been jumping on.

So what is street wear exactly?

Street wear originally was a type of "urban uniform" worn by skaters and b-boys which was both fashionable and practical enough for both dossing around the streets and being physically active.

Recently [unfortunately] we have once again dragged another trend from the depths of the 90s and reworked it to our suit 21st century taste, while completely forgetting the origins and meaning on streetwear to begin with.




Want to look like a 14 year old English girl, well here we are! Let me talk you through possible outfit combinations
The left is a standard option, the right if for all you daring lot

Head: A beanie or snapback. Extra cool-points if the beanie is from a brand nobody has ever heard of. Snapback must be from Supreme.

Top: A tshirt varying from cropped to long. Can be worn in or out. Must be HUGE. Bonus points if the print is from your friends new streetwear brand on ASOS marketplace

Bottoms: Shorts cut like knickers. Don't like exposing your ass? Fuck you here have some leggings instead. Black leggings as pants are, like, so boring, hows about something in a hideous print from your childhood?

Legs: bare or socks of varying lengths

Shoes: BIG AND CLUNKY. The more they look like your school shoes when you were 5 the better.

Accessories: LOTS OF GOLD. Nothing says 'street' like a chain you bought from Primark. Want to feel authentic? Try one of those plastic neon tattoo necklaces and bracelets you had 50 of when you were 8. Feeling daring? Hows about some culturally appropriated bindis? Disrespecting other peoples culture for the sake of fashion is cute as hell

So why don't I like it? Let me tell you!

1. We spent the whole of the 2000s reflecting back on past fashion, why are we still doing it.

Philosopher George Santayana said this famous quite which I believes sums up my view on streetwear.

"Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

Did you see the key point it was trying to make? DOOMED. George is basically saying that the past is there for a reason and the reason we aren't still contunieing with those aspects from the past are because they are HORRIBLE MISTAKES.

All that sunflower print and tiki beads from your childhood are mistakes, and if you try wearing them again, you will die.


2.  I thought we left garish text print tops in 2007

Remember that Nu-rave trend that was nothing to do with rave at all where everyone wore t-shirts with dumb slogans on them? I certainly do. I only just got over how awful they were. 

Henry Holland was my least favorite person back then
This time round, text on clothes comes in the form of brand names splashed across everything. I know the y-generation aren't the brightest crayons in the box but come on, I think we can remember the names of the brands of our clothing.


Streetwear; insulting your intelligence. Also fuck you, I don't want to be a walking advert..


3. Cultural appropriation is gross.

Wearing bindis, Native American headdresses, hindu god prints, thawbs (traditional arabian clothing) etc because it makes you look "cute" or "edgy" is not cute or edgy. It's gross. It's rude and disrespectful to dilute someone elses' culture for the sake of your fashion choices. Don't promote it. Don't do it. I've seen so many street wear kids using those items and it makes me want to vom.

I know peace signs are appropriated, but still lol

4. It's become the new tracksuit

The chavs from late 90s to early 2000s were distinct for their pulled back hair and trackuits. The streetwear crowd is doing exactly the same thing except with tousled hair and mini-shorts that ride so high up your butt that you have booty-cleavage. It's become a uniform.


Don't let you ass 'do a Miley'. Poor booty.

5. YOU CAN'T ESCAPE IT

Every high street shop is doing their own variation of the look and unless you want to pay premium for clothes, you can expect to end up looking like a street wear clone for years to come.

Trends are born out of a change in the socio-cultural climate so there is a reason why streetwear has stuck around for so long. Whatever that socio-cultural change is, I want it to go away 5ever and present us with something new and magical.

The past 15 years of fashion have been a period of nostalgia for fashion from previous decades. When will we look to the future of fashion? When will we start to create a look which is signature to the current decade we're in? 

Let it end soon otherwise I will be opting to wear a bin bag for the rest of eternity.  




-back flips off cliff-

21 comments:

  1. Ah, well this is interesting. While I see everybody being all over the current street wear trends I see somebody who doesn't like it.
    I agree with you on some parts like how people are showing too much skin and ass like please keep it to yourself. Even tho I own some leggings for myself I think they're highly overrated and some are just ridiculous. I also don't understand the whole cropped top hype. Like; I have to wear something under a cropped top if I don't want to look like a belly dancer. But during summer I don't want to layer my clothes cause it's too warm ._.
    And things like *supreme*, *obey* or *comme des fuckdown* is also SOOO overused.

    There are however parts I disagree on, for example: I LOVE gold and snapbacks. Gold because it's shines to pretty and it goes with black and white (my fav colors of the moment) and snapbacks because they keep the sun out of my face and they are a nice decoration for my head (I don't do beanies tho). I'm into hip hop music a lot lately so I'm probably being influenced by it. And another thing; as the world is becoming smaller and smaller due to the internet and people just moving to other countries; cultures will mix and thus the clothing is being worn by those that do not originally come from that culture. I agree with you that it's a bad thing if you only want to look 'cute' or 'edgy' or whatev but on the other hand it gives people an opportunity to dive into another culture. Do your research! When you know what a certain piece of clothing stands for or what it's meant to do and you agree with this, then I think it's ok to wear it.

    With that said; I only recently dove into the world of fashion, so I can't say I've truly experienced the 90s or 2000 up till 2010 very fashion-conscious, so everything (even if done before) is new to me, so I guess I might fall victim too all of this street wear stuff. Some of it is, as you stated in this post, highly inappropriate and I don't agree with it BUT on the other hand because there's so much that's been done before that it's become harde and harder to create uniqueness. It's not impossible tho!

    Meanwhile I will keep my style a blend of Gyaru, Haute Couture and hip hop influence and just wear what I like. Thanks for the eye-opener post. I guess it was necessary :)

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    1. The post isn't meant to be taken seriously. I wanted it to be light-hearted and funny.
      There are lots of elements of the aesthetics that I like but as a youth movement, I'm not that fond of it.

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    2. Ah, I see. But I took it seriously anyway 8D And it was funny as well (especially the drawings keke).

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  2. everything you covered was spot on and i love the illustrations haha

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  3. Thank You Emmie for being such a great blogger. Please don't ever stop posting! (Sorry if that came off as creepy)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much :,D Not creepy at all, I will be posting from my retirement home!

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  4. This post is just so great! All of it! I love that you brought up cultural appropriation. Haha I love the illustrations as well xx

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  5. We need to print this out make poster and post them around the UK for people to get the point!!

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  6. THEY'RE SO UNFLATTERING. If bottoms/trousers keep gong at this rate, we're gonna end up with people walking around in chaps like what Christina Aguilera wore in her Dirty video

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  7. HAHAHA I agree with everything you said.
    I'm a new follower of yours can you please check out my blog? thank you :) xxxx

    thefemaledragqueen.blogspot.com

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  8. I'm so glad I found your blog xD You're like a girl after my own heart! Hahaha. But I digress; I agree with you on the opinion of street wear. I tried to like it. I even tried to wear it. Then I realized I looked like a complete asshat I so ready to the 'ghetto-fab ratchet' look to be done. It doesn't look cute, or sexy, or ANYTHING. It makes you look like a tool. The end.

    P.S. Did I mention I love your blog? Because I love you blog. Kthnxbye <3

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  9. hello i just found your blog and I ' M O B S E S S E D

    like i haven't read a fashion post that actually made me laugh in at least a year!

    bless you :) :D

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  10. Cracking up. I hate streetwear too.

    Macie,
    AMEN FASHION

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  11. jeje sooo cute *_* but i like streetwear o: your blog is very lovely and interesting. im glad if you visit my blog, too <3 keep in touch!

    xx
    beauthi.blogspot.com

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  12. Aww u r sooo pretty *-*
    richansblog.blogspot.com

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  13. Cute post)))Great outfit!)I like your blog!Would you like to follow each other? Just let me know in my blog. xoxo
    http://www.elationofcreation.com/

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  14. I fail to see what made you think this? If you're concerned about my opinion of butt-cheeks being exposed, which is the only thing I can think of that could tie in with being sexist, the only negative opinion i have of exposed but cheeks are that little shorts can hurt da booty. Miley's butt cheeks in her performance with Robin Thick looked like they hurt.

    If this does come across as sexist or slut-shamey please explain why because those are two things I feel really strongly about.

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  15. For me, streetwear is very comfortable to wear.

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