Streetwear is casual clothing that grew out of street culture instead of the fashion calendar. Think oversized tees, hoodies, wide trousers, sneakers and caps, worn because they are comfortable and say something about the person wearing them. It is less about a dress code and more about attitude.
The roots are usually traced to California in the late 1970s and early 1980s, where surfers and skaters wore printed tees and shorts as everyday clothes. Shawn Stussy started printing his signature on surfboards and then on tees and shorts in the early 1980s, and the Stussy name became one of the first streetwear labels.
In the 1980s and 1990s the style picked up energy from hip-hop in New York and from Japan's Harajuku scene, where small labels made limited runs for a tight community. Supreme opened in New York in 1994 and made the limited drop part of the culture. From there the style spread through music, sneakers, skate videos and later social media.
Relaxed fit. Oversized tops and wide or straight-leg bottoms are the standard silhouette.
Everyday basics. Graphic or plain tees, hoodies, jackets, cargo or denim pants, shorts.
Graphics and branding. Logos, prints and small details do the talking.
Limited runs. Small batches and drops over mass production.
Footwear and caps. Sneakers and a cap finish most outfits.
Sportswear is built for exercise. Athleisure borrows from sportswear for a neat, everyday look, usually leggings, joggers and clean trainers. Streetwear is looser and more expressive, and it draws from skate, music and art rather than from the gym.
You do not need to buy everything at once. Start with three pieces and build around them.
A good tee. A heavier, boxy t-shirt in white, black or a neutral colour is the base for almost every outfit.
One relaxed bottom. Wide-leg pants or straight denim. The extra room is the point.
One layer. A zip hoodie or light jacket for evenings, air-conditioning and the look itself.
Simple shoes. Clean sneakers in a neutral colour go with everything.
The one rule that helps most: balance volume. If the top is oversized, keep the bottom straight or relaxed rather than extreme, and let one piece be the focus of the outfit.
Saigon and Hanoi have an active local streetwear scene, with independent labels making their own designs and limited runs. Ranverbae (RVB) is one of them: a Saigon label founded in 2020 that builds its pieces one of one, with an intentionally oversized, unisex fit across the collection. If you are new to the style, a tee, a pair of wide pants and a light layer from one collection is an easy way to see how the pieces work together.
Shop pieces from the RVB collection.
Shop RVB →Sign up for our newsletter
