2012 looks set to be another interesting year for fashion. On the one hand, expensive designer clothing will continue to ‘lead the pack’ with its extravagant and original designs. On the other hand, many of the high street designs continue to converge. Is it just me, or are many high street branches selling slightly different versions of the same clothes? This seems to be happening to both men’s and women’s clothing alike; which presents us with a problem: It’s becoming increasingly difficult to stand out from the crowd. Surely there must be a solution, since many of the more innovative fashion designers are producing clothing that is well outside most of our budgets.

So, why urban clothing?

Urban clothing presents us with a very unique opportunity. It gives a normal person with a normal budget a chance to stand out from the crowd, something that so many of us are craving to do yet struggling to achieve. In recent years there has been a huge resurgence in urban fashion, and many new brands have introduced clothing lines over the last decade. Interestingly, it is both men and women who are converting to this ‘new’ style.

If you look at the way many urban designers operate, you can see why they have become so alluring to customers. Let’s take Rebel 8 Clothing as an example. This was founded by a graffiti artist and a tattoo artist in 2003. Despite all of the computer software available today, their designs are hand-made. How many other labels do this? Not many.

Rebel 8 Clothing has attracted a loyal fan base by maintaining their original image. These companies employ a select number of people who have a very strong loyalty to the brand, meaning that they produce designs that are unique and original, but most importantly they look good. How many high street brands have that level of loyalty from their staff and their customers? Not many.

What does urban mean?

Just in case you were thinking of instantly dismissing the idea of wearing anything that is considered ‘urban’, let’s look at what urban actually means. Urban either relates to living in a city or a certain type of culture. In reality, urban clothing covers so many bases it’s almost impossible to define. Each brand is so very different from the next, that’s the beauty of it. The bottom line? Urban clothing allows you to look good and stand out, but without breaking the bank.

About the author: Vicky works alongside iConsume who specialise in urban clothing and brands such as rebel8.