Streetwear continues to grow in popularity with everyone from college students to celebrities. Discover my favorite streetwear brands that span a variety of styles and price points.
What's Inside
In Search of the Best Streetwear for Men
Streetwear took off in the 1990s, becoming popular worldwide. But even though it’s now a part of the mainstream, it still has a subversive vibe, a free, creative, and rebellious energy that comes from its connections with different youthful subcultures. From Southern California surf culture to Tokyo’s underground music scene, from skateboarding to graffiti art to hip-hop to punk, streetwear has always drawn on an exciting mix of influences.
The global streetwear market was roughly $187.5 billion in 2022, and it’s predicted to grow to $230.8 billion by 2028. Streetwear staples, such as jeans, hoodies, graphic T-shirts, and sneakers, are popular both for their aesthetic and for how comfortable they feel. Outfits can also be easily adjusted to look more fun and lighthearted or more intimidating and edgy.
The Best Streetwear Brands for Men
There’s no shortage of streetwear brands on the market, from multimillion dollar fashion houses to pop up brands and collaborations. Here are my favorite streetwear brands for men:
Amiri
No list of streetwear clothing brands would be complete without Amiri, a luxury fashion house infused with the aesthetics of Americana and the street culture of Hollywood, where founder Mike Amiri grew up. Check out the leather shirts, eagle-themed hoodies, and varsity jackets sporting bone appliques on the sleeves, each item made with superior craftsmanship. Amiri, which launched in 2014, is especially well-known for its large assortment of jeans, including distressed jeans and cargo varieties.
Blue Marble
Founded in 2019 by Anthony Alvarez, Blue Marble embodies high levels of creative energy in its colorful streetwear for men. Among the standout items from the Parisian brand are jacquard long-sleeve T-shirts, including one in hairy leopard print and another with a rhinestone-studded camo design. Faux fur is another recurring design element, popping up on jeans and hooded jackets.
Brain Dead
Drawing on an eclectic mix of movies, comics, punk, skateboarding, and other cultural influences, Brain Dead promotes offbeat creativity, and its T-shirts and other streetwear have attracted celebrity fans, such as Jeff Goldblum. Founded by Kyle Ng and Ed Davis, the Los Angeles brand offers a large selection of graphic designs for shirts, sweatpants, hoodies, and shorts, along with many sneaker choices. Because Brain Dead keeps collaborating with cutting-edge artists and fashion brands, what the designers come up with next can be delightfully unpredictable.
Carhartt WIP
While Carhartt is a classic American workwear brand that dates to 1889, Carhartt WIP got launched 100 years later as its streetwear spinoff. Along with picking out sweats and graphic shirts, you can incorporate sturdy overalls or the brand’s iconic Detroit jacket into your streetwear outfit for a more workmanlike look.
Egonlab
Although it’s one of the best streetwear brands for men, Egonlab projects a genderless image. Founded by Florentin Glemarec and Kevin Nompeix in 2019, the Parisian luxury brand is known for experimenting with style and promoting a spirit of rebellion and self-expression. Among your options are velour track jackets, puffy faux-fur jackets with a satin lining, and quilted shirts with large cartoon prints.
Engineered Garments
When Daiki Suzuki launched Engineered Garments in 1999, he wanted to give people a greater ability to combine garments in different ways and cultivate a unique personal style. The New York brand has a plethora of streetwear with unusual details and textures, each item made with fine, durable construction. Examples include herringbone-twill fatigue pants, raglan hoodies with a large fish graphic, and cagoule jackets with a beautifully rendered forest print.
Fear of God
Founded by Jerry Lorenzo in 2013, Fear of God is a pricey Los Angeles fashion label popular for its business attire and streetwear. Produced with high-quality materials in a minimalist style and with a largely neutral color palette, this modern luxury brand includes sweatpants made of American fleece, tank tops made of cotton jersey, and lightweight track jackets that mix wool and nylon. Typically, the brand name appears on each item as a discreet leather label.
Kapital
Founded by Toshikiyo Hirata in the 1980s, Kapital is a high-end, internationally famous family-run brand that favors playful, complex designs and often has a folk art vibe. Items that stand out for uniqueness include bandana-print hoodies, webbing-trimmed sweatpants, and a zip-up sweatshirt with a skeleton motif. The brand has also gained popularity for its jeans and their surprising designs, such as crocheted bones and a slew of patches. Look for Kapital in select upscale online clothing retailers like the fabulous Stag Provisions.
Kith
In 2011, years after he entered the fashion industry as a stock boy at the age of 12, Ronnie Fieg founded Kith, a New York brand that can add a preppy touch to your streetwear look. The brand is known for its tasteful mix of in-house styles and high-quality curated picks, such as luxury sneakers from Common Projects and Moncler. Beyond its impressive selection of footwear, Kith offers a range of classy and casual clothes, including monogram-print jackets and checkerboard-pattern pants with a drawcord waist. Kith is a favorite brand of innovative footwear entrepreneur Marc Nolan (whom I’ve enjoyed getting to know).
Never Broke Again
YoungBoy NBA, a Louisiana-born rapper, sells his own apparel under the Never Broke Again label. Especially if you’re a fan of his music, you’ll want to check out the T-shirts and hoodies with their eye-popping prints. To look truly intimidating, try out the ski mask with the flames and fangs.
Noah
With a flagship store in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood, Noah is a high-quality menswear brand that draws on music and sports, particularly skateboarding and surfing, as design inspiration. Highlights include heavyweight hoodies, fleece crewnecks, T-shirts with artistic, whimsical graphics, and a luxurious donkey jacket made in collaboration with The Cure. Founded by Brendon Babenzien and Estelle Bailey-Babenzien, the brand aims to increase its sustainability and commitment to ethical labor.
Off-White
Virgil Abloh’s groundbreaking luxury brand, which he launched over a decade ago in Milan, is one of the most influential forces in men’s streetwear. When shopping at Off-White, check out the high-end sneakers, like the graffiti-decorated Air Force 1 model and other footwear designed in collaboration with Nike. There are also many options beyond sneakers, such as knit hoodies with an arrow-and-moon graphic, skate T-shirts displaying the brand’s name in large lettering, and denim cargo pants with a silver closure.
Polite Worldwide
If you’re looking for environmentally friendly and ethically produced fashion, check out Polite Worldwide, a Los Angeles brand founded in 2020 by Tavia and Christian Azzinaro. Although the pricey brand is known best for its pearl necklaces, which are a celebrity favorite, you can also find some fun streetwear with a Southern California vibe, like handmade pants and shirts sporting cloud artwork, basketball shorts made from silk and mesh, and jackets with a City of Angels emblem.
Pop Trading Company
Pop Trading Company is an Amsterdam-based skateboarding fashion label that released its first collection in 2016 and has since collaborated with Adidas and other well-rated brands. Founded by Peter Kolks and Ric Van Rest, this streetwear clothing brand favors pops of color, whimsical graphics, and retro designs for its sneakers, T-shirts, hoodies, and outerwear.
Rhude
The founder of Rhude, Rhuigi Villasenor, arrived in the U.S. as a child who didn’t know English, and he wound up launching a high-end Los Angeles streetwear label that attracts celebrities and generates collaborations with Lamborghini and other luxury icons. Expect to pay a premium on many of the beautifully produced garments from Rhude, like the velvet track jacket, the ripped mid-rise jeans, and the mid-top leather sneakers. Try scouring top vintage and secondhand online clothing stores like Stadium Goods for preloved Rhude gear.
Stone Island
Founded by Massimo Osti in 1982, Stone Island is best known for its innovative fabrics and dyes, such as thermo-sensitive films that make a jacket change color based on outdoor temperature. Other examples of memorable streetwear include sweatpants, T-shirts, and outerwear that are colored by hand after undergoing heat compression. From nylon Tela to premium down, this expensive Italian brand uses durable, high-performing materials.
Stussy
“The Chanel of Streetwear” is one nickname for Stussy, which was founded in 1980 by John Stussy and Frank Sinatra Jr. This trendsetting California brand is still a key player in men’s and unisex streetwear, and its enormous selection includes collaborations with Nike, Converse, and other fashion heavyweights. Among the standout items from Stussy are Sherpa reversible jackets, contrast-stitch zip hoodies, flight pants with four metal-zip pockets, and headwear sporting the brand’s scrawling signature logo.
Supreme
In 1994, James Jebbia started Supreme as a small skateboarding store in New York City, and it has since become an influential streetwear brand with global reach. From long-sleeve T-shirts to pullover jackets, Supreme favors bold patterns, vivid colors, and graphics that feature cartoons and figures from pop culture.
Wacko Maria
Wild prints with bold colors characterize the men’s streetwear from Wacko Maria, a Japanese brand founded in 2005 by former soccer players Keiji Ishizuka and Atsuhiko Mori. The eye-popping options include Tupac-themed satin shirts, leopard-print nylon shirts and shorts, and Hawaiian-inspired woven shirts designed in collaboration with tattoo artist Tim Lehi. You can also find some relatively low-key items, like cotton-velvet sweatpants.
WTAPS
Founded in 1997 by Tetsu Nishiyama, an acclaimed Japanese designer, WTAPS typically has a military vibe and an aesthetic dominated by darker colors. Multipocket shirt jackets in olive, camo windbreakers, and nylon cargo shorts are among the well-made, durable items you can get from this popular men’s streetwear brand.
Yardsale
Yardsale has made its mark with striking graphics and retro designs, creating a vibe of 1980s Miami Beach and Los Angeles. Founded in 2013 by Dan Kreitem, this South London skateboarding brand offers a variety of high-quality apparel, including striped beanies, graphic T-shirts, flannel hoodies, and handcrafted denim trousers. You can also buy a beautifully illustrated skateboard.
Noon Goons
Surfing, skating, and punk aesthetics predominate in Noon Goons, a Los Angeles streetwear label founded in 2016 by Kurt Narmore. Check out the zip shirt made of genuine calf leather, the mohair-blend sweater with a glaring skull logo, and the polos with subversive artwork decorating the sleeves. You’ll also find some items that are less dark and intense, like a striped camp-collar shirt.
Cole Buxton
When Cole Buxton and Jonny Wilson founded their London-based brand in 2014, they aimed to produce luxury streetwear that customers regard as wardrobe essentials. The well-constructed garments tend to have a minimalistic, monochromatic style. Among the more eye-catching options are hoodies displaying the brand’s name in an elegant script and carpenter pants made of shiny Italian goat skin.
Dime
Dime began over a decade ago with a group of Canadian teenagers posting skateboarding videos online, and it’s now one of the top streetwear brands for men. Operating both online and from a store in Montreal, the brand sells an impressive selection of skateboards, plus T-shirts, hoodies, crewneck sweaters, caps, and other apparel with a pleasing mix of colors and graphics.
Fucking Awesome
As suggested by its name, Fucking Awesome has a confident, in-your-face vibe, which is unsurprising for a brand co-founded by a professional skater in New York. Since 2001, Fucking Awesome has been an excellent source of bold streetwear, from velour bomber jackets to water-resistant nylon pants designed with a riot of color. Whether you’re looking for hoodies or T-shirts, the brand offers exciting variety in graphics and fabrics.
Heron Preston
Fashion designer and disc jockey Heron Preston Johnson drew on years of experience, including a prior collaboration with Virgil Abloh, when he launched his own brand, Heron Preston. Debuting during Paris Fashion Week in 2017, the brand has experimented with a variety of streetwear designs, such as T-shirts with heron illustrations, drawstring-waist shorts with a jagged print, and sweatpants sporting paint splatters and the Monster logo. Heron Preston’s latest venture, L.E.D. Studio, aims to further innovate with style and sustainable production.
Human Made
Tomoaki Nagao, who is also the man behind A Bathing Ape, has fused Japanese and American streetwear styles in Human Made. This unisex and menswear brand, which launched in Tokyo in 2010, often displays playful, cute graphics, like hearts and animals, on its T-shirts, sweatshirts, caps, and other apparel.
Represent
George and Mike Heaton, a pair of brothers, foundedRepresent in 2011 with the aim of mixing deluxe craftsmanship with the casual and subversive vibe of streetwear. This high-end British menswear brand offers hooded jackets, mesh shorts, quilted pullover shirts, and dozens of different T-shirts in its extensive collection. You should also check out the new Studio sneaker, which has leather uppers.
Neighborhood
Biker culture and punk are among the influences on Neighborhood, a Japanese brand founded in 1994 by Shinsuke Takizawa. Along with dark, monochromatic garments that go well with many different streetwear outfits, you’ll find some interesting designs, like the spiderweb pattern on a nylon work jacket or T-shirt graphics inspired by Anthrax, a heavy metal band.
Mastermind World
In 2017, two decades after launching Mastermind Japan, designer Masaaki Homma broadened the reach of his dark, edgy streetwear brand for men through Mastermind World. The brand’s iconic skull-and-crossbones logo appears throughout the collection on T-shirts, caps, bucket hats, socks, and other apparel.
Gramicci
Founded in 1982 by Mike Graham, a rock climber who made a name for himself in Yosemite National Park, Gramicci is an outdoor clothing brand with items that work well as streetwear for men. For example, the canvas mountain pants, which feature the brand’s signature webbing belt and gusseted crotch, are sturdy enough for outdoor trekking while also contributing to a stylish streetwear look. Other durable items include the wrinkle-resistant reversible fleece vest and the loose long-sleeve shirts displaying the brand’s Running Man logo.
Patta
Patta is slang for certain kinds of footwear in Suriname, so founders Edson Sabajo and Guillaume Schmidt chose it for their brand name as a tribute to their national and cultural heritage. Some of the most popular designs from this brand, which was launched in Amsterdam, can be seen in the camo jackets, the tie-dye hoodies, and the T-shirts displaying wholesome text, like a prayer of gratitude. The brand sometimes uses the Shibori dyeing technique to produce bold, rich colors, as with this breathable nylon cap.
Which Streetwear Brands Are Your Top Picks?
Share your favorite streetwear clothing brands for men, including any that aren’t on this list.
Photo credit: Featured photo by Leon Skibitzki via Unsplash.
About JakeJake is an expert on men’s style and fashion based in Washington, DC. He founded Modern Fellows in 2012 to get to know the entrepreneurs and innovative clothing and lifestyle brands helping men dress sharp in the digital age. He has published hundreds of articles on style and apparel, and regularly interviews small business CEOs and startup founders about industry trends. Jake has written about entrepreneurship, international business and fashion for outlets including Business Week, Forbes, Inc., Details Style Syndicate and Primer Magazine. |
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