Street Style: What it Says and How it Thrives
I see so many fashion influencers admiring Fashion Week, but the profound outfits are not just present at Fashion Week.
There is street style, and it is a better environment for analysis and making observations.
The unrehearsed, unchoreographed nature of the outdoors and the everyday is anything but ordinary: it enables people to project aura and persona.
Street style is projected by people who are in their element; they are themselves. There are similarities, however, between street style and runways. You can get a sense of the zeitgeist (spirit of the times or social hour as Diana Vreeland said) and the societal and cultural climate from both. You can see trends in both, and they both catalyse the prediction of trends.
Street style has a multiplicity of spaces and can be read as exuding the self, the psyche, and practicality. It is often more authentic and directly tied to wearability and culture.
The vision and mission differ from runway style, as in runway style it is more defined and parameterised. In street style, craft is a goal or influence, and the vision is more open. Street style can feature vintage wear and clothes and accessories from small brands.
Street style may even render us walking billboards. We can be personal, public, political, societal, vocal, influential, and impactful. We can exude our composure as we inhabit space and place.
Documentation of street style has been prevalent with figures like Bill Cunningham's photography; there is videography as well. SHOWStudio (with even videos) and Tagwalk are platforms where we can see runway photos and coverage, but as he initiated in 1978, Bill Cunningham demonstrates that street style photography also captures the zeitgeist or spirit of the times.
Runway style is commodified, while street style can be modified. Users of social media, namely Pinterest and Instagram, use their platforms to post outfits as #OOTD and gain traction. The #OOTD posts are highly popular, and fashion is a top interest for user searches on Instagram. On Pinterest, fashion vastly comprises boards and forecasting fashion's climate.
The two both have representation and are mediums of communication and creativity. They are interdependent and interlaced. They feed each other and influence each other. That speaks to trickling up and trickling down. They remix each other to the soundtrack of the world, either way.
Street Style's Movement and Presence
The movement of street style is multidirectional. Something does not need to originate from street environments to warrant itself as street style. A sports item or uniform can also be reinterpreted to be street style.
Disney style or "Disneybounding" are direct examples of communities in street style. These communities have commonalities and influence. They are marked by shared sentiment but converge on opinions. Whatever the case, this is a huge cultural marker and demonstrates that street style is immensely performative. A woman can dress up in the vibes of Captain Hook from Peter Pan, while a man can take on the role and look of the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus. It translates and transmutes.
Life Imitates Art
Street style is boundlessly art, because it creates a consistent and cohesive visual language. This visual language ties groups together and shows more than affiliation: it shows commitment and communication. We communicate our positions and roles. A look is reinterpreted and recontextualised with mobility. When we travel to a different space, we (and our look) take on a different meaning. Street style is lived-in, participatory art; it shows and tells.
We innovate looks, like putting together an athletic sports jersey with trousers to emulate a vibe; this is art and fashion.
It not only signals the intersection of the two, but it shows how they are companions of one another.
To genuinely immerse oneself in street style is natural, but to embrace it fully is key to understanding our surroundings. There are several ways we can enact this. We can engage with street style by being actively involved in it and by asking thoughtful questions. It is, thankfully, a firsthand account of style. We directly observe and even participate in the phenomenon; it is truly a flowing and coherent way of exposing oneself to the “backdrop” and “soundtrack” of life.
Style can be utilised to distinguish oneself and elevate oneself in spaces we occupy. The fact that style is a bold statement is an enduring maxim. Someone can take all the unlikely items, fuse them together, and exude a certain amount of aura in the setting in which they are. An unassuming piece of clothing, or accessory, or pair of shoes can take on a new life on the street. The art comprising the setting elevates and grounds the look. It reminds us we are all connected to the Earth; maybe that will encourage people to be more ethical and eco-friendly with consumption and clothing.
Street style is an obvious form of wearable art and culture that is also proof that personal style is alive. Resisting uniformity, being authentic, and sticking authentically to roots have been key to rebelling against pedantry. Street style is a display that makes a person visible beyond being seen physically.
Fashion month is still lingering, and context and scenery are the canvas. It is not only that, but we can tell our stories.
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