Welcome to our ultimate streetwear gift guide — where we answer the question: what the hell is streetwear anyway? No really, a decade back it was easy enough to simply define streetwear as hoodies, sneakers, and anything made by Supreme. But these days, the idea of streetwear has blossomed into something that gets more nuanced and complex year by year, covering a wide variety of different categories and subcategories, from men’s and women’s clothing to unisex fits, footwear, accessories, and even electronics. Streetwear is so interwoven with modern culture that you don’t even have to hunt to find it these days, it’s in our malls, on fashion runways around the world, and even easily available online, supply chain be damned!
The fact that the term “streetwear” casts such a wide net is great and all, but if you’re shopping for someone in your family or friend circle and all you really know about them is that they absolutely live and die for all things “streetwear,” it can be an absolute hellscape to navigate. So let us do it for you! For our ultimate streetwear gift guide, we’ve covered a handful of the brands worth getting excited about and hit some of the accessories and sneakers that are sure to inspire gasps of joy from the streetwear lover in your life come the holidays.
The footwear and fresh gear we’ve included in this list differs from what we put included in our sneaker gift guide, so if you’re specifically on the hunt for shoes, be sure to give that a look as well. Let’s get shopping!
Essential Streetwear Brand: Supreme Winter Collection
Price: Varies
Supreme is still one of the biggest apparel brands in the streetwear scene and luckily, one of the easiest to shop. We’ve all heard about those limited Supreme drops, and those are definitely still hard to get your hands on, but something simple like a colored box logo hoodie is easy to find and is sure to be in style for as long as streetwear is a thing.
Best of all, since a simple colored hoodie is a wardrobe staple, even if the streetwear lover in your life has one, they’re not going to object to being supplied with another. Grabbing any hoodie by Supreme from their winter 2021 collection is an easy win, no matter how picky the streetwear person in your life is.
Essential Streetwear Brand: Palace Winter Collection
Price: Varies
If the streetwear lover in your life leans more towards the skateboarding side of streetwear, you need to familiarize yourself with the brand Palace, which is essentially London’s answer to Supreme. Like Supreme, Palace releases weekly drops of streetwear essentials like Gore-Tex equipped jackets, hoodies, pants, headwear, and even the occasional skateboard.
The brand doesn’t have an easy iconic piece like Supreme’s simple branded hoodies, but there is enough variety here to shop for everyone from friends to boyfriends, girlfriends, and even your bratty little cousins.
Cool Streetwear Label: Teddy Fresh
Price: Varies
One of our 2021 brands to watch, Teddy Fresh has steadily been killing it this year with drop after drop of amazing streetwear essentials, from comfortable pastel-colored hoodies to sandals, bucket hats, polo shirts, and fleece skirts. This is the sort of brand that is going to appeal to the streetwear lover in your life that is in their late teens and early twenties and is on the heels of launching a Black Friday sale, sure to help you save some money on what is already a pretty affordable brand by modern streetwear standards.
Cool Streetwear Label: TOMBOGO
Price:Varies
One of the most exciting streetwear brands operating right now, TOMBOGO features streetwear basics like shirts, t-shirts, hoodies, caps, and pants and updates them with design flair that looks undeniably modern. TOMBOGO is the sort of streetwear you’d see in a music video, so if you’re shopping for that streetwear lover in your life that likens themselves to the big thing, help them reach that level by hooking them up with some TOMBOGO.
The line features fits that are flattering for both men and women, so hit the site and cross off multiple names from your holiday shopping list.
Cool Streetwear Label: Lazy Oaf
Price:Varies
A brand we can’t seem to stop throwing love to this year is the London-based Lazy Oaf, which offers up a fashion aesthetic that feels indebted to ‘90s rave and Brit-pop culture, without looking throwback and outdated. Bucket hats, loose-fitting outerwear, playful shoes, dresses, and pants, it can all be found at Lazy Oaf.
Shop here if the streetwear lover in your life likes to keep their fits loose, casual, and a little psychedelic.
Cool Streetwear Label: Vixx Studios
Price: $105
One of our brands from this year’s ComplexCon worth following, Vixx Studios takes a flirty approach to streetwear that is equal parts cute and sustainable. The brand was developed by designer and engineer Victoria Cummings who took a BS in Chemical Engineering and applied it to the world of modern fashion by utilizing upcycle techniques throughout her designs to offset a lot of the waste from the fashion industry.
Currently, Vixx Studios is offering up a collection of halter dresses and top and short sets that recall vintage Nike designs, but present it in a way that feels daring and fresh, a far cry from the type of apparel Nike would actually deliver.
Grab this top and skirt set for the streetwear lover in your life who likes to keep things cute on their morning walk.
Big Ticket Streetwear Collaboration: October’s Very Own Jurassic Park Varsity Jacket
Price: $1,500
This is a pretty niche gift, but if the streetwear lover in your life is a big fan of the Toronto Raptors and they happen to be a huge Drake and Jurassic Park fans as well, this gift is pretty much tailor-made for them and no one else. The Jurassic Park varsity jacket features Jurassic Park and Toronto Raptors-themed patches and graphics on a fully lined vegan leather jacket with Jeff Hamilton branded snap buttons, embroidered details, and comes bundled with a limited edition signed plaque.
It’s a big-ticket purchase, but gifted to the right person, this is probably the best present they’ll ever receive in their entire lives, and that’s something.
Streetwear On A Budget: UNIQLO Gift Card
Price: $5-$200
If you’re looking for an easy gift for the streetwear lover in your life, definitely consider grabbing them a gift card to UNIQLO. It’s not the most exciting brand, and it won’t inspire any gasps or excited freakouts, but UNIQLO is one of the most easily accessible streetwear retailers operating right now and can be found at most malls. So grab a gift card in any amount that makes you comfortable and let that ultra picky streetwear snob shop for themselves!
Essential Streetwear Accessory: Telfar Bag
Price: Varies
Telfar makes what are by far the most popular over-the-shoulder bags in all of streetwear. The unisex bags are popular with celebrities and the most fashionable people to walk the streets of New York Fashion Week. They’re also actually incredibly hard to get your hands on.
Currently, on the Telfar website, every bag in every size and color is completely sold out but the bags are readily available on aftermarket sites like StockX for prices that aren’t that much higher than retail. Buy a Telfar bag for the streetwear lover in your life and you’ll instantly be their favorite person for the whole holiday season.
Essential Streetwear Accessory: G-Shock DW5600RB-3M
Price: $99
I’m convinced that the entire wristwatch industry is propped up by rich people who have more money than they know what to do with and people who are into streetwear. Luckily for you, the streetwear crowd is less into limited edition “timepieces” and more into simple digital wristwatches like the Casio G-Shock.
First introduced in the early ‘80s this green colorway is a recreation of one of the first G-Shock watches sold outside of Japan in the ‘90s. If you’re not feeling the green, this model has several different color options, from black to yellow, to transparent and the G-Shock website is full of all sorts of different styles that might better speak to the streetwear lover in your life.
Essential Streetwear Accessory: Ray-Ban RB2180
Price: $105
Reviews might be mixed on Netflix’s live-action interpretation of the beloved anime Cowboy Bebop, but one thing we can all agree on is that John Cho looks fresh as hell in a pair of round frame sunglasses, so expect this to be the frame of choice for the upcoming spring season.
You certainly don’t have to opt for this particular frame or brand, but Ray-Ban is always a classic choice and will help ensure the streetwear lover in your life is psyched to get a pair of sunglasses in the middle of winter.
Best Homeware Brand For Streetwear Lovers: Curves By Sean Brown
Price: Varies
Curves by Sean Brown was one of the brands on the ground floor at this year’s ComplexCon and is an ideal brand to shop if you’re looking for some homeware for the streetwear lover in your life. From cool psychedelic rugs to coffee tables coasters, pillows, and other house essentials, Curves is probably the only homeware brand that can be described as hip.
It’s the perfect choice if the streetwear lover in your life just relocated to a new living space.
Best Retro Accessory: Gameboy Color
Price: Varies
As futuristic as the streetwear scene may seem from the outside, it’s actually full of love for retro artifacts. Polaroids, Walkmen CD players, Leica cameras, a certain section of hype beast cool kids live for the retro sh*t and right now vintage Gameboys are perfect for that on-the-go individual who wants to stay away from their phone while keeping themselves entertained on a long subway ride. They’re also readily available second hand on websites like eBay for under $50.
Throw a vintage game like Pokemon on top of that gift and call it a day, you just won the holiday season.
With the ever-present popularity of Pokemon, it’s never been a better time to grab a Gameboy and dive into the feel-good nostalgic vibes of youth by playing through whatever iteration of the game you grew up with. For me, that’s the red version, so if you’re shopping for someone in their late ’20s and early ‘30s Pokemon Red or Blue is the move. Find out what era of Pokemon the streetwear lover in your life grew up with and be prepared to experience actual tears of joy when they open your gift.
Best Comfort-Fit: Adidas Yeezy Foam RNNR Mineral Blue
Price: Varies
Look, it’s totally okay to think that Yeezy Foam RNNRs look stupid, we’re right there with you. But the simple truth is that the streetwear community has, by and large, accepted these just like they’ve accepted Crocs. Right now a lot of brands are approaching fashion with a comfort-first approach and it doesn’t really get more comfortable than these ridiculous slip-on shoes.
The Foam RNNR routinely sells out fast, so if the streetwear lover in your life doesn’t have a pair it’s probably because they’ve been just been hit with bad luck. End that streak when you gift them these Mineral Blue Foam RNNR’s from sneaker aftermarket site StockX. If you’re not feeling the blue, there are a whole bunch of other options out there right now too, including some that look like marble!
Best Winter Footwear: Canada Goose Journey Boot
Price: $750
Toronto-based label Canada Goose is one of the most legit outerwear brands operating right now. If you’re not familiar with the brand, think the practical functionality of a label like The North Face meets a high-end style aesthetic that has even the most modern streetwear designers clamoring to work with the brand (see this year’s collaboration with Rhude as one recent example).
Luckily for all of us, it’s looking like the brand is further solidifying itself in the streetwear realm by finally dipping a toe into the sneaker game. This year, the label launched their first footwear offerings, the seriously equipped Snow Mantra Boot, and our pick for this gift guide, the Journey Boot.
Available in both men’s and women’s sizes, the Journey Boot is crafted in Italy and inspired by the type of hiking boots worn in the Alps. The Journey Boot was crafted to ensure functionality across all types of terrain and elements while still offering comfortable flexibility that looks straight-up luxury.
As we enter the winter season, help ensure that the streetwear lover in your life is able to hit the snow while still looking as fashionable as ever.
Best Luxury Footwear: Dior Vibe Sneaker
Price: $1,190
Straight up, this isn’t the type of gift you buy for your streetwear-loving cousin. The Dior Vibe sneaker is the sort of gift you reserve exclusively for your significant other. This classic running sneaker combines white mesh and leather with transparent accents and premium Italian construction for a piece of footwear that screams luxury.
It’s admittedly a lot to drop on a single pair of sneakers, but it’s a dream gift. If your significant other is all about Dior, this is the sort of purchase that is going to linger in their memory every holiday moving forward. That might be a trap if you aren’t able to follow it up, so be warned!
EDITOR’S PICK: Eddie Bauer x Baja East Cashmere Joggers & Cashmere Hoodie
The list of famous names that rep for LA’s luxury streetwear brand, Baja East, is beyond impressive. Bieber, Gaga, Solange — single name stars. The hype is not unfounded, Baja East’s “gender obsolescent” clothing is stylish, well made, loose-fitting, and yet still clearly finely crafted. And in their whole line, I love this simple, cashmere collab with legacy outdoor giant Eddie Bauer best.
Unlike so many unisex or ambisexual clothes, the Eddie Bauer x Baja East joggers and hoodie aren’t cut so loosely as to eradicate the idea that there’s actually a human body wearing the items — a problem which so many genderless brands fall into. Between the fabric and the cut, there’s still a lot of sensuality in this line. It’s cozy and loose-fitting but not anti-sexual, either.
As for the textures and the feel… it’s like wearing a cloud. Warm but breathable. Cozy but viable in public. This is next-level Apres Ski gear and if you rock it on a cold winter’s morning with a partner, things are likely to warm up real quick. The pants with a white tee are perfect for a lazy farmer’s market and the hoodie works under a jacket for a night out in the city.
This might just be the most versatile streetwear drop of 2021. It also happens to be my absolute favorite.
Price: Hoodie: $449, Joggers: $429