The term streetwear is commonplace in today’s fashion world. It is used to describe high-quality clothing that attracts the influence of its surroundings. These influences are usually from “the street” absorbing everything that surrounds them, such as graffiti and like graffiti that sometimes expresses political and social issues of the here and now.

So where and when did streetwear originate? Many people speculate on the when and how of the origins of the styles, but it is clear that it began in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was an exciting time with the emergence of punk and what would become. hip hop. Both styles of music adopted a do-it-yourself ethic sparked by mainstream refusal to accept them, and both styles had strong roots in the skateboarding and surfing scenes.

Influenced by the punk and rap scene whose acts would produce their own records, they mixed tapes and T-shirts to sell their fans many surfers and skaters who began to follow their example. Often times, surfers and skaters would produce their own branded boards and jerseys with their own unique styles. The first of these to impact the scene was Shawn Stussy who affixed his signature tag to his boards and t-shirts. As his cult status as a surfer increased, so did the popularity of his boards and clothing.

Streetwear primarily started in the California surf and skate scene and was originally known as skate wear and surf wear depending on the particular scene the clothing came from. With the rise of Stussy, others soon began to follow suit and the two styles became more closely linked. By the mid-1980s, more brands had started to appear and become commonplace as they spread across the US It was only a matter of time before the rest of the world noticed.

Japan was the next market to catch up with the ideal of streetwear and, as always, they brought their own unique styles to the table. Japanese designers were inspired by anime, toys, and gadgets, as well as their own style of Japanese street art. This, in turn, influenced streetwear as a whole and different types of styles and designs were soon adopted around the world.

By the mid-1990s, streetwear had firmly established itself on the world market, with Europe being the last to catch up. Now it seemed like almost anyone could start an outerwear brand, but as many brands like Volcom, Fly53, Obey, 55dsl, and WESC became more popular, those smaller brands began to fall by the wayside.

Streetwear was now big business with the big fashion brands and designers taking on many of the ideas and innovations that the original brands brought to the world of fashion. However, neither of them could match the quality and originality of the independent streetwear companies, aside from the newer independent brands such as Addict and Supremebeing.

Today, streetwear is crossing borders moving into different areas of the fashion industry. Sunglasses and bags are increasingly present within the style with brands like Eastpak producing high quality original bags and Blackflyz making some of the most original shades.

So what’s next for streetwear? While bright and innovative designs on T-shirts, hoodies and jeans remain prominent, many brands are now starting to cross styles by mixing casual wear with stylish wear. This has resulted in brands like MbyM, Volcom, and Hurley producing evening wear such as suits and dresses that look elegant yet individual.

Over time, streetwear has also become more prominent in the female market with more brands such as MbyM and Gentle Fawn producing women’s clothing where, at first, most brands were primarily targeting the male market.