In 2021, just like in 2021, the world is still obsessed with retro fashion. The resurgence of reimagined classic sneakers, denim clothing, and funky socks, all find their roots in the 90s and the late 00s. However, with most of our attention focused in the fashion rear-view, it is hard to understand how we completely overlook the decade right behind us. Believe it or not, the most recent decade was undoubtedly one of the best times for menswear and street fashion.
This is the decade where men finally stepped out of work boots and old denim and moved to khaki pants and white dress shirts. In other words, the 2010s mark the decade when men finally let go of outdated toxic notions and started putting more attention into what they wear. This blog will try to remind you of some of the most recognizable articles of men’s clothing that defined the 2010s that were also some of the most iconic manifestations of a larger global social change. Read on to find out more.
Classy but Minimal Sneakers
Sneakers are by far one of the most recognizable parts of any outfit. They can frequently make or break a perfect street look. Given how brands like Nike, Adidas, and Vans keep dropping new sneakers, retro-sneakers, luxury sneakers, collaborative special editions, and so much more, it is hard to imagine a time before sneakers. It would shock many to know that the typical “stylish” male preferred brogues to sneakers not too long ago. The fact that there is renewed interest in sneakers today is because of how minimal casual sneakers quietly entered the scene and replaced brogues altogether. Toeing the fine line between casual and semi-formal, these sneakers were on nearly every pair of feet in the 2010s.
The Yeezys Phenomenon
Yeezys dominated the sneakers and fashion industry for most of the 2010s. The brainchild of hip-hop icon Kanye West, and backed by the millions he made off his success in the music world, Yeezys burst onto the scene on an unprecedented scale. While most new brands take years or even decades to secure a sizable audience, Yeezy did it almost overnight. A mix of Kanye’s own celebrity status, plus the newly emerging power of social media advertising, and the fact that Yeezys perfectly captured the edgy, avant-garde public sentiment at the time led to the brand’s disruptive dominance over the last decade.
The All-Purpose Hoodies
The first half of the decade had fairly rigid boundaries between what qualified as low or high fashion. But somewhere along the second half, the lines suddenly blurred. People wore designer sneakers under designer suits. Morning commuters would wear comfortable joggers under formal-looking overcoats. And at the center of all this confusion was the men’s hoodie.
The hoodie has seen perhaps more controversy than any other piece of modern clothing. Many saw the hoodie as a symbol of racial profiling and stereotyping. With tragic events such as police brutality based on nothing more than a hoodie that looked similar to an alleged perpetrator, the clothing gained immense political attention. In the 2010s, high-street fashion brands began releasing luxury hoodies, taking the controversy and turning it into a fashion statement. Controversial or not, the hoodie continues to stay in style to this day. It may not make much sense to pay hundreds of dollars simply for a 4-letter logo when you can find a better one for a fraction of the price. But that’s how the cookie crumbles in our world, and that’s how it chose to crumble in the 2010s.
Ultra-Skinny Denim
Have you noticed how easy it is to guess a past decade simply by looking at pictures of people from the time and what they wore? Bell-bottoms and loud zoot-suits practically scream the 70s. Denim outfits and chunky sneakers are everything about the 80s. Spiked hair and beads were everything in the 90s and 00s. And skinny jeans will forever define menswear in the 2010s. Of course, there were certain reasons why skinny jeans saw mixed reactions. On one hand, it was as bold a fashion statement a male could make at that time. On the other, skinnies are notoriously hard to get in and out of. That’s not to mention the uncomfortable position they can often place your privates in. But hipsters and street-wizards alike chose to wear these jeans for most of the last decade. So it makes no sense to exclude them from this list.
Combat Boots
Work boots may have exited the scene for a while, but combat boots came back with a bang in the 2010s. When you consider the doomsday theme common in the last decade, it isn’t difficult to understand how combat shoes entered mainstream fashion. Millennials were finally realizing what a difficult and cruel place the real-world really is. Being tough is usually the only way most males can cope with things, and so they did what they could in their apparel too. Rougher, more rugged boot styles soon emerged, and nearly everyone looked like an off-duty paratrooper on most occasions. However, it would be remiss to deny that combat boots do have a certain rugged appeal, and that is exactly why they were all the rage in the 2010s.
