Many think that urban fashion is street wear. It is not. Although, the streets are major elements that comprise of present urban wear. Looking closely at how people from the streets dress themselves and comparing their outfits to commercial brands and I’m sure you can see some similarities in their designs. But today’s urban wear are becoming more and more sophisticated. From their grungy and hip hop beginnings, urban fashion has evolved to include not only the teens but the young professionals as well. Take for instance the bicycle urban wear style. This particular fashion style has developed into something quite popular not only for cyclist but for non-cyclists as well.
People, nowadays, are opting for a healthier lifestyle. More people are into healthy foods and working out has become part of their daily routine. The streets, similarly, saw this transformation as more people are becoming more environmentally conscious. From the kind of fuel they used to the type of vehicles they prefer (hybrid and electric cars), people are slowly changing their ways and doing their part not only for the planet but for healthy living as well. This is maybe the reason behind the sudden surge of bicycle popularity.
But before, it was only the bicycle messengers that have to maneuver the traffic-clogged streets. They are often preferred by courier services in metro cities due to their ability to move through traffic and deliver mails and small packages in a more or less predictable time. The bicycle messenger has become an iconic symbol in some cities. Stories have been written about them and bicycle messengers have been featured in various television series and even in the big screen (the 1986 movie Quicksilver comes to mind where Kevin Bacon portrayed a bicycle messenger). And today, the influences of bicycle messengers have gone to another commercial endeavor: fashion, more specifically urban fashion.
One of the more obvious influences of bicycle messenger to urban fashion is the assortment of messenger bags available in the market today and has become one of the most seen accessory in urban fashion. The single strapped messenger bags are used by teens and young professionals alike and most of these people don’t even ride bicycles regularly. Backpacks are also part of the messenger’s tool kit but are not quite popular when it comes to the urban fashion scene.
Bicycle urban fashion styles also incorporates the idea that clothing should be light and must not restrict the person’s movement. Anything that could get caught in the bicycle’s chains or pedals are out. Shirts with stylish designs, edgy messages and bright colors are normal urban wear where influences of the bicycle messengers can be seen.
Urban fashion is never restrictive. It can go as far as your imagination and creativity can take it. Bicycle urban wear style is a good example of how urban fashion is influenced by what it happening in the streets. This fashion style has all the components of good urban wear design: practicality, durability and aesthetics.