Urban fashion can be summed up as the styles that are bubbling under in the major cities. In that sense, it is similar to street fashion.
True urban style is about picking up on sub-cultural trends rather than mimicking more mainstream looks, but it leaves much room for customization.
That is a good thing because being able to carry off urban fashion will require matching it to your individual personality.
The evolution of urban fashion
Most observers trace urban fashion to 1950s America, with Marlon Brando and James Dean being its original icons. Their blue jeans, white t-shirts, and a leather jacket or windcheater have never gone out of fashion.
The style has evolved since then, though, and the new cutting-edge figures are as likely to be hip-hop stars or skateboarders.
A current urban-style role model for women would be someone like Billie Eilish, with her highly personal and distinctive blend of skater and hip-hop looks from the 1990s and 1980s. For men, a singer like Zayn Malik provides a useful entry point into urban styles.
Urban fashion ideas
For men
Much of the key to urban fashion is in quirky matchups and oversized clothes. An extra-large t-shirt is always a good place to start, and it should carry a bold logo.
That can be a sporting one or a colorful graphic design piece.
During the hotter summer months, it can be good to combine that with a pair of baggy graphic shorts. The colors and design should provide a visual contrast to the t-shirt, and the look can be finished off with a pair of designer sneakers.
That is fine for the warmer weather, but what about autumn and winter? You do not have to abandon your urban cool when the weather turns cold. Just adapt it.
Add extra layers with a classic Brando leather jacket or a puffer jacket worn by hip-hoppers sporting an eye-catching logo and coloring. Instead of shorts, you can switch things up with either classic or ripped jeans.
For women
Eilish is definitely one of those to watch for women wanting some urban-style pointers. Her signature outsize tracksuits and tops with multicolored designs have made her stand out in the world of pop music.
Like most urban fashion, it is easier to borrow and bend to your personality than more conventional fashion because it is not about traditional glamour or cost.
If that style is a bit too young for your tastes, opt for a subtler urban look of jeans coupled with a logo t-shirt and a coat. Ensure the coat is personalized through fading or tartan, animal, or camouflage print. Finish the look with military boots.
Urban fashion on a budget
Urban fashion is easy to achieve on a budget because it is created by people with limited cash. Adding intriguing graphic prints to existing items in your wardrobe, like t-shirts or coats, will give them a splash of street style.
Jeans can be similarly styled by aging or applying well-placed rips. Take a look in thrift stores, as you can find quirky items there and then put them together in unique blends that make you feel confident, which is what street fashion is all about.
People setting the trends in street style at the moment are the likes of Eilish, and she already has an army of young women copying her look as closely as possible. In a way, it stops being true urban style when it hits the mainstream, though.
Already street fashion is shifting towards looks like braided roll-neck sweaters and wide trousers made of wool blends in single primary colors like green and black.
Hopefully, you have some pointers towards street styles that will suit you.
Featured Photo by olia danilevich: https://www.pexels.com/
