10 Ways Streetwear Was Different 10 Years Ago

Think 2004 wasn't that long ago? It wasn't. But streetwear has changed a lot since then.

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead

If you think 2004 wasn't that long ago, please delve into your #tbt history and find a shot of yourself from then. Would you talk to that person, let alone admit to having been that person? Didn't think so. In a lot of ways, 2004 marked the end of an era, the last gasp of the pre-social media times, before seemingly everyone in the world became part-time publicists with one client—themselves. At which point nearly everything in streetwear changed, from what it was to how it was sold.

Have things changed for the better? In terms of style, probably. In terms of communication, absolutely. And in terms of democratization, undoubtedly. Whether those things have actually led to streetwear as a whole being better, that's a matter of personal opinion. One way to examine this is to look at what's actually changed in the decade since that moment. Here's 10 Ways Streetwear Was Different 10 Years Ago.

RELATED: 10 Things Everyone Thinks About Streetwear (But No One Will Say)

RELATED: The Party Upstairs: How Canada Is Giving the USA a Run for Its Money in Streetwear

Strictly T-shirts and fitteds and hoodies.

Not Available Interstitial

Skate brands were mainly at skate shops.

Not Available Interstitial

Message mattered.

Not Available Interstitial

The re-seller market wasn't as intense.

Not Available Interstitial

"Worldwide" was just a word on a Stüssy shirt.

Not Available Interstitial

Regional brands were actually regional.

Not Available Interstitial

Regular people had a shot at limited shit.

Not Available Interstitial

Hype spread slowly.

Not Available Interstitial

Sneakers ruled everything around you.

Not Available Interstitial

Barriers to entry were higher.

Not Available Interstitial

Latest in Style