We’d like to preface this post by saying that skateboarding is not our usual bag of tricks. But whatever is going on in the world of skateboarding undoubtedly influences the world of fashion. In a big way.
Like the cool older kids at school, skateboarders set the trends that the rest of the world eventually cotton onto. Graphic tees? You can thank skate brands for that. Baggy pants? Those too. Oversized hoodies and sweats? And those. Nearly everything that makes its way into the mainstream has had skateboarding to help it get there.
Skate brands are always a couple of paces ahead of the rest of us, and the good news is that there’s no shortage of them. What was once a niche hobby invented by landlocked surfers has since transformed into big business – you only have to look at the influence of Supreme to understand that.
But don’t get it twisted: there are plenty of brands without box logos that make a compelling case for skateboarding’s influence on the world of fashion. And in this article, we’ve compiled five of our favourites.
1. Butter Goods
Hailing from the sunny shores of Perth, Butter Goods puts a typically Australian spin on skateboarding apparel. Patterns, bright colours and the sort of cuts that make the rest of skateboarding clothing look slim-fitting – Butter is oozing with the casual cool that so many of us associate with skating.
Denim is synonymous with Butter Goods, while other hallmarks of the brand include shirting, plaid and instantly recognisable graphics – often putting its unmistakable logo front and centre of the designs. If clothing could melt in your mouth, Butter’s certainly would.
2. Pop Trading Company
Amsterdam-based Pop Trading Company has been producing skate apparel since 2013 – not quite veterans of the skate game, but they’ve more than earned their stripes. In their 13 years of existence, they’ve honed their eye for fine fabrics and intricate details.
There’s a refined edge to Pop – their collaborations with brands like Blundstone and G.H. Bass prove it – and when they’re not producing graphic-led pieces, they’re often tinkering with premium fabrics like garment-dyed cotton and washed denim. If you’re after skate clothing that can withstand its fair share of scrapes while still looking smart enough for dinner later, Pop might just be the brand for you.
3. Dime MTL
With a name borrowed from a Lou Reed song and a logo cleverly adapted from Dior, Dime aren’t afraid of throwing a few references into the mix. The brand started life as a group of skaters from Montreal, simply posting fun edits to Instagram, and has since blossomed into one of the most recognisable skate labels – both within the world of skateboarding and well beyond it.
Revered for its subtly branded basics – sweatpants, hoodies and pullovers – Dime’s product always takes Montreal’s climate into account, resulting in some seriously cosy collections. But there’s more to Dime than keeping warm: a playful sense of humour and sharp design are proof that you don’t need to take skateboarding too seriously to have a serious influence on fashion.
4. Bronze 56K
Bronze 56K is as cult as they come. The brand released its first clothing collection in 2013, with a distinctly NYC edge and an aesthetic that felt like a love letter to the early days of the internet. Retro computer graphics, pixelated designs and lo-fi imagery give Bronze 56K an instantly recognisable look, while its skate videos, complete with VHS fuzz, surreal editing and absurd humour, have become almost as iconic as the clothing itself.
There’s a healthy amount of nostalgia running through the veins of Bronze 56K, from its graphic tees and hoodies to its irreverent approach to street skating. Collaborations with the likes of Palace, Reebok and HUF have helped take that underground aesthetic to a much wider audience, but Bronze 56K has never lost its DIY spirit.
5. Village PM
Skate brands have always been good at pushing things forward, and in the case of Village PM, that meant reimagining what skate footwear could look, almost entirely. Borrowing ideas from climbing and outdoor footwear, Village PM developed its own approach to construction, with sticky climbing rubber wrapped around the shoe’s high-abrasion areas and an asymmetrical fit designed to follow the natural shape of the foot.
The result is footwear that’s every bit as functional as it is unconventional – proof that there’s still plenty of room to shake things up in skateboarding. If skate brands are at their best when they’re challenging the status quo, Village PM is certainly doing its bit.
