Outdoor Street Style

As the Active market continues to inspire street style around the globe, I thought it would be fun to call out some of the biggest influences of the season. Some are new, some are old, and some are just plain silly. But hey, fashion is supposed to be fun right? The day we start taking ourselves too seriously is the day we should call it quits.

The Nouveau Lumberjack has been hanging around for at least 5 years. He is a combination of a few different fads, including the finally phasing out “beard-in-the-city” trend and the “I-look-like-I-can-work-with-my-hands” trend. We saw this movement take hold of men in cities around the world shortly after the metrosexuals went into hiding. I mean, how many boot-cut jeans and velvet blazers could society stomach before it had to shift towards a more masculine sensibility, even if those men in question had absolutely no business swinging an axe. Key items of the Nouveau Lumberjack: buffalo plaid, duck boots, waxed canvas totes and indigo slim-fit denim.

The Track Star, prefers to run to the train or perhaps the sale at Topshop instead of the trail. This look has become popular over the last few seasons as American Apparel has started to offer 70s and 80s inspired jogging shorts and ringer tanks. This is a thumbs-up for me, because it means that brands can start to offer more fashion forward looks for lifestyle runners as well as the core circuit. Key items of the Track Star: dolphin shorts, windbreakers, ringer tanks, knee socks, joggers, kitsch eyewear.

The Vintage Outdoors Guy shares the just as much passion for homemade bourbon and "dad-rock" as the Nouveau Lumberjack, but don’t be confused, he prefers to wear retro outdoor items (or new items that are meant to look aged). His goal is to own a house in upstate NY and you can bet your bottom dollar he is into East Coast industrial furniture. Key items of the Vintage Outdoors Guy: Insulated hunting vests, mountaineering rucksacks, distressed denim and possibly a scout shirt from his youth.

The Urban Climber hails from in or around Tokyo and loves the festival scene. He or she appears to have the adequate look/gear to climb Mt. Fuji, but odds are, they haven’t even hit the Mammut climbing shop in Shibuya. The best part about the Urban climber…they are really experimental (and I don’t mean their technique), they love to have fun with technical Outdoor apparel by combining bright colors, vibrant prints and layered pieces. Key items of the Urban Climber: waterproof ponchos, waistpacks, knit leggings over nylon shorts and “funky” tshirts.