It All About The Jeans

If there is one garment that is truly universal, then it is undoubtedly the humble jeans. Denim itself evolved from humble beginnings, with coal miners often wearing them at work, because the material was tough and did not tear easily. Moreover it could be washed time and again, without the color fading or the material itself coming apart. Jeans slowly made their way into retail shops and truly hit the mark, after celebrities made on screen appearances wearing them.

For a long time, jeans were associated with rebels and especially the youth. A guy in a pair of denims and a leather jacket, was thought to be the epitome of cool. Today jeans have come a long way with comfortable pairs being made even for infants. Plenty of designers and labels have all jumped in, to tap the potential that this huge market offers. After all, nothing spells comfort better than a pair of jeans with a t-shirt to match. Jeans are looked as a unisex garment which can be dressed up or dressed down depending on the occasion. A pair of jeans is no longer about just the color- it’s also about the style, fit, wash, rise, length, cut and the label.

One of the best selling trends doing the rounds these days is the focus on the vintage look. To achieve the vintage look, a decent pair of jeans may actually go through a process of being ripped and torn at strategic places. Vintage jeans on the whole are meant to look like the pair of denim itself is past its prime and is not looked after properly.

Faded jeans for one are very popular as they have an old feel about them, and have been washed that way to achieve the intended look. When worn, the jeans themselves stand out. Distressed or destroyed jeans on the other hand, look as if the denim has been to hell and back, and are usually accompanied by holes, rips, tears and frayed hems as well. Sometimes the threads of the jeans may hang out in a ragged manner, but that is supposed to enhance the overall look.

 Many denim fans may actually choose not to purchase such jeans for themselves, and instead prefer to hang on to their favorite pair of jeans for years to come. Eventually, the jeans will take on a natural vintage look on their own. Fashionistas on the other hand may think otherwise.

 The more distressed the jeans, the higher its fashion quotient. To a large extent we have celebrities who made wearing torn jeans fashionable, to thank for. Jeans with a whisker wash are also quite trendy to be seen in and can make the person look very fashionable. Usually the jeans will have a few cat like scratch marks or whisker marks on the leg or just below the front pockets on the thigh. This kind of style is very popular among women.

Probably no other garment has been experimented upon so much as the humble denim. No matter what the wash, cut or label, it is one garment that sits differently on everybody.

Urban Wear Caps and Hats

A hat is an accessory that most people own. Of course, they are worn for different reasons. For instance, your dad might wear one to a game to show his support for a particular team, and your sibling might wear one because it adds to his style. The history of the hat is difficult to trace but it is believed that even primitive man used to wear some kind of head clothing, as a protection from the harsh elements of nature. The Egyptians and Romans used hats to signify a person’s stature or rank, particularly in the army. By the 14th century, both men and women began to use some kind of a head cloth. However, the kind of hat one wore and the material it was made from said a lot about the person’s status in society. Peasant women often wore a thin hanky on their heads, wealthy men chose tall black hats and well to do women wore elaborate bonnets. Today, the humble hat has evolved into a fashion accessory with different shapes, patterns and styles.

Hats, caps and bandanas became a part of urban wear because it completed the cool image. Many music artists wore flat billed hats, but never the right way. The bill was always turned to the left, right or towards the back, to indicate a difference in style from other people. Not before long, dozens of youngsters were wearing their hats much the same way. Today urban wear hats have become much more fashionable and are part of a very diverse style range to suit any kind of dressing style. There are flat billed hats with graffiti designs on them, simple motifs, the image of a hip hop artist, a small painting, a saying or just one word, and even plain coloured hats. There are hats with glitter work on them, an intricate design or even patchwork- often making them small works of art in themselves. Die hard fans of streetwear are willing to buy such hats no matter how expensive they are, because of their stylish distinctiveness.

As streetwear spread throughout the world, it picked up various influences along the way. Military style and camouflage printed flat bills, sailor caps and simple caps without bills, began to feature in urban wear as well. Girls wear plain coloured or printed hats too, often teeming them up with bright coloured clothes. That not only makes the wearer look stylish but prevents the overall look from becoming too garish. Reigning hip hop queens like Rihanna and Fergie have often been spotted wearing hats made of net, wool or mesh to give their ensemble an interesting streetwear twist. Bandanas in plain colours, graphic prints or bright artwork, are also very popular among boys. Plaid which is the current in season trend is surfacing in head wear too.

Even if you aren’t into wearing jewellery with your streetwear, the right hat is the best accessory you can have. After all, hats undoubtedly highlight one’s personal statement.