The phrase “street style” typically evokes images of sartorial statements that are bold, daring, and strikingly fashion-forward. But, to really understand the global fashion scene, you must look beyond the typical styles seen in the world’s trendiest cities. Street style around the world is an ever-evolving landscape that incorporates aspects of culture, heritage, and identity. To explore the world’s global fashion flair, we’ll take a look at some of the unique street style trends from countries around the world.
1. A World Tour of Street Style
Street style fashion is a reflection of culture, trends, and the self-expression of individuals around the world. Exploring the many different interpretations of style, from casual to formal, proffers a glimpse into the lives of different societies. Take a look at these inspiring snapshots of street style from five major cities.
London:
- Layers of Victorian-era chic style with modern twists
- Prim and proper with a hint of rebellious delicacy
- Classic plaid meets floral patterns
Paris:
- Minimalism with a hint of rock-and-roll attitude
- Cropped trousers with streamlined outerwear
- Clean, sharp lines combined with bold statement pieces
New York:
- A mash-up of East Coast edge and downtown funk
- Denim jackets and torn jeans with bold colors and prints
- Commuter-friendly fashion with a flair of glamour
Tokyo:
- Kawaii-inspired style with pastel colors
- Mix-and-match of traditional and modern streetwear
- An explosion of extravagance in response to day-to-day life
Los Angeles:
- Stylish minimalism and subtle pattern mixing
- Vintage as a source of inspiration for classic lines
- Soft pastels and denim details
2. Exploring the Eclectic Art of Global Fashion
The world of fashion has an awesome power to captivate us all. Its ability to cultivate our tastes, reflect our personalities, and even challenge our prejudices is remarkable. Heading global opens the door to explore various cultures and truly take fashion to new heights.
It’s stimulating to discover new affordable fashion trends from around the world. These trends not only reflect cultural differences, but can foster collaboration among different societies as well. With global fashion, art is created from a variety of textiles, pallets, shapes, and patterns. Some of these garments may even be infused with traditional elements while maintaining a modern look.
When we integrate bits and pieces from all the cultures we come into contact with, we reflect the diversity and complexity of our world. For example, Japanese street fashion seeks to combine traditional styles with modern clothing resulting in creations that feel like works of art.
Global fashion combines different and sometimes disparate elements in balance with each other, creating unique and unexpected silhouettes. By combining streetwear, vintage, workwear, traditional and modern elements, a distinctive style is created that serves as an expression of the individual.
- Global fashion is accessible. Through collaboration and focusing on shared tastes, more people can get access to a wider selection of styles.
- Global fashion is versatile. It allows you to create a personalized look that reflects who you are or the culture you’ve grown up in.
- Global fashion is diverse. It enables you to experiment and mix different trends to create unique pieces.
Fashion is a language you can use to show the world who you are and global fashion allows us to take our individual style to a whole other level. When we draw inspiration from different cultures worldwide, we add an eclectic twist to our world of fashion.
3. Dressing for the Streets: How Subcultures Put their Stamp on Style
The law of street fashion is ever changing and diverse, with new trends arising from different subcultures all the time. Here’s our take on how members of various subcultures are seeking their individuality through their clothing.
Rockers
The rocker style is a timeless classic, stemming from a cultural movement towards loud music, outrageous fashion, and plenty of attitude. The jacket is the signature statement piece for the rocker fashionista. Traditionally they go for leather jackets adorned with studs and patches. They are often paired with distressed jeans, heavy boots, and sunglasses. Rockers like to stand out, with a focus on comfort and practicality when it comes to their wardrobe.
Goths
Gothic fashion is full of dark colors and fabrics and has been a part of many subcultures since the 80s. It’s a style that celebrates the power of the night and the morbid. Popular clothing items for goths include long velvet dresses, leather jackets, and spiked belts. They also often accessorize with spiky chokers, rings, and even dark makeup. Goths value the creative power of individual expression and fashion.
Hip-Hop
Hip hop is one of the biggest influences on street fashion, embracing its own bold style and daring designs. Clothing is a representation of individual style, so hip hop fashionistas often opt for oversized jackets, printed t-shirts, and loose-fitting jeans. Athletic wear is also commonly spotted on the streets – tracksuits, basketball shorts, and sneakers. Statement pieces, like brimmed caps and lots of bling, don’t go unnoticed.
Skaters
Skateboarding culture has a dominant presence on the streets. Skater fashion often clashes with classic style elements like straight cuts, muted colors, and minimal graphics. The preferred skater style is based more on comfort and convenience saving the hassle of readjusting clothing pieces while performing tricks. To achieve this look, skaters typically opt for baggy jeans, graphic tees, and skater shoes such as Vans and DC Shoes.
Punk
The rebellious punk subculture of the 1970s continues to live on in modern street fashion. For punk fashionistas, the look is all about standing out and making a statement. Simply put, the punk style involves a lot of loud, bright colors, bold prints, and anything that empowers the wearer to be unique. Popular items include leather pants, tartan jackets, hoodies, and combat boots. Punk fashion isn’t about blending in – it’s about daring to be different.
4. Fashion as Expression: The Power of Streetwear
Streetwear is no longer a niche subculture from the depths of the urban underground. It has become mainstream, making a lasting impression in fashion industry. As it appears on the runways and international fashion shows, it is slowly becoming more than just casual clothes. It is a form of self-expression and cultural identity that has been adopted by people around the world.
- It speaks volumes. Streetwear carries valuable messages. There’s a huge focus on details. Logos, prints, patches, slogan t-shirts are all ways to communicate without uttering a single word. From the creators’ point of view, it is an effective way to advance their narrative while inspiring people to think outside the box.
- More than a statement. Streetwear has gathered power to become a cultural force. It come from a mix of different influences and its overwhelming presence suggests it is here to stay. From the commonplace to the exclusive, streetwear has moved from being a rebellious statement to being an embedded part of our collective identity.
- A fashion industry reflection. Streetwear encompasses a lifetime of experiences and tastes, resulting in a powerful, mixed wardrobe. On the other hand, it can be seen as a reflection of how the fashion industry works and evolves. It’s style and message is in constant flux, drastically changing as fashion trends come and go.
- The importance of heritage and collaboration. Streetwear is a mix of different backgrounds and influences, uniquely intertwined in one garment. It takes part in a commercial trend, but it also has a deeper meaning in it. The importance of heritage and collaboration is a central theme of streetwear, proposing a certain attitude of openness and acceptance.
- Diversity and unity. Streetwear has grown to a point not only of becoming a fashion statement, but also a platform to joyfully bring people together. Connecting different cultures and subcultures, through the art of mixing garment silhouettes, patterns, and colors. Streetwear marks another point in the timeline of fashion, where the world unifies in the celebration of diversity.
Streetwear is no ordinary trend. It is an attitude that carries an important message, making it more than a simple statement. It is a form of expression meant to conquer the world and bring all different cultures together.
If the artistry of street style around the world has inspired you to explore global fashion flair, this piece has provided a detailed introduction and guide to the vibrant possibilities. From the beauty of traditional African garments to the glamor of European inspiration, wherever you wander, be inspired to create your own individual style and to embody the limitless imagination the world has to offer!
