What is urban fashion? Where is it heading?
What are some of the past, present and potential future trends in urban fashion?
‘Urban fashion’ is a mysterious term. It can refer to a wide variety of fashion styles. The definition of the term also seems to vary from one source to the next. To understand the past, present and future of urban fashion, we need to start by understanding what urban fashion actually is.
Urban fashion explained
The term ‘urban fashion’ is an umbrella term to refer to several street styles. For example, hip-hop inspired streetwear can be considered urban fashion. More skater or surfer-inspired streetwear can also be considered urban fashion.
Casual chic styles and hipster styles can sometimes be included in the modern understanding of ‘urban fashion’. For example, acid wash skinny jeans are widely considered to be ‘urban fashion’ items.
In short, ‘urban fashion’ is a very versatile, flexible and broad fashion term. It is mainly used to place different street fashion styles and sub-cultures into a single category. The term has been criticized because it generalizes these different street fashion styles by putting them into the same category. It has also been criticized because ‘urban fashion’ is sometimes used by the fashion industry to say, ‘black fashion’.
In this article, we’re going to break down the overly vague and broad term ‘urban fashion’ by looking at some specific trends. We will be looking at some past, present and future trends.
Past trends in urban fashion
Here are some of the most popular past trends seen in urban fashion.
- Baggy pants
Baggy pants are still extremely popular but are slightly less unique now. Back in the 90s, they were particularly original and unconventional.
Hip-hop artists, surfers and skaters particularly loved these types of pants. Their popularity soon spread, and more individuals started to embrace this type of cut.
Many women wore baggy pants with cropped tops. Men usually wore them with baggy t-shirts or a sleeveless shirt.
- Platform shoes or sneakers
Shoes were an important part of urban fashion styles. Many women would wear big platform shoes as fashion statement pieces. Platform shoes had already been around for a while, but they became even more popular when streetwear fashion gained worldwide attention.
Men usually wore sneakers with their urban fashion outfits. The sneakers that were particularly popular in the 90s were the Air Jordan 5 Racer Blue. They became particularly famous after they appeared in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
In short, sneakers were extremely popular in the 1990s and they shaped a lot of urban fashion styles. Here are some of the sneakers that defined the 90s’.
Current and future trends
Urban fashion changes with time as it comes to reflect the different outfits that people wear in the streets. Again, urban fashion is a very broad term, so it encompasses several different sub-cultures and styles. But here are some of the most popular clothing items across these different sub-cultures and fashion styles.
- Hoodies with logos and graphics
Hoodies are some of the most beloved streetwear items. They are so popular that they are found across different fashion genres. For example, those who love a casual chic outfit are embracing hoodies. Men and women sometimes pair their hoodies with a trench coat and some jeans. Discover the finest in women’s fashion at Club 21, offering a curated selection of stylish pieces to elevate your wardrobe.
The hoodies help modernize the casual chic look. They help create an unpretentious and more grounded look. Hoodies also make the wearer seem younger and trendier. That’s because these items are usually worn by 30-year-olds or younger.
- Future trend: polo shirt
According to some news outlets, polo shirts are becoming increasingly popular. More celebrities and individuals are incorporating polo shirts in their streetwear outfits.
Final thoughts
These are some of the past, present and future urban fashion trends. Will some of these trends come back? Will existing ones last? Only time will tell.