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Fashion History · 2010s

2010s fashion — Changing boundaries between activewear and luxury

2010~2019

Streetwear in a photograph with 50 Cent at Mutiny Festival · 2017
Streetwear in a photograph with 50 Cent at Mutiny Festival · 2017Sohowarrior19 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original source

The scope of everyday clothing expands

Athleisure and streetwear gained attention both in everyday life and on runways during 2010s fashion. Leggings, joggers, hoodies and sneakers became harder to confine to exercise or a particular street culture. Comfortable clothing is not all one style, however. Distinguish purpose, material and context. The same item can make different impressions depending on its combinations and setting. Examine individual garments and images before placing the whole decade under a single label.

Man photographed in Reno, United States · 2010s
Man photographed in Reno, United States · 2010sKelly Searle kellysearle · CC0 · Original source

Activewear outside exercise

Athleisure describes the expansion of exercise-related elements into daily dressing. When looking at leggings or sneakers in 2010s fashion, first establish whether the scene shows exercise or an everyday outing. The meeting point of functional form and fashion choice matters. Material performance cannot be established by appearance alone; consult product or garment descriptions. Looking comfortable and having a specific function are different kinds of information. Observe the uses proposed for the clothing to connect fashion with ways of living.

Jordan Clarkson and Chris Stamp at a style event · 2017
Jordan Clarkson and Chris Stamp at a style event · 2017Delta News Hub · CC BY 2.0 · Original source

From the street to the runway

Streetwear elements became important within luxury brands and collections in 2010s fashion. They overlap with athleisure, but the terms are not identical. The everyday adoption of sports clothing and dress developed through street cultures can have distinct histories. A hoodie or T-shirt alone does not establish cultural meaning. Consider the brand, wearer and presentation context. Ask what changes when a familiar form enters a different setting to move beyond a simple list of items.

Scene at the Beyond the Court style event · 2017
Scene at the Beyond the Court style event · 2017Delta News Hub · CC BY 2.0 · Original source

Relationships revealed by collaboration

The 2017 Supreme and Louis Vuitton collaboration is one example of streetwear meeting luxury in 2010s fashion. Examine actual garments, patterns and logos rather than only the pairing of names. A collaboration brings images together without making two cultures identical. Use products and presentation material to identify what was combined. Each collaboration has its own construction and context, rather than following one universal formula. Concrete objects should support the broader story of change.

Jordan Clarkson with models and participants at a style event · 2017
Jordan Clarkson with models and participants at a style event · 2017Delta News Hub · CC BY 2.0 · Original source

Sneakers and overall proportions

In athleisure, sneakers relate to trouser length, width and the amount of ankle visible. The gathered hems of joggers in 2010s fashion change the impression around the shoes. Looking at footwear alone misses the effect of the outfit. A famous collaboration or expensive sneaker does not represent everyone's taste. Distinguish the image communicating a trend from its actual consumption. Reading the relationship between clothes and shoes through proportion offers understanding beyond brand recognition.

Skater in Mykolaiv, Ukraine · 2016
Skater in Mykolaiv, Ukraine · 2016Sergey Fediv sergeymf · CC0 · Original source

Ways of seeing through social media

Streetwear in 2010s fashion can be studied alongside photographs shared through social media. As model, celebrity and brand imagery became connected, what people wore and how they presented it mattered together. A popular post does not establish how frequently an outfit was worn across society. Photographs are selected and staged evidence. Check setting, context and publication date to separate an image's impression from information about the garment. Faster circulation makes source verification particularly valuable for accurate records.

Streetwear with a Supreme accessory and track pants in Vienna · 2017
Streetwear with a Supreme accessory and track pants in Vienna · 2017Mux Jasper from Austria · CC BY 2.0 · Original source

Connecting with clothing today

After studying athleisure and streetwear in 2010s fashion, consider repair, reuse and design from varied cultural contexts. New interests do not erase existing clothes. The same garment can be reconsidered through longevity or material origins. Examine making, wearing and presentation together rather than following trends alone. Multiple simultaneous currents make the present difficult to define by one silhouette. Reading changing relationships, rather than only particular brands, provides a basis for understanding what comes next.