Very rarely will you see a skater fashion style become the mainstream, however, musicians like Dennish Lloyd and Billie Eilish are bringing this style of clothing back into the limelight. These artists have been seen wearing a neo-urban skater fashion outfit and it’s had an influence within and outside their respective genres.
The skater fashion first came into being in the 90s. It was plaid shirts, dark ripped jeans, waist chains, and the now-notorious Vans. Yet, most of these skaters were suburban kids. Only in the late 2000s did you see urbanized skaters wearing leather jackets, mixed with hoodies, sneakers, skullcap beanies and design artwork of a tribal and or urban style. But what exactly is a neo-urban skater fashion style and why is it taking over?
An influence from sportswear
If you’ve studied fashion lately, you’ll know that the urban streetwear style has been going through incredible changes. It’s merging with lots of different styles but it’s also evolving at a rapid pace. The bodywarmer has been swapped for the baggy bomber jacket. This was then replaced with the fabric and leather jackets. Now it’s been replaced with high-quality hoodies that have a mixer of leather, cotton and unique styling. But, wait a minute, aren’t hoodies a form of sportswear? Yes, they are and that’s where the neo-urban style is going. More sportswear styles are merging with the streetwear style, but skaters are being some of the first to buck this trend. One such example is the Urban Nightmare hoodie which you can get if you buy Fucking Awesome in SVD. It’s in the classic black color, it has a bright design of America melting and it’s selling 30% off at the moment.
Black and blue
You would think that skaters were some of the first to really push denim and jeans into a new realm, but the urban streetwear style has done so too. Now, instead of blue jeans, black jeans are increasingly becoming the most popular choice. And yet, is it really part of the neo-urban skater trend? Not really, no. Now, jeans are being replaced for joggers and black and grey. Again, some of the sportswear influence is rubbing off on this new style. It’s comfortable but allows you to move freely around the city. If you’re going to go with joggers, you should avoid bright colors like red, beige, and brown. Instead, colors like white, green and even camouflage are really popular. Leather patches around the joggers are also advised for the best look.
Skullcap beanie and shades
The cap used to be the skaters’ headdress of choice but in urban cities, that is kind of redundant. The cap is still a large part of hip hop fashion and streetwear, but the neo-urban skater will mostly be seen in a skullcap beanie. Beanies in their original designs are far too baggy and large. The skullcap style of the beanie fits snugly around the head and provides a cleaner silhouette. Coupled with the beanie, black shades in retro 90s style make the skullcap beanie that much more aggressive. The square shades won’t fit every face shape but it’s what is becoming the most popular in this neo-urban skater style.
Say goodbye to Vans?
Vans have forever been the skater’s shoewear of choice. They’re flat and comfortable, giving you the best grip on the skateboard. However, this neo-urban skater style isn’t only being influenced by the skater movement. It’s being influenced by streetwear and sportswear. Thus, Vans are not the only choice, but rather sneakers and trainers are in the mix too. Black sneakers especially are making a huge comeback. They’re not quite made for running or sport like trainers, but they offer the same kind of comfort if not more. As you can probably tell, black is by far the most popular color of this new style. However, offset is huge, so going with all white is just as powerful. Unique designs on the sneakers are highly recommended, so if you can get your own tribal or dark urban design like a werewolf, city streets or lamp lights printed onto the sneakers, you should go for it.
It’s not just musicians that are wearing this neo-urban skater style but the skaters of old, hip hop followers and streetwear are all having their fair share. Whenever there is urban fashion, you’ll run into many different mergers of other styles. Take a look at the hoodies you like and pair them with dark joggers to start yourself off.
