Skater Fashion To Rule Them All

Because for better or worse, fashion loves to riff off of subcultures

Heads up, this essay is a little longer than normal. I wanted to dig into the subculture side of skater fashion and do skaters justice. So grab a cup of tea, coffee, or tequila, and sit back and relax. Because it's 5 o’clock somewhere, right?

---

---

Skateboarding has gone from backyard pastime to big business, embodying an adrenaline-fueled world full of challenges, thrills, and vibes. And the fashion industry wasted no time sinking its claws into this cultural juggernaut.

Because when there’s money to be made, ain't no chance fashion is passing up on bringing in that dollar. From high fashion spreads to runway shows and premium labels to high-street retailers, skate culture has woven itself into the very fabric of the industry.

Avril Lavigne's Sk8er Boi is one of those songs you just can't forget if you're a Millennial like myself. It may have been over two decades since the song dropped, but not only is the track still an absolute banger (I will fight keyboard warriors on this), it also serves as a metaphor for skate culture's rise in fashion and pop culture.

Back in the day, skateboard clothing took cues from punk and counterculture movements. It truly was a subculture in all its glory with skaters donning leather jackets, studded belts, and band tees to express their outsider status. They didn’t fit into the mainstream of society’s prescription of cool and acceptable, so they did shit for themselves. And I fux with that.

This sartorial rebellion fostered a tight-knit community among skaters, united by their colouring outside the lines. But as skateboarding's popularity surged so too did the evolution of its fashion. Whether for better or worse remains to be seen.

Today, skate clothing isn't just for the skate park. It's hit mainstream fashion with full force, gracing the backs of those who don the aesthetic far and wide. It’s a testament to skate culture's enduring influence in fashion and beyond, but the waters have got muddied along the way.

---

The skate scene's fashionable roots

The skater subculture was born in the sun-soaked streets of Southern California and now has a borderless appeal. From its humble beginnings in the empty pools of wealthy homeowners to its current status as a fashion powerhouse, skater style has ridden the waves of evolution over time.

In the 70s, as skateboarding found its footing, skaters embraced laid-back attire. Credit must be given here to the Z-Boys, the California sidewalk surfers whose influence seeped into the wardrobes of skaters everywhere, giving rise to loose-fitting tees, plaid shirts, dishevelled hair, and an air of IDGAF energy.

The 80s saw a further plunge into skaters' countercultural territory, with nods to punk and early hip-hop shaping skater fashion as we know it. Enter Thrasher Magazine, the oracle of all things skater since 1981 which is still going strong today (yay print media).

But it was the larger-than-life 90s, aka my heyday, that truly left its mark on skater fashion. This decade became immortalised in cult skate mags and streetwear culture.

With the X-Games action sports events hitting screens and Tony Hawk dominating skateboarding competitions, skating was plated up for the world to see, coming a long way from its humble beginnings.

Bringing skater culture back, baby

During those early stages of the pandemic when we all battled bouts of cabin fever, Gen Zers and their love for nostalgia gave many old trends a fresh spin — and skater fashion was one of them. The '90s and '00s, the golden eras of skater culture, were resurrected by younger generations who weren’t around to witness their impact the first time. 

What was once just plain old skater clothing has now been dubbed ‘skatercore’, because everything is a core now ffs, and its resurgence on social platforms is pushing it to new heights. This spotlight has reignited interest not only in the sport but also in its fashion and cultural acclaim.

Skateboarding's journey from underground passion to Olympic sport, showcased alongside surfing and climbing at the 2020 Tokyo Games, speaks volumes about its mainstream appeal. 

To mark the one-year countdown to skateboarding's second Olympic appearance at the 2024 Paris Games, the Design Museum in London rolled out an exhibition titled "Skateboard"  in October 2023.

This exhibit, open until June 2024, takes people on a journey through the design evolution of skateboarding, from the homemade boards of the '50s to the high-tech marvels we see today. With around 90 rare boards and over 100 accompanying artefacts — from wheels and trucks to VHS tapes and magazines — it's a nostalgia-fuelled look back at skating history.

---

Skate fashion shaped streetwear culture

But what about the fashion brands who paved the way for skater style to infiltrate streetwear? 

Back in the day, the likes of Supreme, Stüssy, and World Industries laid down the groundwork for skater wear to roll into the spotlight. But it was what I’m calling the Supreme effect that took things up a notch and made skate culture the thing of global streetwear dreams.

Only a select few have mastered the art of turning skate swag into fashion gold.

Palace carved its niche, even cosying up to Supreme in its infancy. It has a pretty cool Soho store in London that I’ve visited and retail spaces in Tokyo, NYC, and LA featuring skate-inspired threads. They’ve even collaborated with Reebok, Umbro, and Juventus FC.

Then there are the OG skater brands like Vans, whose checkerboard plimsolls I re-purchase every couple of years due to wear and tear, and Element.

It’s these heavyweight labels who infused skater culture into fashion branding that laid down the foundation for others to follow in their footsteps.

The high fashion x skater chokehold 

The tables have turned as luxury brands battle it out to carve out their niche in the skate culture scene. It's a bold move, considering no one asked them to. But many have caught onto the impact, reach and influence of skater fashion, realising that it’s a potential goldmine for reaching new audiences.

Gucci's Cruise 2024 collection is a prime example of this. It caused quite a stir with an unexpected accessory: a skateboard bag showcased amid the grandeur of Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul.

Meanwhile, in the Virgil Abloh Louis Vuitton days, we bore witness to the house’s first skateboarding sneaker, and JW Anderson had heads turning with broken boards woven into knitwear. Rapper Lil Durk actually showed up to sit courtside at a Lakers game decked out in Anderson’s aforementioned spliced skateboard sweatshirt, who would’ve thought?

While high fashion goes on a cash grab and ‘borrows’ from skate culture, some pieces appear on runways and high fashion campaigns like casually undone props, while others imitate designs directly from popular skate brands with an inaccessible price tag attached. And that’s not what skater culture is about.

This has long been a bone of contention, with skaters feeling their culture is being co-opted for fashionable profit.

Yet, it's not all one-sided. In a curious twist of fate, back in 2000 Supreme found themselves on the receiving end of a cease and desist letter from Louis Vuitton after using the luxury labels monogram print on their decks and apparel. It's kind of ironic if you think about it, how luxury big hitters can’t take it when someone mines their archives but they're okay doing it to everyone else.

---

New-age skater brands do it for themselves, IYKYK

While fashion giants swipe skateboard culture for inspiration, it's the skaters themselves who understand the pulse of their community. 

Take World Artifact Society, for instance — a crew of seven skaters turned cultural movers and shakers, diving headfirst into publishing, art, and design. Their debut, a manifesto wrapped in a book, is a love letter to the '90s skate kids and a promise of things to come.

Yardsale is one of those brands that has taken its gritty aesthetic and turned it into absolute gold. What began as a DIY project in someone's bedroom has turned into a fully-fledged brand, churning out limited runs that the fashion-forward lap up in droves. From logo tees to denim, outerwear, and bespoke pieces, Yardsale has become a staple in the closets of London's trendsetters. 

Over in Nigeria, Wafflesncream has been riding the skater wave since 2010. Founder Jomi Marcus-Bello has paid homage to the female skater scene and women's month with a “waf. Babes,” collected that's a testament to their unwavering support for local skate culture fused with fashion.

The contemporary skate fashion scene

Skateboard clothing isn't just about looking cool though; it's a canvas for creativity and a way for people to communicate without having to say a damn thing.

“Skateboarding isn’t like a traditional sport where you wear a uniform and everybody looks the same. The tricks you do, how you look doing them, and what you’re wearing, it’s a sport of self-expression,” said pro skater Paul Rodriguez in the Nike SNKRS “The Story of Dunk” series.

Tastemakers and trendsetters within the skate scene also have a little something to do with its contemporary look and feel.

Remember Nathan Apodaca cruising on a board with a bottle of cranberry juice to Fleetwood Mac? Well, that wasn't just a vibe; it was a seismic shift in skateboarding culture, sending skateboard sales soaring.

Then there's the skateboarding elite turned fashion royalty.

Take Dylan Rieder, who graced the pages of Vogue, rubbing shoulders with fashion's finest starring alongside A$AP Rocky in a DKNY campaign. And Blondey McCoy, Palace's poster child who parted ways with the sponsor after seven years, turned Burberry darling, designer and artist, is proof that skaters are now setting the fashion agenda.

---

So, what next?

Skateboarders have always been the real MVPs.

Skateboarding isn't just a sport; it's a vibe, an energy that’s countercultural in its essence which you can't box into one neat category. 

It's not just about looking good; it's about feeling connected, expressing who you are, and finding a tribe that just gets it.

Skaters are putting the subculture back into skater fashion.

From the days of being seen as rebels to where we’re at now, skateboard clothing and skater fashion is a way for the skater curious to get involved in the sport beyond its aesthetics — even if it's the clothing that brought them there in the first place. 

---

If you're vibing with this newsletter, subscribe to get weekly doses of fashion goodness straight in your inbox.