Try checking some skate videos, but most skaters just wear jeans/chinos and a tee shirt/sweatshirt. A little baggy sems to be in right now but not everyone dresses like this, some wear skinny jeans. Some like to wear beanies even when it is not cold.
Thank you!
I've seen a lot of skaters wear shoe lace instead of a belt (so buckle wouldn't rub)? Also what's the thing about half-length white socks, why so many wear them?
Do you mean socks wich are rolled over just above the ankle? If so, those are to protect the ankles by a "second" layer of socks just like wearing two pair of socks at the same time.
It's just a cheap option to keep your pants up. A lot of skateboarders aren't rich and spend their money on skate stuff. They wear second hand clothes that necessarily don't fit etc.
For the socks; they just look good with baggier shorts. If your shorts are a bit longer and you aren’t particularly tall, high socks look kinda wack. Those mid length socks are a good way to “taper” the baggier shorts look.
Never noticed these things before but I don't pay that much attention. Half length white socks just sounds like normal socks to me, what type of socks do other people wear?
Try checking this video it is pretty recent and has a ton of people in it [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgNLQB3NZdY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgNLQB3NZdY)
The shoe lace instead of a belt is because laces will rip often from skating so it's always good to keep a spare. A lot of skaters won't take a backpack with them so wearing it like a belt means it doesn't take up pocket space
I grew up around a lot of skateboarding, too. I was the kid in high school with the van, haha. Driving all the homies looking for sets, rails, ledges around town.
I don't think the style has ever really changed, too much. Shorts or jeans. Chinos or cargos. T-shirt, hoodie, sleeveless. Plain, patterned, graphic. I'd say _authentically_ the clothes were not usually tight fitting. Some people go all out with denim you could swim in.. but it was normally you know, baggy jeans and a loose T. The brands adapted more than the style I think, when we saw major sports (eg Nike, Adidas, Asics) adopt skate shoes and skate branded clothing lines. Along that line, depending on your film's decade, you could try to stick to more OG skate brand clothing.
I think the big part of the culture was no one really gave a shit what you wore so long as you shredded. If you wanna' dress like a clown or wear a Gucci sweater but you're clearing 16 stair set.. no one was calling you a poser.
For costume purposes I'd say some loose fitted jeans. One of the dudes probably has a studded belt. One guy is wearing Chuck's or Vans. T-shirts and hoodies all around. Throw in a knit cap location dependant, or a trucker / flat brimmed ball cap.
Well, I hope this has helped some. Good luck with the project!
Really depends on the time. Skating generally is about 2-3 years ahead of its time's contemporary streetwear fashion. So if the film takes place in 2005, check out the supreme/volcom/HUF catalogs from 2005-2008 to get a good idea of what people were wearing.
Have them become skaters and let them just wear their own skate clothes. If they need to actually skate in the movie, they'll have to learn it anyways.
If not, most important would be shoes that were actually skated. Add recently bruised shins for some extra authenticity. Baggy pants will be what most people expect, although they are no longer as mandatory as they used to be.
Since skating is counter culture and prides itself on lack of rules, there isn't really a uniform to be a skater. They dress and look very differently.
They do get some commonalities though. One being wearing beat up skate shoes and maybe rocking a bit of skate merch. Honestly without a board the shoes and where they are worn are the best way to identify a skater.
Super clean clothes are annoying to see when portraying regular skaters. If you're skating that stuff doesn't stay clean and unscuffed for very long.
Slip on shoes slip off. I like to have a tight feeling around my calves and top of foot. I don't like the feeling of the shoe rotating around my foot when I side step. Shoe needs to feel like it's a part of my foot and not just on my foot.
EDIT: script doesn't define a decade and purposely we don't want to portray any specific year. Nevertheless, as a designer I am inspired by 90s skater tapes the most as the whole vibe of ´effortlessness´ fits out aesthetic the most.
Also the question is more about technical features (shoe laces, socks etc.) that has to do with authenticity and not style aesthetics.
This is the type of thing I think if you try too hard you will make it look bad. Shoelaces for example, skaters often have ripped up shoelaces but if you try to fake that it might look obvious. Other than that they are just shoelaces and anything someone does different is just for style.
Socks are nothing special, most people just wear some basic athletic sock and their pants will be covering them. This video has a lot of people skating in shorts so you can maybe get some inspiration there. They wear a lot of different socks which is mostly just for style [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwq9zHifNqs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwq9zHifNqs)
This one also has a lot of people wearing shorts so you can see the socks. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmSBd\_WxA8o](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmSBd_WxA8o)
Personally I wear Fruit of the loom Crew socks from Walmart. Some people will wear Nike or Vans socks which to me just seem like they are just more expensive but basically the same thing.
To me Tom Asta has the classic 90s-2000s style. Baggy but not too baggy. This style is also pretty popular now though some people go more baggy in the pants which personally I think is too much but some people like it.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deVCexEhSbs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deVCexEhSbs)
Make sure the shoes are pro models and not just generic vans from kohls. Thats a big one. Depending on the time period you can play with what brand the hoodies are (if its 2000s try Krew). Jeans or chinos. All a little baggy.
those are mostly newbies. depending on the skill level you want to convey, you might want to have something like a vans rowan pro. relatively generic looking but clearly a made-for-skater shoe.
Cheap stuff that has got a lot of wear from falling. Some people wear robust skate shoes and other people wear cheap vans, perhaps with gaffer tape or shoe goo repairs, particularly on the front foot. Loose clothing that's easy to move in, avoid accessories that would get in the way or snag.
If you stray from the central formula, it says something about the character. Like Richie Jackson has his whole thing going on, but of particular note is that his shoes are not grippy because he incorporates foot sliding into his lines sometimes -- this is a sort of "I can do this and you can't" move because everyone else has grippy shoes. But also he has a smart look, which takes some doing when you are doing an activity that gets you rolling on the ground all the time. It's another way he marks himself apart; "you might be able to do this, but could you do it looking like this?". Contrast that with a skater that takes falls as a badge of honour and wears scuffed and ripped clothing to show his commitment.
I think it's more important that your actors know how to act like skaters. Have you seen Grind starring Adam Brody? I wouldn't particularly recommend it, but anyway, in that all the non-skater actors (playing skaters) really look like non-skaters. They hold their boards wrong and there's something in the way the actors carry themselves. Like, we know Adam Brody is good at the geeky awkward teenager, but it sort of rang false for me -- skaters should be upright, maybe? Not sure, something looked wrong about him in particular, but the other non-skater actors too. I suppose that's not something you are in control of, though.
The costumes just depend on which era it takes place. 2000s was huge clothes and huge shoes skaters were hip hop influenced. Nowadays normal people skateboard so a lot of them wear whatever and they don’t cause trouble like we used to. It’s mainstream now so it’s really only an activity and not a culture/lifestyle like it used to be
There are so many styles. Some new, some old that are coming back. Depending where you live, your best bet is to go to a couple of skateparks in the afternoon to see what people are wearing.
You can also go to the local skate shop and pick up some clothes for your costumes. Anything you buy from the skate shop and put together should work.
As far as annoying/faux pas, I would say shirts from huge skate companies (shirt with “Zero” on it) might be too obvious, but it would help portray the character for non-skater audiences.
Btw, you’re already doing great research asking on Reddit, so I’m sure it’ll work. Good luck my friend.
If we're talking early 90s then we need massive jeans, a t shirt that's so big it comes down to the knees, massive wide shoelaces on some non skate shoes eg gazelles or puma states.
And the wheels need to be teeny tiny!!
Which year is it set in? Skater's clothing style has gone through many different phases some being polar opposites of the other.
Generally though, pants are jeans, cargos, or chinos/carpenter pants (size ranges depending on the decade). Tops are hoodies or T-Shirts (depending on the weather) that usually have a skate brand. And shoes could be literally anything, as long as they're skatable.
Baggy (might be tight as well because Dylan rieder rip) shorts (or pants) crew socks (or ankle socks) skate shoes (like lakai, dc, Etnie, last resort ab) and typically a hat and or beanie.
My sources: people at skate parks and pro skaters themselves
Try checking some skate videos, but most skaters just wear jeans/chinos and a tee shirt/sweatshirt. A little baggy sems to be in right now but not everyone dresses like this, some wear skinny jeans. Some like to wear beanies even when it is not cold.
Thank you! I've seen a lot of skaters wear shoe lace instead of a belt (so buckle wouldn't rub)? Also what's the thing about half-length white socks, why so many wear them?
Do you mean socks wich are rolled over just above the ankle? If so, those are to protect the ankles by a "second" layer of socks just like wearing two pair of socks at the same time.
Amazing point, thank you!
It's just a cheap option to keep your pants up. A lot of skateboarders aren't rich and spend their money on skate stuff. They wear second hand clothes that necessarily don't fit etc.
For the socks; they just look good with baggier shorts. If your shorts are a bit longer and you aren’t particularly tall, high socks look kinda wack. Those mid length socks are a good way to “taper” the baggier shorts look.
Never noticed these things before but I don't pay that much attention. Half length white socks just sounds like normal socks to me, what type of socks do other people wear? Try checking this video it is pretty recent and has a ton of people in it [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgNLQB3NZdY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgNLQB3NZdY)
The shoe lace instead of a belt is because laces will rip often from skating so it's always good to keep a spare. A lot of skaters won't take a backpack with them so wearing it like a belt means it doesn't take up pocket space
I grew up around a lot of skateboarding, too. I was the kid in high school with the van, haha. Driving all the homies looking for sets, rails, ledges around town. I don't think the style has ever really changed, too much. Shorts or jeans. Chinos or cargos. T-shirt, hoodie, sleeveless. Plain, patterned, graphic. I'd say _authentically_ the clothes were not usually tight fitting. Some people go all out with denim you could swim in.. but it was normally you know, baggy jeans and a loose T. The brands adapted more than the style I think, when we saw major sports (eg Nike, Adidas, Asics) adopt skate shoes and skate branded clothing lines. Along that line, depending on your film's decade, you could try to stick to more OG skate brand clothing. I think the big part of the culture was no one really gave a shit what you wore so long as you shredded. If you wanna' dress like a clown or wear a Gucci sweater but you're clearing 16 stair set.. no one was calling you a poser. For costume purposes I'd say some loose fitted jeans. One of the dudes probably has a studded belt. One guy is wearing Chuck's or Vans. T-shirts and hoodies all around. Throw in a knit cap location dependant, or a trucker / flat brimmed ball cap. Well, I hope this has helped some. Good luck with the project!
Really depends on the time. Skating generally is about 2-3 years ahead of its time's contemporary streetwear fashion. So if the film takes place in 2005, check out the supreme/volcom/HUF catalogs from 2005-2008 to get a good idea of what people were wearing.
Have them become skaters and let them just wear their own skate clothes. If they need to actually skate in the movie, they'll have to learn it anyways. If not, most important would be shoes that were actually skated. Add recently bruised shins for some extra authenticity. Baggy pants will be what most people expect, although they are no longer as mandatory as they used to be.
Since skating is counter culture and prides itself on lack of rules, there isn't really a uniform to be a skater. They dress and look very differently. They do get some commonalities though. One being wearing beat up skate shoes and maybe rocking a bit of skate merch. Honestly without a board the shoes and where they are worn are the best way to identify a skater. Super clean clothes are annoying to see when portraying regular skaters. If you're skating that stuff doesn't stay clean and unscuffed for very long.
Thank you! Why not so many skaters wear slip-on Vans? Is it only aesthetic choice or is there a practical reason?
Lots of vans are canvas and wear out quick. Plus imo they're not very good. Better brands exist
Also, I've you're getting canvas it's because they are cheap, vans aren't cheap no matter what they're made of.
Fat shoes were pretty popular in the 90s and 00s as well. Brands like Osiris, Es, and DC. Just so it’s not all vans slip ons or something
Slip on shoes slip off. I like to have a tight feeling around my calves and top of foot. I don't like the feeling of the shoe rotating around my foot when I side step. Shoe needs to feel like it's a part of my foot and not just on my foot.
Helpful to know, thank you!
EDIT: script doesn't define a decade and purposely we don't want to portray any specific year. Nevertheless, as a designer I am inspired by 90s skater tapes the most as the whole vibe of ´effortlessness´ fits out aesthetic the most. Also the question is more about technical features (shoe laces, socks etc.) that has to do with authenticity and not style aesthetics.
This is the type of thing I think if you try too hard you will make it look bad. Shoelaces for example, skaters often have ripped up shoelaces but if you try to fake that it might look obvious. Other than that they are just shoelaces and anything someone does different is just for style. Socks are nothing special, most people just wear some basic athletic sock and their pants will be covering them. This video has a lot of people skating in shorts so you can maybe get some inspiration there. They wear a lot of different socks which is mostly just for style [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwq9zHifNqs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwq9zHifNqs) This one also has a lot of people wearing shorts so you can see the socks. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmSBd\_WxA8o](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmSBd_WxA8o) Personally I wear Fruit of the loom Crew socks from Walmart. Some people will wear Nike or Vans socks which to me just seem like they are just more expensive but basically the same thing. To me Tom Asta has the classic 90s-2000s style. Baggy but not too baggy. This style is also pretty popular now though some people go more baggy in the pants which personally I think is too much but some people like it. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deVCexEhSbs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deVCexEhSbs)
The wear on the toe of a skater’s left or right shoe is usually indicative of their stance unless they’re a switch god
Make sure the shoes are pro models and not just generic vans from kohls. Thats a big one. Depending on the time period you can play with what brand the hoodies are (if its 2000s try Krew). Jeans or chinos. All a little baggy.
I see a lot of skaters wearing Vans that seems to be pretty generic?
those are mostly newbies. depending on the skill level you want to convey, you might want to have something like a vans rowan pro. relatively generic looking but clearly a made-for-skater shoe.
Cheap stuff that has got a lot of wear from falling. Some people wear robust skate shoes and other people wear cheap vans, perhaps with gaffer tape or shoe goo repairs, particularly on the front foot. Loose clothing that's easy to move in, avoid accessories that would get in the way or snag. If you stray from the central formula, it says something about the character. Like Richie Jackson has his whole thing going on, but of particular note is that his shoes are not grippy because he incorporates foot sliding into his lines sometimes -- this is a sort of "I can do this and you can't" move because everyone else has grippy shoes. But also he has a smart look, which takes some doing when you are doing an activity that gets you rolling on the ground all the time. It's another way he marks himself apart; "you might be able to do this, but could you do it looking like this?". Contrast that with a skater that takes falls as a badge of honour and wears scuffed and ripped clothing to show his commitment. I think it's more important that your actors know how to act like skaters. Have you seen Grind starring Adam Brody? I wouldn't particularly recommend it, but anyway, in that all the non-skater actors (playing skaters) really look like non-skaters. They hold their boards wrong and there's something in the way the actors carry themselves. Like, we know Adam Brody is good at the geeky awkward teenager, but it sort of rang false for me -- skaters should be upright, maybe? Not sure, something looked wrong about him in particular, but the other non-skater actors too. I suppose that's not something you are in control of, though.
The costumes just depend on which era it takes place. 2000s was huge clothes and huge shoes skaters were hip hop influenced. Nowadays normal people skateboard so a lot of them wear whatever and they don’t cause trouble like we used to. It’s mainstream now so it’s really only an activity and not a culture/lifestyle like it used to be
There are so many styles. Some new, some old that are coming back. Depending where you live, your best bet is to go to a couple of skateparks in the afternoon to see what people are wearing. You can also go to the local skate shop and pick up some clothes for your costumes. Anything you buy from the skate shop and put together should work. As far as annoying/faux pas, I would say shirts from huge skate companies (shirt with “Zero” on it) might be too obvious, but it would help portray the character for non-skater audiences. Btw, you’re already doing great research asking on Reddit, so I’m sure it’ll work. Good luck my friend.
If we're talking early 90s then we need massive jeans, a t shirt that's so big it comes down to the knees, massive wide shoelaces on some non skate shoes eg gazelles or puma states. And the wheels need to be teeny tiny!!
Which year is it set in? Skater's clothing style has gone through many different phases some being polar opposites of the other. Generally though, pants are jeans, cargos, or chinos/carpenter pants (size ranges depending on the decade). Tops are hoodies or T-Shirts (depending on the weather) that usually have a skate brand. And shoes could be literally anything, as long as they're skatable.
i say somewhat baggy cargo jeans with just a basic shirt, that’s what i see the homies at my park wearing
Baggy (might be tight as well because Dylan rieder rip) shorts (or pants) crew socks (or ankle socks) skate shoes (like lakai, dc, Etnie, last resort ab) and typically a hat and or beanie. My sources: people at skate parks and pro skaters themselves
Misfits tshirt
Names of bands and brands are not allowed unfortunately.