Crazy!

Courtesy of Strictly Fitteds:

You know streetwear is dead when you see this!  I’m really not hating on anyone here.  Target can do whatever they want and Estate LA should get that pay day.  I’m just saying that what used to be this subtle counter culture that I loved officially no longer exists. 

Tags: streetwear hats fitteds

It sounds like I’m dissing, but I dig this hat:

I think that’s because I actually PLAYED tennis in 1990, or whatever it was, when the Andre Agassi Nike Air Tech Challenge IIs came out.  I owned those shoes like the OG tennis player I am.  I had the little white shorts and everything.  WHAT?!?!?

Now I think what I’m seeing here is a nice little reference to Agassi’s sponsorship deal with Canon, the camera company, back in the day.  Their popular SLR camera was and is known as the “Rebel” and Andre was the face of their ad campaign for a while.  The “Rebel” on the hat here is the same typeface as the one Canon uses.

Pritty, pritty, pritty good.

Check the awesome commercial from ‘91:

It’s funny to see all the hype around an actual TENNIS shoe.  I mean at least some people in the streetwear scene actually play basketball, so at least there’s some connection with Jordans.  And I think I’ve even seen some sneakerheads on a skateboard… but none of them play tennis.  Biters.

Tags: hats streetwear fashion LEADERS

My wife and I and some others went to The Rose Bowl Swap Meet last weekend. It was the first time I’d ever been there; pretty sad as I’ve lived in LA my whole life.

Over all it was pretty cool, but I’m not writing a review on that. My real issue here is the Stussy booth that was set up there. I could not figure out if the clothes real or bootlegged. Overall, most of it looked real, but the whole set up was so messy and unofficial looking that I really couldn’t tell.

Hundreds of Stussy New Eras, thousands of tee shirts… all just piled on tables outside. I mean does Stussy really sell their stuff like that?

I saw at least one shirt that looked like it fit badly, like it was too short and wide. I saw another shirt where too much ink was applied on the silkscreen and the image was kind of bubbly. Maybe they were just seconds, like mistakes and what not, but I couldn’t help thinking it was all fake.

One guy picked up a Stussy x Mad Hectic x Undefeated tee and asked the lady working the booth how much it was. She told him it was $40 and that it was available only in Japan. Well according to Hypebeast it was available at Undefeated in the US, too. Maybe she was just misinformed… or maybe she was trying make a sale on some fake-ass shit!

The Rose Bowl Swap Meet is a huge event though and I would think that if they were selling fake Stussy, they’d get caught real quick. What the hell do I know, though.

Anyone out there know if this stuff was real? I mean shit, I should have bought some if it was.

www.wearchildren.com

Tags: streetwear stussy tee shirt new era fashion los angeles rose bowl

Freshjive has been one of my favorite lines for about 17 years now, ever since I bought the original Tide tee in like ‘91 or something over at LA’s original streetwear spot, Funkeesentials.

I’ve always liked their jackets and hats. Clean and simple, but just funky enough to stand out from the crowd. Founder Rick Klotz (how much of the cut and sew he actually designs, I don’t know), knows what he’s doing.

See what I mean?

Word is this collection is available only at their LA store Reserve, which I am yet to actually go inside. Freshjive used to have a spot, years ago, in Santa Monica on Main Street. That shop closed down right before Freshive seemed disappear for a couple years. They’re back in full effect, though and rockin it hard.

word

Tags: los angeles fashion streetwear freshjive rick klotz

I’ve been talking shit about all the New Eras coming out (maybe that’s just cus I’ve got the only line out there without one), and low and behold someone drops a hot one on us. Check this one out from Leaders 1354, a streetwear boutique in Chicago.

Beautiful, huh? I love it. I just peeped it on Highsnobiety. Especially dope for us left coasters.

I gotta say I’m glad it looks like the trend is moving back to simpler, cleaner designs. Streetwear was crazy for minute!

Tags: streetwear new era tee shirt leaders 1354