Mature Streetwear

Behind the scenes.

The founders of streetwear brand, SOPOPULAR, James Ardinast and Daniel Blechman first came up with the idea behind their label in an effort to suit their own needs of a line which applied "the fashion codes of streetwear in an adult way". For the majority of streetwear, as it stands, the appearance and feel of the clothing tend to be youthful in their nature. This inherently means that after a certain age, those choosing to purchase a streetwear piece are rather limited in their choice, lest they look out of place in their decision.

Indeed SOPOPULAR aimed to address the more mature man's need for streetwear, seeking to be classic and yet pragmatic in their design. For their first ever collection for Fall '09, I believe they truly managed to achieve their goal. Using mainly high grade cottons and wools, the looks maintained the designers' ideal of classic design, yet equally realised with a unique creative twist. There was a sense of formal elegance to the casual looks, and indeed a certain maturity to the pieces.

The slim fit casual shirts were interesting in their additions of the passant shoulders and the across-body slim sashes. These provided a certain military feel to the looks, indeed specifically in the second look, where one notes the pairing with the jodhpur trousers and boots. One found there to be a certain utilitarian feel to the collection, emphasised further by the plain fabric choices and clear cut designs. These are clearly pieces to be used daily, given their simplistic charm.

I also enjoyed the styling of the slim flat fronted trousers with the cotton waist sashes (dare I say cummerbunds?). These helped to add an interesting dynamic to the looks, whilst also allowing for far cleaner silhouettes. I was again reminded of the military aspects of the collection, in that sashes were employed by the British soldiers in India during the colonial era. Indeed one also found these in the form of ceremonial pieces in South Asian military wear. Of course originally, they were designed as a means of holding together loose robes, similar in a way to the modern belt.

The fitted woolen outerwear pieces continued the concept of fabric strips, as in the shoulder straps and sashes, with the use of a leather belt and collar neckpiece. Although the outerwear pieces were classic and traditional in both cut and tailoring, the addition of the belts and, indeed in one case, the zipped breast pocket, added a nice unexpected element to the designs. These additions definitely gave the pieces a unique appeal.

As a whole the SOPOPULAR collection looked classic from afar, yet the unique design features meant it was visually interesting in its approach. The utilitarian and military feel evoked from the employment of the sashes and shoulder straps allowed for a smart casual appearance. And indeed the slimmer cuts of the clothing, updated one's perceptions of a streetwear label, in the maturity and elegance of their designs. I certainly look forward to their Spring offerings...

Currently playing: Try It Again - The Hives

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