Streetwear on a Budget
From Sean Stussy selling tees out if the back of his car in Los Angeles, to the cult following of Supreme in 1990s NYC skate scene, to Adidas and Run DMC’s iconic campaign, to the meteoric rise of Michael Jordan and his line of sneakers, to the evolution of hip-hop’s love for luxury in the 2000s, I could go on forever. Point is, streetwear has sure come a long way. And it’s only getting bigger.
Why? A huge part of that would need to be attributed to the massive growth hip-hop has seen over the past decade. Another reason is simply, people these days dress casually and comfortably almost all the time now. When is the last time you and your friends hit the town decked out in your formal nightgowns and three-piece suits? Never. Point is, streetwear is here to stay, and big fashion houses are taking advantage of it and it’s not getting any cheaper. This is where I come in. We’re students, most of us can’t afford to drop huge money on the latest Supreme drop or Maison Margiela’s fall/winter collection. With that being said, here are my top tips for staying steezy on a budget.
1. Thrifting
I know this one may seem obvious, but it’s truly a vintage haven. Plus, it’s sustainable fashion. Shopping at thrift stores is like going on a treasure hunt, sometimes you will find that prized grail that’s hanging in your closet and sometimes you will find nothing. But how do you avoid finding nothing?
My biggest piece of advice: LOOK THROUGH EVERYTHING. From jackets, jeans, sweaters, skirts, tees, shoes, bags and more, the thrift store is truly the holy grail of finessing streetwear fits, I have never had to spend over $30 on an individual piece. And I really mean everything, that means guys, you should through the women’s section and ladies, you should look through the men’s section. You will find some absolutely fire pieces! If you feel odd about this, just remember, it’s about how a piece fits you and not about who it was intended to fit.
Which is a perfect Segway into my next tip when thrifting; shop a size or two up when looking for shirts! An oversized t-shirt of any kind will look fire on anyone. Whether it be a basic tee or a vintage graphic, it’s hard to go wrong with oversized tees, they look great when styled on their own or as a layering piece. Some of the pieces I look out for when buying tees are vintage band/music tees, Harley-Davidson apparel, NASCAR/racing apparel or just any tee with an interesting graphic or colour palette.
Lastly, shoes. Some people may find it off-putting to buy someone else’s old shoes. But remember what I said, LOOK THROUGH EVERYTHING. You never know what you’ll find. Some of the most common sneakers I see at thrift stores are the Converse All-Star, Vans Skate-Lows and Adidas Superstars. I’ve seen and picked up some vintage Air Jordan 6s and Yves Saint-Laurent loafers (which unfortunately I could not squeeze my foot into despite all my effort and will forever be the one that got away).
2. Accessorize and Customize
Accessorizing can turn a plain outfit into something super sick. Not only do accessories add a personal touch, they add another dimension and texture to your outfit. I’m personally a huge fan of accessorizing with different headwear and eyewear. Try and get away from your typical baseball cap and mix it up with a bucket hat, beret, toque or bandana.
All of these are sick options to pair with your fits and all pair super well with eyewear. Same thing goes for eyewear, switch around your frames! It’s a lot easier to experiment with sunglasses frames than regular eyeglasses, plus I’m the type who tends to lose sunglasses, so hit up Amazon and you’ll be able to find interesting frames for under $20. Play around with different jewelry; chains, earrings, rings. Throw on a side bag, cross-body, fanny pack, backpack or handbag. Mix it up and you’ll be surprised what you can come up with.
One of the most cost-effective ways to look steezy is to re-work your old clothes. Got an old t-shirt you’re going to throw out? Make it into a crop-top or cut-off. Got an old pair of jeans you’re going to throw out? Cut a raw-edge on the cuff, distress it with sand-paper, cut holes in it or make them into shorts. If you’re feeling really creative, paint on your denim, sew some patches on, make it personal. Take materials and textures from old clothes and create something, take some old flannels and combine them to make a fresh new one, sew pieces onto a denim jacket. If you’re going to throw it out, you may as well experiment with it, all it takes is a little effort. What’s the worst thing that could happen? You were going to throw it out anyways. If creating your own custom denim isn’t for you, then check out Babyface Denim, a custom denim company founded by two of our very own QFIN members. Their first drop is this month, you don’t want to miss it!
3. Finessing Designer/Luxury Brands
Now, streetwear isn’t all about the brand name, but if you must cop those luxury/designer pieces, then I have a treat for you. There are a few online sites dedicated to re-selling (and yes, that usually means they are used pieces, but hey, it’s sustainable fashion!) designer/luxury brands and that is Grailed and Heroine. Both of these sites have almost anything from any luxury/designer brand you can think of and it’s true that on both these sites there are pieces that go for crazy prices, but what most people overlook, is the huge $75 and under page (almost 750 000 items) that the staff features on the front page of the site. Browsing through the pages, you’ll find anything from vintage tees, hats, sweaters, jewelry, scarves, etc. from fashion houses like Comme des Garçons, Dior, Bape, Guess, Moncler, Ralph Lauren, Fred Perry, Vivienne Westwood and more. And these prices often aren’t fixed, usually you will be able to negotiate price with the seller, get the shipping reduced or even shipped for free!
Another site where you can cop those designer pieces is Depop. Depop is interesting because it combines social media with the online retail aspect. You are essentially shopping through someone’s closet, and while not everybody is selling off their grails, there are still tons of vintage/designer pieces. Depop feels much more personal which is pretty cool, although their HQ is based in the UK and the British pound to Canadian dollar conversion rate isn’t great, but there are some local options right here in Kingston. I highly recommend giving Losers Weepers Vintage and Belami Vintage a look on Instagram, as they were both founded by Queen’s students and hand-pick sick designer and vintage clothing for a steal of a price!
Now I’ve given a few general suggestions on how to do streetwear on a student budget. And there’s a reason for that. If there is one thing I want you to take from this article, is that streetwear can be anything you want it to be. There is no perfect mould or look that defines streetwear. You can combine a blazer with sneakers, rock a dress with Doc Marten’s, combine an oversized t-shirt with a ripped pair of jeans. It doesn’t matter, if that’s what you feel steezy in, then rock with it. That’s what I love about streetwear.
Pictured: a) From left-to-right from the top: Cas, Ty, Aimee, Sydney, Laura, James (me). Huge thank you to Adam for his photography, time and post-production. Thank you so much to you five for modelling and helping this article come to fruition.