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Vibe Glossary / Streetwear
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Streetwear

"The sneaker as cultural currency."

1980s – present

Streetwear originated in the skate and surf cultures of Southern California, evolving through hip-hop, Japanese Harajuku, and global youth culture into the dominant luxury aesthetic of the 21st century. Oversized fits, limited drops, and the sneaker as identity statement.

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The Origins: Surf, Skate, and Hip-Hop

Streetwear's origin story is a three-way collision. Shawn Stussy's surfboard-turned-T-shirt brand in early 80s California gave streetwear its commercial template. Skateboarding gave it its relationship with alternative sport. Hip-hop — especially its embrace of athletic wear, Kangol hats, and sneakers as status symbols — gave it its cultural weight. By the 90s, these streams had merged.

Supreme and the Drop Economy

Supreme, founded in 1994 on Lafayette Street in New York, pioneered what is now the dominant model in fashion: the limited drop. By releasing small quantities of deliberately simple pieces — a red hoodie, a box logo tee — Supreme created artificial scarcity and a secondary market that eventually valued those items at 10x retail. Every fashion house now uses this model.

Keywords

#streetwear#sneakers#urban#hype#skate

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