Let’s start from the beginning. We are born in a certain place. It has its name, flag, colors, symbolism and even an area code. The first years of our lives do not play an important role in terms of belonging to the place we live in. It is only school and friends that open the gate wider to the world around us and slowly, by getting attached to people and things, we get attached to the place we come from. Without wanting to refer to any research, with human certainty, I dare say that sports and all activities that diversify life have a significant impact on our attachment to the place we grew up in. Sports clubs and associations from teenage years indicate with a bold line where the boundary of a given place is. Becoming a member of a team, class or group that has the possibility of a common image identification gives an additional point to group consciousness.
So the first is an institution to dress us in representative colors. Later on the culture force us at some point to become fan of any sports group. Buying T-shirts or sports outfits of various clubs and cities can be associated with a real hobby, fascination with a club, place or player, and sometimes such products even become trophies in the wardrobe. It is different in the case of proper names of cities. For people living in a given city, it is a fashionable opportunity to express their affiliation. For people visiting, it can be a form of souvenir or gift. It can be assumed that a certain percentage of people with a strong need to identify with the place where they live will put this type of product at the forefront. Assuming the best possible situation for each person, simple items of clothing with the name of the place of origin can only have a positive impact on us and solidify our identity. A visible statement on your clothing related to the city is one of the key rungs on the streetwear ladder. Maintaining a streetwear affiliation and some kind of loyalty to places is a good practice.
Many clothing brands were and are being created, mainly in the largest cities in the world, where a significant number of fashion world recipients are concentrated. Many of the cities such as Los Angeles, Tokyo, Paris, London, Barcelona and many others have become key words for the world of streetwear. Global, mid-range brands have taken over when it comes to the production of clothes with the names of cities, such pieces of clothing can be found practically every season in large shopping centers. Anyway, there are still local brands in cities focusing on more exclusive production with a limited number of recipients. There is no doubt that it would be difficult to argue for the right to the original name of the city… I think there is no reason to worry. Glory to our cities.
There may be several positions regarding cities in fashion. I do not mean individual brands that are created in cities such as Paris, which could give meaning due to the history of fashion. I am referring to the lifestyle and worldview of the generation born from around 1980 to 1995. The globalization of fashion has made identifying with a city, country, brand or team outdated, and when looking for freshness and freedom, this type of clothing will find its last leaves right next to Christmas sweaters. However, younger generations, who have experienced the full fruit of the possibilities of the new millennium, can freely use this type of streetwear without finding any need to give meaning to the content contained on the clothes, thus creating bold and authentic collections in their wardrobes.
