Revisiting Streetwear Trends of the Past Decade

As we're all aware, fashion is an ever-changing landscape and one that heavily relies on trends and fads to fuel a £26 billion pound industry in the UK alone. Like all facets of fashion, streetwear is no exception to this trend rule, and while we all like to have some individuality to our style, chances are we'd be lying if we said we hadn't taken place in some of Streetwear's previous movements.

Compared to other styles Streetwear is still somewhat in its youth, but despite this, we've seen an abundance of trends come and go in just the past decade alone. From Trasher hoodies to adidas NMDs, we've decided to recount some of our favourite trends from the past and pinpoint just exactly when things started to drop off. To identify just when exactly things have peaked and died down, we've utilised GoogleTrends which shows us the search data over a set timescale.

Kicking things off with a somewhat controversial start, we have Supreme Box Logo pieces. There's just something about these highly sought after items that even to this day still manage to send streetwear fans around the world stir crazy. In 1994, Supreme's first store opened its doors and shortly after released the box logo T-Shirt was released, since then there have been hundreds of box logo designs gracing hoodies, T-Shirts, caps and of course a range of accessories.

According to GoogleTrends, the worldwide search volume for Supreme box logos hit its highest peak around December 2017, which would coincide with Supreme's release of seven separate box logo hoodies and the Christmas Tee. Since that point, we see a sharp drop off in how many people are looking for box logo pieces, with the "Supreme box logo hoodie" statistic also mimicking the original search data. It remains to be seen if box logos will ever make a serious comeback, but that's certainly one trend we can get back behind.

Let's take a trip down memory lane and revisit a simpler time where Tumblr was seemingly the king of social media. It was during these times where street artist Shepard Fairey's clothing brand OBEY would reach worldwide recognisability for its reworked communist art-style Andre The Giant logo. Those part of this era will seemingly remember just how much presence OBEY had both online and in streetwear fans' wardrobes alike.

Despite still going today, OBEY reached the peak of its search volume back in December of 2012 and heavily dropped off from around the start of 2015 onwards. We're doubtful the brand will ever reach the peaks it was once at, but we'd be lying if we said we didn't enjoy the memories.

Since streetwear's true inception around the 80s, the culture has drawn inspiration heavily from skate and surf styles. Because of this, it comes as no surprise that streetwear inherits some of skateboarding's direct fashions from time to time. The most notable instance of this occurrence would be the rise of Thrasher hoodies.

For the unaware, Thrasher magazine is a skateboarding publication that launched back in 1981 and has since gone on to be one of skateboarding's highest praised media outlets. Thrasher's logo features the brand's name in a partly curved design, often with a flame detailing atop the letters. It was this logo that spurred a new streetwear trend that eventually crossed over to mainstream fashion.

Judging by the statistics, the Thrasher hoodie trend reached three peaks around September 2017, December 2018 and November 2019 meaning this one boasts a little bit more longevity in comparison to the others on this list. Though the trend has seemingly died out in streetwear and fast fashion, the brand is still popular among skateboarders worldwide. If you'd like to read more about skateboarding's impression on fashion check out - Half-Pipe to Runway.

For the fourth addition on this list we take a look back to one trainer we can guarantee was in every sneakerhead's rotation at some point. The adidas NMD made its debut on December 9th 2015, and quickly after gained somewhat of a cult following amongst sneakerheads for its lightweight design and comfortable BOOST midsole.

Judging by the search volume, adidas NMDs reached their peak around December of 2016, with the hype starting to die off quite quickly by the start of 2018. For many wearers, adidas NMDs are still a go-to silhouette due to their comfort and urban style, but at this point, it remains to be seen if they ever grow back to their initial popularity. Check out the rise and the fall of the adidas NMD for more!

Coming in fifth on this list we have iconic Japanese streetwear brand BAPE. Chances are if you're a fan of this brand, you're practically scowling at your screen right now, but let us explain. A Bathing Ape is a brand that seems to boast exceptional longevity due to its loyal and unrelenting fan base, so in turn, we see a lot of spikes of people searching for and ultimately wearing it.

Taking a look at the search data we see BAPE have its first massive spike in search volume around December of 2006, (way past a decade, we know). We then go onto see a steady stream of traffic until May of 2015 where the brand gradually climbs to its all-time peak in December of 2017. Since then, interest has died down somewhat but given the stats we've just seen we wouldn't be surprised if we're due another BAPE uprising within the next few years.

Entering as the second skate & streetwear crossover on this list we have the Nike SB Zoom Stefan Janoski, AKA "Janoskis". In 2009 professional skateboarder Stefan Janoski became the second Nike team rider to be graced with the opportunity to design his own signature model. What followed was a range of Janoski models all of which sported a stylish low cut silhouette.

Judging by the search volume, it was a gradual take off for the Janoski from 2009, with the model eventually reaching the peak of its popularity in December 2014. Since that point, the silhouette has boasted some decent longevity, most likely due to the multiple re-engineered variations that emerged later on. Today the shoe is still popular among skaters but we're not sure if we'll be seeing any high-heat Janoski releases any time soon.

Founded in 2015, Neek Lurk's Anti Social Social Club gained rapid popularity thanks to its recognisable print and an abundance of celebrity endorsements. Following Kanye West wearing ASSC in 2015 the brand recorded a massive two million visitors in one week shortly after, making the brand slingshot into both massive streetwear and high street success.

Judging by the search data, ASSC reached its peak in popularity around March 2018 and then saw a sharp dive before levelling out again. Interestingly enough, in 2018 the counterfeit market managed to take over 35% of ASSC's income. Whether this counterfeit conundrum has directly affected the search data we can only speculate, but there has certainly been a decrease in the brand's profile around streetwear communities.