At the beginning of the decade, an overabundance of opinion
pieces denounced the demise of the subculture. Middle-aged rock journalists,
mostly white, complained that there were no more appropriate
"scenes." This fast fashion and Spotify had killed the youth
movements. Let everyone dress the same, in a version of skinny jeans and
post-Libertine T-shirts. This individuality died in the 1990s with Britpop.
Eight years later and the NME is dead, kids have never
dressed so crazy,
and like a renegade
teacher, the '90s are back (if you get this reference, you probably already
have the look in your attic). Where you once needed knowledge to choose your
Blur fans among your Oasis fans, today's style tribes are pre-marked.
Adopting logos in a way that hasn't been seen since the days
when Tommy Hilfiger sold out of stores other than TK Maxx, it's easy to choose
kids' skate wear from the high-fashion, aspiring MC grime ensemble of the
Rafsessives.
All of this makes logomania a trend anyone can jump into and
one that is fraught with dangers. Unlike the 90s, when logos were a slightly
less awkward way to show off your wealth than wearing a silver coat, this time
they embody a complicated mix of irony, status, lack of status, joke, and
fashion savvy. Get it wrong and you will be your father in the supreme queue.
Get it right and you'll be Jonah Hill at Palace, quietly flouting the internet.
Here are four key customs to be the ultimate.
WEAR IT HIGH AND PROUD
The movement of the OG logo, both then and now, is the
brand's t-shirt. "Gucci has kicked off this trend [in recent years] with
their logo t-shirt," says Luke McDonald, stylist for online costume
service Thread. Although streetwear and sportswear brands never gave up on
their graphics, luxury brands had been more minimalist since the 2000s, with
customers preferring a more subtle display of wealth.
"But that doesn't translate well on Instagram,"
McDonald says. "Logos yes". The Gucci T-shirt, while expensive,
allows consumers to shop for the most popular fashion brand without spending
four figures. Also, everyone could see what you bought and where it came from.
High and low labels followed suit.
"Right now, you
can't have too many," says Nick Eley, ASOS men's design manager. “There is
a real trend for large or oversized logo prints. This is not for wallflowers.
In essence, you are paying a brand to act as an advertisement, so make sure
your reference is more than just a pretty image. "You should choose a
label that suits your style and lifestyle," says McDonald.
Logo conflict is doable, but tricky. Better to give the
brand of your choice the unshared spotlight. "I would treat logos the same
way as prints," says Chris Hobbs, senior editor for menswear at
MatchesFashion.com. "One at a time, else your outfit will start to wear
you out." If you look like an F1 driver, remember.
How to use large logos
LIKE A SUBTLE BLINK
There are always ways to dip a toe into any manner trend,
even the one that looks at me too. On Main Street, the focus tends to be OTT -
the logos themselves have less influence, so their owners have to dig deeper,
so punters don't go home. But among the more prestigious labels, even those
that have long been shy about logos have leaned on the trend. Although gently.
"The most subtle way to approach logos is to choose a
label that doesn't visibly mark your product," says Eley, "but has a
distinctive signature or feel that immediately stands out." Think of the
Burberry Check, recently reintroduced after being scrapped in the 2000s due to
its popularity with the underprivileged, and Margiela, with its signature
stitches.
For a pocket money approach, look for tonal logos,
think of a white-on-white Stan Smith or a black-on-black Nike logo, or stick with pants, where the branding is more subtle. Joggers in particular, with the logo relegated to the side band, set two trends at once.