Bright colors, pop culture illustrations and flashy jewelry — they’re being seen everywhere and are notably the biggest contributors to the trend of urban fashion.
The “urban” fashion trend was first associated with hip-hop and rap music when artists began wearing baggy pants, loose T-shirts, a ton of jewelry and shoes to match every outfit. But as the years progressed, it wasn’t just artists wearing these styles; it became a worldwide phenomenon when people began mixing and matching their outfits and buying oversized clothing.
In fact, the clothing businesses jump on this trend when brands such as Baby Phat, Sean John and Rocawear were introduced to the public. These brands offered clothing, accessories and shoes. To top it all off, the brands were affordable for urban consumers.
These styles eventually became so popular they were almost regular to one’s visual sense. And when such a thing happens in fashion, there’s bound to be a significant change. That’s when the “pop” in culture happened.
Bright pinks, yellows and violets were introduced to clothing and shoes. The jewelry eventually became bigger and heavier. A sense of art became a part of such silhouette, with illustrations of pop culture and cartoon-like images. This brought about such a change that even men were able to wear accessories like white sunglasses and small backpacks.
At this point, brand names no longer mattered. Overly affordable stores featuring these styles were constantly popping up in malls and outdoor strip centers. Perhaps with the economy leading a downward path, trends were supposed to be made that affordable.
In the past few seasons, a noticeable evolution came about in the urban style. Rather than these trends being only for casual wear, they’ve begun to adapt into a more subtle and sophisticated style.
The use of heavy jewelry has been replaced with sequin details on everything from T-shirts to pants and shoes. Rather than eye-popping colors, muted pastels are now “in.”
Sneakers and heels are still a big deal, but over-the-knee boots have also made their way back into style. Although designs on T-shirts have been a thing of the past, designer Christian Audigier has made it more popular by adding more color and more shimmer on his Ed Hardy brand.
As if that wasn’t enough, bowties and tight-fitting blazers have also gotten a hearty welcome from many fashion-forward thinkers who are known to sport the urban style.
Urban fashion has taken a huge toll on the fashion industry over the past couple of decades. It has brought out many colors that were almost taboo to wear, along with the use of flashy accessories that make going out casually more noteworthy.
Through the years, there have been many changes, and it’s inevitable that there will be many more. Take advantage of the affordable fashion trends of today and be prepared for more “pop” in the culture of tomorrow.
