NYFW Streetwear Review

For much of New York Fashion Week, temperatures hovered on the warmer side of cool. The crowds, in turn, ditched the dark, drab layers that typically characterize the style outside the February shows for more creative outfits.

Here are the 5 trends that were most apparent 

Black leather jackets

A great black leather jacket is all one needs to rock any look and carry the reputation of a bad-ass biker, or so they say. If you have been dreaming of owning a biker jacket for years, now is the right time to get indulged.

Exposed midriffs

The sudden prevalence of exposed midsections shows no signs of changing soon, in no small part because it’s likely an expression that’s slowly emerged as we return to the real world after two years of mostly wearing sweatpants.

Animal prints 

Chevron, plaid, florals, artsy, animal prints, check, gingham – these are just some of the most fashionable prints in fashion for fall 23

The colour gold

The streets this nyfw were drenched with gold, a shine that was hard — impossible, even — to ignore.

And of course Birkenstocks!

New York Fashion Week showgoers selected eclectic and vibrant choices for footwear. Nike’s running-turned-lifestyle Zoom Vomero 5 made a return to the spotlight as it surfaces as the comfortable go-to shoe from last decade. And yes Birkenstocks are not going anywhere. 

The rise and rise of Jaywalking

If you live in India and are into streetwear, you must recognise this guy 

This is Jay Jajal, the founder of a very popular streetwear brand called Jaywalking. 

Born and raised in Mumbai, he comes from a family of clothes makers: His father is a pattern cutter, his mother works with textiles, and his sister is a womenswear designer. “I knew that someday I would have my own fashion brand,” he says. However, while his family specializes in formal attire and traditional wedding garments, Jajal knew from a young age that he wanted to do something a little different. He launched Jaywalking in 2019 with the hope of bringing a more unexpected, detail-oriented approach to casual attire. He sells exclusively through his Instagram, and customers can scroll through the patchwork bombers and jackets splattered with paint. 

Jaywalking’s aesthetic is full of attitude, rebellion and the kind of fluidity that offers space for experimentation. Talking about what led him towards design, he says that design is all he knows — the act of breaking and creation comes naturally to him. Steered by impatience to understand the how and why of art, pushed him further in the field. He explains, ‘It’s just beautiful how something priceless to some, is trash to others. What attracts me the most is the freedom that comes when you choose art. I will always choose art.’

Since he was driven so deeply by fashion, Jaywalking was always in the making. All he had to do was gather a little spunk and determination to take the leap, which he managed to achieve about two years ago. Talking about the journey, he adds, ‘I was in Singapore finishing my bachelors, feeling sad and jealous of how there was always this conversation around brands and culture in their country. Coming back, I sort of knew what we were lacking — an original culture of our own which was more inclusive, more scattered. 

Fashion has always been a more easier and more commercial way to put forth a message.’  In terms of its core philosophy, the label’s only constant is change. Persistently evolving, Jay’s label is unique, it doesn’t rely on mainstream validation and they believe in building a clear channel of communication with the audience. The designer further believes in motivating young artists to blossom into their own and not be robotic in their endeavours. 

The origin of Streetwear

Last week I asked multiple people to define streetwear 

Here’s some of the responses :

- Fashionable casual clothes

- Oversized clothes 

- T shirts with cool graphics 

- Whatever Kanye wears

- Throw in an over sized t shirt with some indie graphics on it paired with some oversized pants

- Wear whatever but with Nike Jordans 

Really though?

Is that what it is? 

Most people my generation (including me) have become susceptible to this laid back casual style so it’s time we find out where it’s from and why us gen z-ers vibe with it. 

Many genres of fashion can be defined with a general understanding and consensus but not streetwear because it’s made not by fashion designers but us consumers! So it started out as a movement really and not a trend. It originated in the 90s, in the hip-hop scenes of New York, the surf-skate and graffiti culture. of Los Angeles, and within the nightlife of Japan. 

In the ’80s and ’90s, many traditional brands would not dress some musicians or sports stars, so the community had no choice but to make their own clothing and define what fashion meant to them. 90’s graphic tees, loose-fitting jeans, and statement sneakers were created purposefully as an expression by their consumer: the rapper, the skater, and the rebel. This is why it’s actually a cultural movement. 

Streetwear is still dominated by a close-knit community of musicians, skaters, artists, and now social media influencers that design clothing and curate looks as a form of self-expression, culture, and communal knowledge. It has risen in mainstream fashion over the past few decades. Unlike most other fashion genres, this growth was not pushed by brands, rather brands were sought out by consumers wanting to be “in” on the exclusivity of streetwear clothing. Streetwear has taught the industry that limited editions do promote a sense of exclusivity, not through prices, but community spirit.

This community spirit is what drives us in. We want to be real and authentic and free from superficialities.  And that’s what it’s all about. Our gen pursues self-expression, authenticity, sustainability, DIY efforts, and unique characteristics in street style fashion. Additionally, we’re more attentive to what a company represents, putting an emphasis on the values of the companies they choose to support. 

Fashion is an unofficial element of hip-hop culture. We today resonate with what street fashion represented in the past. We prefer to support streetwear brands with a mission to have more inclusivity, diversity, and equity. A variety of other styles and aesthetics are frequently included in streetwear. An oversized graphic t-shirt, baggy jeans or other bottoms, and frequently big white sneakers, other types of platform, or chunky shoes with visible socks make up a typical street style ensemble. Layered jewellery, bucket hats, sunglasses, and clothing layering are typical accessories.

Many Gen Z’ers enjoy making their own clothes or accessories, especially through thrifting, which emphasises sustainability and one-of-a-kind items even more.

The key to Gen Z streetwear goes along the lines of wearing whatever they feel like wearing. Through fashionable self-expression, we are removing ourselves from a box of labels full of expectations of who we should be.

(Ps. the definitions given by you all were correct)

Street fashion basics

Looking for a simple guide to street fashion? you are at the right place.

Let me help you with some of the basics, I’ll talk about three components of an outfit, the shoes, the pants/shorts and the top. I won't make it very complicated and give you a few choices for each component of the outfit.

Let's talk about shoes first, we’ll discuss three choices (three different price ranges):

In my personal opinion the best and most versatile choice for shoes if you're looking for something are the Reebok classic club C 85 tennis shoes. They look very subtle and are not particularly expensive, although you must keep in mind that their availability may vary from place to place.

 ( price range - mid) 

This design a little too basic for you? don't worry just pick a pair of white air force 1s or you can never go wrong with black vans old skool sneakers.

(Price range - high)

If the Air Force 1s might be a little harsh on your pocket,

(Price range - low)

Then go with the vans old skool without a doubt.

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Okay next, the pants

With pants you wanna make sure that the fit is perfect. So do yourself a favour and buy them from an actual *physical* store. You see the thing with streetwear is that there are no rules. Yes, the pants don’t necessarily have to be loose and humongous. You can take any sort of pant and make it streetwear. 

So let’s talk about 3 different types of pants that you can rock

Straight leg (not so tight) trousers. Get yourself a pair of beige or cream straight leg trousers. 

Pair them with an oversized t short with a sweater on top. And maybe a leather jacket on top and your Air Force 1s. And there you have it. You’re cool.

Ps. They also work wonders with hoodies

Number 2 : Cargo pants 

Come on you know this one already. 

Dickies. Dickies. Dickies. And Carrhart. 

I can’t stress it enough 

These two brands are your best friends when you wanna buy yourself some neat cargos. 

Next - Baggy denims

*sprints to Levi’s*

This thing right here :———-

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Done with the pants, let's get into tops

This one’s simple

WEAR WHATEVER YOU HAVE

Yes. I said it. 

But if you’re going shopping and you want my advice here are some recommendations

1. The average hoodie 

2. A varsity jacket 

3. A flannel 

4. A leather jacket 

5. Oversized graphic tee 

6. Vintage sweater

7. Carrhart jacket 

This Carrhart jacket >>>>

This it is. 

You’re welcome. 

:)

Is the street fashion era over?

For a while now we have been noticing the same trend in the fashion market but we're not complaining. we have been noticing many changes in the fashion industry but from the best two years we have seen a somewhat stagnant trend. is this particular style going out of fashion? 

 we can't be sure about that but here's what we do know, Yeezys are now gone, after Kanye wests recent controversies almost every major brand has seized all of their business with him (mainly gap and adidas) Kanye has been consistently making many of the streetwear classics and now with him gone we will definitely see some changes in the streetwear scene.

 now that we have cleared what's gone? we can finally talk about what's new. we love retro fashion and its's coming back.  retro fashion has been making a comeback in the recent years, now it's the retro jacket era. puffer jackets and retro jackets, leather vintage jackets/bomber jackets are the way to go. you can style them in many ways a plain hoodie or a plain tee can get it done but it's up to you, let your imagination go wild.

 Birkenstocks are also quite popular these days especially the clogs. if you really want a laid-back look, go ahead and get pair of Boston suede taupe clogs. 

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