Streetstyle, or streetwear fashion, has transformed both social movements and the fashion business over the years. Activism and fashion have long coexisted, resulting in societal and political upheavals, and numerous activist groups have utilized fashion as a potent tool. Using fashion, especially street-style fashion, has always helped unique social and political movements gain visual currency and a wider audience. Fashion has also helped inspire people across continents to show solidarity for a specific cause with something as simple as clothing.
Street-style: What exactly is it?
Streetstyle, or "streetwear fashion," is a particular fashion trend that has its roots in British clothing culture. It encompasses styles that span and diverge from conventional fashion ideas, and are built on individualism rather than just emphasizing the most recent trends. Street style varies greatly between regions of the world and is primarily noticeable in large urban areas. The features that make this strategy stand out are creativity, self-expression, and self-identity.
One major advantage streetwear fashion offers is its innovative designs. Street style has almost no boundaries. There is something for almost everyone, irrespective of whether you are a luxury clothing lover, a thrift store fashionista, or prefer loungewear. This makes it easier for the general populace to express their activism in a way they are comfortable with.
Street Fashion Evolution
The street style started to gain traction as a phenomenon or sensation during the mid-20th century, after World War II ended. This was also partly because icons like Pierre Balmain and Christian Dior encouraged experimentation to revolutionise streetwear. The post-war period also saw an economic boom, enabling people with better wages to buy high-end goods. During this time, streetwear fashion was dominated by high-end fashion houses, mainly Christian Dior. However, fashion has not always been limited to trendy labels. The suffragette movement and the Black Lives Matter movement are examples of how everyday clothing can be used to express a social ideology.
The Sans-Culottes
The first clothing-based revolution was seen during the French Revolution, when the French working class took to the streets in their long trousers. The sans-culottes developed loose-fitting civilian clothing as a representation of their fight for equal respect and distinction. This marked a triumph for the newfound freedoms of expression promised by the Revolution in terms of society, politics, and the economy. This also paved the way for future revolutions to use similar strategies to make their voices heard by those in power.
Suffrage Movement
The Suffragette movement of the 19th and 20th centuries was a turning point in the political history of the US and Britain. This movement was also significant in advocating equal social rights for women, who had been largely excluded from political and public life till then. It also successfully used clothes as an instrument for politics and advocacy. Before this movement, women were primarily subjected to highly restrictive Victorian-style clothing like corsets and elaborate skirts. This clothing style made it difficult for them to work or even move freely.
Women participating in Suffragette protests adopted a much more flexible design of corsets. Women also started wearing fitted suits and broad skirts and blouses when protesting together on the streets. They also started wearing pants, defying social norms and opting to depict themselves as powerful, independent women. These clothes that exuded respectability and practicality also came in certain colors to showcase a specific quality. The colors were: yellow to represent virtue; purple to represent dignity and loyalty; and white to represent purity.
Second-wave Feminism
Miniskirts paired with oversized t-shirts or crop tops have become quite common nowadays in streetwear fashion. But before second-wave feminism hit the US in the 1960s, miniskirts were quite uncommon and often stigmatized. Mary Quant, a pioneering fashion designer, was given credit for creating the very first mini-skirt, reflecting the prevailing need for change. This piece of clothing became perceived as a symbol of rebellion and political activism. Women started incorporating miniskirts into their streetwear fashion as a means to protest the patriarchal system that discriminated against them in all fields, including employment and politics. The mid-thigh miniskirt, a popular streetwear item by 1966, helped to create the impression of a strong, contemporary, and carefree lady. Miniskirts, in short, became an enduring symbol of liberation that not only let women embrace their independence but sexual freedom as well.
Denim miniskirts and shorts also played a huge role in destigmatizing short hemlines. Women in the 1970s opted for denim in all its forms, including stiff-collar tops, skirts, and wide-leg pants, making street style durable and liberating. Thanks to denim, women were able to question the notion of what the public considered to be a "feminine" garment. Along with miniskirts, many other forms of clothing developed as women started to include themselves in different spheres of public life. Work separates, pantsuits, and the iconic wrap dress became more and more popular as these clothes could carry a woman's style everywhere she went.
Black Panthers and Black Power
Black Americans have had a convoluted history on the continent, often marred by prejudices and injustices meted out to them. The Black Panther Party was established in the early 1960s by H. P. Newton and Bobby Seale to fight racial prejudice. The group also created a streetwear style to fight against police brutality that included all-black attire. Their iconic clothing style included black pants, leather jackets, berets, and dark sunglasses, symbolizing Black Power. This street style introduced by the party revolutionized fashion amongst the black community for several years into the future. They also influenced the emergence of anti-war and anti-capitalist movements and demanded gender equality and social awareness.
The Hippie Movement
The hippie movement coincided with the anti-Vietnam War movements of the 1960s and went on to become an influential movement in American social history. Hippies, a youthful American generation at the time, assisted in disseminating an anti-war culture and also promoted communal living. They revolutionized streetwear by introducing colorful clothes, tie-dye patterns, bell-bottom pants, black armbands, and paisley prints. Their unique fashion and clothing served as a means to spread their nonviolent philosophy. Hippies also endorsed natural beauty ideals and long hairstyles with floral decorations.
Black Lives Matter
The Black Lives Matter movement, which rocked the world in 2020, also had a big influence on street style fashion. Anti-racism demonstrations were sparked by this incident both domestically and abroad. This movement gave rise to t-shirts, masks, and other accessories that became a staple in streetwear fashion. People all over the world expressed their support for the movement by wearing clothing and accessories with "BLM" on them.
Streetwear Fashion and LGBTQ+
LGBTQ+ street fashion has also evolved greatly over the years and played a significant role in inspiring conventional society to warm up to this marginalized community. LGBTQ+ street fashion has motivated people to adopt a flamboyant dressing style in vibrant colors. It also popularized cross-dressing as a more relaxed form of street dressing. People have now become more open to embracing gender-neutral clothing, which brings a sense of relief and liberation. Rainbow-colored clothing and t-shirts printed with rainbows and similar LGBTQ-themed motifs have become part of street style in recent years. Many are using LGBTQ-themed street fashion as a form of self-expression.
Social-environment Movements and Streetstyle
Streetwear fashion can also be used as a means to advocate for the environment and bring attention to the various issues affecting society as a whole. Typically, this is done with the help of a logo or graphic t-shirts printed with important messages on them. This was first done by the designer Katharine Hamnett in 1984, when she wore a t-shirt to protest the Pershing missiles. Sustainable fashion has also become significant in recent times, with people including materials like cotton and jute in their streetwear to direct fashion trends.
Youth and street style
Youth is the driving force in almost every social and political revolution. This also holds true for streetwear fashion and the movements influenced by it. Denim was such an important youth fashion that it was a key component of the civil rights movement. What has now become a cherished textile was originally a representation of the fight for Black liberation. Jeans and denim overalls were previously associated with slavery as they were the uniform of Black sharecroppers. Young people, including men and women, made bold political statements and expressed their solidarity with the movement by incorporating denim into their streetwear fashion.
Conclusion
Streetwear fashion has undergone significant advancements from its inception to recent times and has played an important role in shaping several socio-political movements. Hip-hop, skateboarding, and social media culture have also played an important role in modeling streetwear fashion. Street-style clothing has now become a form of art and has long served as a means of expression. Now, street fashion among the youth is mostly dominated by polos, sweater vests, varsity jackets, and loafers that offer a cool and chic look. Your choice of streetwear shows others who you really are and what really matters to you.