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

There was a time when a significant amount of streetwear brands incorporated political and social commentary into their designs, and this gear resonated with the wearers. If you go through a decent history of streetwear as exhibited by the most memorable products, then you can trace the early messaging and engaged statements giving way to louder, more brash creations that don't approach the politics and societal mores that every streetwear fan deals with on the daily, even if he or she is not (yet) aware. Topics like police brutality, race relations, economic impoverishment, violence, and even spirituality are barely seen in the current arena of streetwear, making engagement with the outside world one of the rarest things in the landscape.

It is easier than ever to screenprint a few designs, rack up notes on Tumblr, and sell your goods online to a very receptive audience. This is obviously great news for any aspiring designer, and for the overall marketplace, as these talents may not have been discovered or put to good use had the Internet not democratized creative production by lowering the barriers of entry. However, this also means that a shitload of piss-poor product can drown out the rare gems that are out there. Hacking through the noise is more difficult than ever, but the one positive is that finally finding a dope new brand that you want to support is more satisfying than ever.

It's a common complaint, but with hype resembling wildfire more than ever, it's incredibly easy to get caught up in the excitement surrounding a specific item, collaboration, brand, or even entire aesthetic. This can be fun and entertaining, and with re-selling a few weeks or months down the line always being an option, consumers are less concerned with dropping dough on something that they might not truly covet. Hype can stem from genuine love and desirability, but that energy can very quickly take on a life of its own and become larger than the actual product, converting potential customers into sure-thing transactions all on an intangible buzz instead of dope gear.

While similar to letting hype dictate your tastes, this fact leans more towards the notion that consumers now have to have the latest product, the most recent collab, and tomorrow's release today. The constant churning out of the latest and greatest means a dedicated streetwear fan is generally more concerned with keeping up than spending time on a considered identity and aesthetic. There's no time to be picky when the next drop is all that matters. Ultimately, this harms the consumer, who can't factor in other factors like quality and durability. And that's if quality and durability are even in the equation for the producer. So even though items are more disposable than ever, the customer is still paying more in the end.

Of course, many brands have marketing departments that are solely geared towards getting the brand's stuff on a celebrity's back. With celebs never out of the spotlight, and entire blogs that exist to document what they wear, a co-sign from a famous person can launch a brand from obscurity to household name. Whether the brand comes from a friend of the celebrity, or their stylist adds it to the star's rotation, getting spotted on a widely-followed dude is a near sure-shot way to up sales ASAP.

Thank god for streetwear brands that have scaled up to the point that charging aspirational prices isn't necessary for their business to stay afloat. Labels like The Hundreds, Diamond Supply, Stussy, etc. operate on a different model than upstarts that don't have the mass sales and reach to lower pricing on product. We can't fault small-scale brands that need to up the price tags due to smaller production and paying the bills, but we also can't say no to a $30 T-shirt that has a dope design.

Creating high-quality product means investing more money into the production of each and every item. Some brands truly do charge a price that is fair when considered against the means of production and resulting quality. However, there are far too many labels who believe that simply upping the price point will create the belief that the clothes are worth that much more. If you do your research and start paying attention to the little things, there's a good chance you'll become a much more savvier consumer and make purchase decisions based on factors other than a wild price tag.

Anyone, no matter where they live or their personal circumstances, has the right to dress and act as they see fit (within reason). That being said, a large portion of streetwear fans now comfortably reside in the suburbs, and take to social media and online forums to partake in a movement that was born far from their communities. What's more, in a large numer of comments and posts, these streetwear heads affect a "hard" lifestyle and imagined reality of streetwear's home: the streets. The "suburbanization" of hip-hop has been well-documented and observed, but the same can now be said of streetwear (cul-de-sac-wear?). Not that that is inherently wrong...

You'd be a fool to think that the economy is a static place, and that extends to the world of streetwear. Each transaction that goes down isn't final, and if it were, there's a good chance that the vibrancy of the industry wouldn't be as strong. Re-sellers do of course piss you off by copping a shitload of new gear at every opportunity, only to flip it for profit. But if they didn't exist, you wouldn't have numerous chances to cop something that you really want. Re-sellers have created an entire segment of the streetwear industry for themselves, and yes, fuck them, but still, now you can acquire pieces that you missed out on during the first go-around.