It feels strange to post a video here about Hypebeasts – a streetwear term for people who wear hyped items in order to impress others – but YouTuber Nick has a nice video that could apply to almost anyone, regardless of their fashion identity.
The video is really less about streetwear and more about the hyped mentality that can be seen in almost any style-related culture – whether that’s watches, shoes, or fashion in general. In his book Ametora, David Marx has a good chapter about how 1970s Japanese magazines helped set the foundation for how we look at fashion items today. Products were laid out like they were in a catalog, rather than styled as part of outfits (as would be traditional in early 20th century fashion publications). This sort of product-focused view can be seen everywhere nowadays, especially online, where people can’t easily try on items before they buy them. So we look at products as standalone pieces and read about their history, heritage, and construction.
Which is fine, but it can also lead to some terrible looking outfits. Tons of guys on style communities – not just sneaker-focused ones – will lust over purple and green combination boots without thinking about how they might look in an outfit. Conversely, sometimes the most boring things online can look great when worn. Hype isn’t just in streetwear.
Anyway, worth a watch.