Streetstyle in the XXI century: Is it the same around the world?

[ultramarine]

Welll .. Ive lived thru the end of the 70s, the 80s and the 90s and I didnt have to wait to determine the aesthetics ... what happened?

I mean this really confuses and frustrates me and makes me wonder about the current generation

 

[Lolaa]

Of all the things to be frustrated about the current generation this is the least of them all

Anyway, I just stated my opinion

 

[tangerine]

What was the look of the 200-2010 decade?

...

Hipsters.

Skinny jeans, oversized glasses, ironic WT hats, quirky facial hair, tattoos and piercings.

Of course, that wasn't the only thing happening.

Uggs with miniskirts, Ray Ban aviators and spray tans.

Guys wearing oversized shorts and t-shirts, Nikes and New Era fitteds.

Girls wearing layered boho/vintage and oversized jewelry.

And lets not forget the streamlined goth looks from Rick Owens, Gareth Pugh, Ann Demeulemeester, Number (N)ine, Julius and others.

Whose street style are we discussing? As snowqueen so perceptively stated, who was being photographed by whom, and why?

The 90s are remembered for grunge, but was that the only style happening? I lived through them and I don't even remember. I think Lolaa may have a point, history may focus on one aspect and we have yet to see what it will be.

 

[ultramarine]

Oh, sh*t, Tang!

You hit the nail! Hipsters!

The thing is their look is a bit blurry so ... but yeah! You have just given an answer to one of the biggest questions Ive asked myself for a while now ...

 

[Bgeltunsd]

Well done, tangerine!

Now I hope I won't see my kids give those looks a revival like I did with the 1960's looks

 

[Thefrenchy]

New York Magazine - December 2009

FASHIONISING.COM

 

[Thefrenchy]

I think the Internet played a big part in the problem. Now you can live in Los Angeles or in a small town somewhere in Romania and have access to the same pictures, be inspired by the same looks. That wide access definitely explains why people have very similar looks everywhere around the planet. I also think it justifies the lack of creativity of our generation, that keeps referencing former decades.

 

[myown]

^that´s true. but i think that you actually see a difference between people from different backgrounds. you do see that chinese exchange students dress different to us. i think the culture you are coming from and the traditions from your country still are a issues to how you dress.

 

[SlovesNY]

I think some basic elements will be the same world over. But you can defiantly tell that Japanese street fashion is different to Scandi fashion which is different to British street fashion etc. sometime I think you can look at a street fashion image and kind of almost guess the country its in with out being told, but maybe that's just me.

My home city Liverpool has its own very unique style, people have tried to replicate it and failed, people have tried to crack the psychology behind the "Liverpool look" and why its different to the rest of the UK, but never quite got there. I think a style has just as much cultural and regional influence as street style from the world over.

Just a thought maybe the big street style photographers have certain styles they particularly like. So when taking pictures they will automatically look for that style. This is more down to the photographers choice and opinion then street style becoming the same world over?

Just my opinions anyways..

I think you're absolutely right. I used to follow so many street style blogs but I stopped because instead of being inspired by them I got bored with all the pretty skinny girls wearing the same clothes and listening to the same bands. When I look at the streetstyle in my city (Antwerp) I don't get bored a minute, people really dress how they feel and this ends up in an amazing, variety of styles. So I don't think we can really blam the internet for unifying fashion, it's more because a few "powerful" people favorise a certain look. And because there are so many copycats it just looks like there's only one style. People will always find a certain way to stand out and express themselves. Only the internet doesn't have the urge to show all of them (and it probably can't, given that a lot of it won't work for a major part of the population).

 

[rosiecheeks]

I think it is simply not true that everyone dresses the same. People who have access to the internet and are bothered to type in 'street style' or 'blog' or what ever 'fashion victim'-term hits them are going to be smothered in a way of dressing that sprouts from western ideals in beauty and appearance. And obviously there are going to be those who stand out and those who don't; but for the most part people aren't aware of their motives when they dress.

Currently I'm reading a book on psychology and fashion, it states that the fact that we even dress and don't run around naked doesn't stem from shame for their body or necessity for protection (most places on earth are warm enough for humans to survive without clothes) it is an urge to express several things. At once we want to stand out and make clear what group we belong to, and the other motive is to dress appropriately. In the comfort of you own house you'd easily walk around in your revealing negligee, but you wouldn't step on the bus in such a state.

 

[Lapin de Lune]

I think an increasing susceptibility towards consumerism plays a large part in this, too.
Nobody seems to be interested in challenging the 'establishment' either, which characterized several of the previous decades youth culture.
Media manipulation? Some strange apathy? I dunno.
The world is certainly changing, we're at the dawn of a new age (internet), for sure. This sense of homogeneity encompasses so much, not only fashion. Interesting to see where it will lead us...

 

[emanuelle]

I agree with whoever said this has more influence over young people. When I was in high school I practically copied outfits from fashion magazines. By college I was just starting to try adding my own touches to my outfits. By now I have my own fully developed sense of style. People who are influenced by the fashion blogs aren't necessarily going to become lifelong slaves to it, but it's fun for them to get to try it out while they figure out what works for them. It isn't just the blogs people have instant access to, it's the actual fashion shows as well. I think the blogs are appealing because it's just a normal girl, just like them, putting together outfits they might be able to wear too. I think that, along with flash sale sites, make high fashion seem more accessible. But before the bloggers people said the same thing about celebrity stylists, and retail stores like zara & h&m making instant knockoffs of the runways. Personally, I find it exciting that the Internet is a great equalizer. Anyone from Tunisia, or Botswana, or Peru with a flair for fashion could start a blog and show off their stylings as easily as the LES/Brooklyn or LA girls can.

 

[Tinetush]

I sort of had a small epiphany while on holiday a month or so ago with a friend. We would make it into a game to 'scout' the danes around us. And we were actually quite succesfull in doing so.
The few danes we ran into, about 5, we were able to 'declare danes' before hearing them speak. We were pretty good at telling who the german, british and swedes were as well.

My point is that even though I agree that we are becoming more and more homogenized, I still think that people from all countries or areas continues to have a specific look or aura them. Meaning that our different personalities still dictates how we look to some extent. And while people from all over the world might wear the same pieces, they are still wearing them in slightly different ways.

 

[tran]

I agree with Tinetush. I work in central London and I play the 'Guess the Nationality' game too with the tourists on the tube. This does suggest that while the way we dress is more homogenized than it was ten or twenty years ago, there are still noticeable regional differences. The big question is are these differences slowly going to disappear?

Another point that, I don't think, anyone has made as yet is that surely technology is making the design and manufacture of clothes easier and cheaper so, ultimately, maybe this will lead to fashion becoming more regional! You may not need such a large expensive infrastructure to run your fashion house.

 

[BerlinRocks]

I think you bring up a good point... the internet makes it so that we're all looking at and being influenced by the same things...

i can't decide if that's a good or a bad thing...

it probably homogenizes things to a certain degree, but I can't help but think it's a good thing for some areas that have probably been improved by access to inspiration and information about what people in other parts of the world are wearing.

this is fun that this topics' first reply is by another mod ...
it looks like you guys are selecting topics altogether and then open it to discussion ...

for what subject and purpose, I don't know ...
but thats not the subject here ...

this is interesting to read that you say internet drives people to look at the same thing, since i always thought internet, such as a giant library, was a tool that allow people to open their a priori narrow minds to different opinions and inspirations and stories, and histories ... search and reach an un-official un-institutional lines of telling, search and reach an "edgy" (ie away from centre, whatever is the side) discussion and way of thinking ...

now if we center the discussion to Fashion, well this is true that people may look at the same things, regarding streetstyle, since as softgrey said, 90% are followers, and only 10% are leaders ... but some leaders sometimes disappear to the profits of the other leader's followers ...

the problem to me is not a globalization of style, but mostly a proteiform-globalization (i like this paradox i just made ahah) of taste and gaze at style and taste.

I think an increasing susceptibility towards consumerism plays a large part in this, too.

Im not sure to understand quite good what you're saying, but to me the streetstyle blogs and pictures really serves consumerism... today, at least.

and look at Sartorialist who first seemed, at least to me, to shoot people on the streets because they were (supposedly) different from people seen in Fashion magazines or runway (i.e. models, from the raw definition of being a model to Fashion models), and yet they were people working in the industry, or close to, and then he went working for the industry and shoot campains ... from the unofficial voice, he went to the official voice.


I think probably these streetstyle snaps, that are very close to the democratization of Fashion (with stylists as celebs, the stream of international editions of Vogue, Numero, Dazed and Confused, L'Officiel, etc.), are just another illusion of this current big democratisation of Fashion ...
I think it's time for Fashion to go back to its secret and sect-ish form.

but if this is not possible, i think, for the least, streetstyle should ONLY focus on details, accessoiries or color combinations ... it should only become a tool to get inspirations (as it actually is and was always in trendsetting offices) that could correspond to your persona, and not be used to build your fashion-personnality to, in the end, dress all the same.

someone should abstract streetstyle. (i.e. get its purest form - without the person, the brand names, just focus on the interesting shapes,, lines colors, and details)

or, for hanging once in a while with a stylist , maybe stylists should be the streetstyle hunters ... professional eye, i swear is what is needed in this old-spare-time-activity-turned-into-now-industry ... not just a stupid person who likes fashion.

geez this is long ...

 

[ChrissyM]

this is fun that this topics' first reply is by another mod ...
it looks like you guys are selecting topics altogether and then open it to discussion ...

for what subject and purpose, I don't know ...
but thats not the subject here ...

the fact that another moderator was the first to reply in here was purely coincidental...
no need to try to read any sort of ulterior motive in it...

part of the reason that a lot of us are moderators is because we enjoy taking part in thought provoking discussions such as this one. we're members of this forum who want to participate and express our opinions just like everyone else.

by that same token... as you may have noticed, anyone can start an interesting discussion thread in here. topics are not preselected by the mod squad.

 

[ChrissyM]

My point is that even though I agree that we are becoming more and more homogenized, I still think that people from all countries or areas continues to have a specific look or aura them. Meaning that our different personalities still dictates how we look to some extent. And while people from all over the world might wear the same pieces, they are still wearing them in slightly different ways.

Tine I think you make a really good point.... even if we're being influenced by street style looks from all over the globe a lot of us are still most directly influenced by those around us and the cultures we've been brought up in.

Sometimes it can be easier to just blend in rather than indulge in a street style look you might want to try that makes you stick out or seem too "other"
It can take a brave soul at times to take a risk and try something new in an environment where most people won't "get" it and it won't be well-received.

 

[ssgghh]

I agree with Tinetush. I work in central London and I play the 'Guess the Nationality' game too with the tourists on the tube. This does suggest that while the way we dress is more homogenized than it was ten or twenty years ago, there are still noticeable regional differences. The big question is are these differences slowly going to disappear?

I work at a place where alot of tourists come too. I also played the game. But my game is called "are they croatian or not" because i sometimes need to speak to them so i take a look at their clothes to know wether to speak in croatian or english. And my score is almost 100%. I have more difficulties if im bored and want to guess the exact nationality before i speak to them or hear them speak but its still not that hard. I think that prooves nothing relevant to this topic though

 

[fashionkitten7]

Nobody seems to be interested in challenging the 'establishment' either, which characterized several of the previous decades youth culture.
Media manipulation? Some strange apathy? I dunno.
The world is certainly changing, we're at the dawn of a new age (internet), for sure. This sense of homogeneity encompasses so much, not only fashion. Interesting to see where it will lead us...

I totally agree and it makes me said if I think of it. When I was a younger kid, I was used to perceive clothes as a self-statement of a sort and that's what it actually was back then. Now, I just don't see it anymore.

Internet brought exposure to a wider broad of inspirations and you'd expect variety to grow from there, but it just seems to go the opposite way. So, talk about consumerism.

 

[fashionista-ta]

I recently was looking at Parisian street style pictures and was disappointed, thinking, Every single one of those girls look like they could be in the US.

I'm sure there are still differences, but we seem to be moving in the direction of homogeneity--which I don't like at all. Nyet.