Style Starter – Hard Techwear

Denimheads do it in the tub, techwear heads do it in the shower. Find out what that means and more in our deep guide to streetwear.

James Smith  |  May 19

It's no secret that techwear has skyrocketed in popularity over the past 5-10 years. It's been creeping up for a while now, but the trend of people satirically filming themselves in the shower wearing their Arc'teryx jackets on TikTok served as a clear indicator that techwear had finally busted out of the alpine and into the fashion sphere.

We all own a piece of techwear. Most of us have a waterproof jacket or some Gore-Tex boots which served us well for wet dog walks or a drizzly hike. But the new wave of techwear popularity isn't really fueled by functionality, it's fueled by fashion—fashion intrinsically linked to people's ever-growing desire to look like they know what they're doing in the outdoors. Outdoor apparel has now erupted from its frumpy, functional chrysalis into a mythical butterfly that almost every fashion designer is trying to catch.

In this installment of our Style Starter series, we're going to take a look at techwear, the brands that make it tick, and the key elements of the contemporary techwear look. 

Historical Context

An image from Operation Market Garden in 1944, via Holland

Humans have been making clothing to battle the elements since the dawn of man, but the history of the kind of technical clothing we're talking about today starts with the invention of the first synthetic fibers.

We didn't have anything imbued with technical prowess until the invention of nylon at the dawn of World War II. Chemical giant DuPont patented nylon in 1938 after over a decade of tinkering with the polymerization of organic compounds to create the world's first synthetic fiber and its artificial properties outperformed a lot of natural materials during technical applications (tear strength, weight, water-resistance, drying time, etc.). Nylon was a revolution, and soon it was everywhere, from toothbrushes to tarps to parachutes.

Another landmark in synthetic fibers was polyester, which ironically was actually discovered before nylon. American Scientist Wallace Carothers was working for DuPont in the mid-1920s when he discovered that alcohols and carboxyl acids could be successfully combined to form fibers, but he was ordered to shelve this project as DuPont was hellbent on perfecting its nylon formula.

It's also worth noting that masters of the outdoor footwear sole, Vibram, were also founded in the 1930s. The Italian brand revolutionized soles for outdoor footwear with its lugged rubber soles specialized for mountaineering and other outdoor activities. 

A 35-foot leg advertises revolutionary nylon tights, christened 'Nylons' via Science History

Nylon had already made waves in the fashion world through the introduction of nylon tights (simply called 'Nylons') when polyester was first introduced to the American public in 1951. It was advertised as a miracle fiber that could be worn for 68 days straight without ironing and still look presentable. 

The Gore-Tex Revolution

Hosiery and anti-crease fabrics really only scratched the surface of what could be achieved sartorially with synthetic fibers, the techwear party truly started with

Gore-Tex

. Invented in 1969 by the Bob Gore, Gore-Tex is, at its most basic level, a membrane that stops liquid water but allows vapor to pass through. This means Gore-Tex keeps you dry from not just the falling rain, but also the water vapor you make while sweating.

An advertisement for the some of the earliest Gore-Tex Jackets made by Early Winters via Gripped

As revolutionary as nylon and polyester were, they weren't breathable. This made them less suitable for outdoor wear and more suitable for outdoor gear, like tarps and tents. The first Gore-Tex jacket was manufactured in 1977 by a Seattle company called Early Winters, and it wasn't long before this was the fabric of choice in the outdoor wear industry.

Brands like The North Face, Patagonia, Helly Hansen, and more, all championed the fabric during the outdoor boom of the late 60s and early 70s, which saw camping and hiking becoming a cherished pastime.Vintage Gore-Tex Parkas from Norrøna (left) and Columbia (right) via Norrøna & Grailed respectively. 

The Turning Point - The 80s, 90s, Hip Hop, & Beyond

Tha Alkaholiks (left) and Sadat X (right) in Helley Hansen outerwear via Pinterest and Gwarizm (R.I.P) respectfully

So, how did we get here? How did we get to the point where our social feeds are chocked-full of Arc'teryx jackets and Gore-Tex porn and high-fashion runway models are wearing techy hiking boots? You can look to a cocktail of east coast urban style, Hip Hop, and modern streetwear.

If you've ever been to New York in the winter, you'll know it is, as the locals would say, "BRICK". The frigid East Coast winters saw young people in the 1980s reach for outdoor gear from the likes of Columbia, The North Face, and Polo Ralph Lauren to help them survive late nights traversing the city. And with most of this gear being designed for skiing, snowboarding, or hiking, it was designed with primary colors for visibility. Out of necessity, a bold, timeless streetwear style was born. 

Big L (second from left) wearing a The North Face Parka via Malasana Hoodlum

With the East Coast being the one of, if not the hip hop capital of the world, it wasn't long before this outdoor street style forged in New York was being exposed on a global stage, with rap acts like Big L, Mobb Deep, Tha Alkaholiks, Red Man, and the Wu-Tang Clan all rocking serious outerwear from the big brands right through the 90s and early 2000s. Notorious B.I.G. was even photographed in a BAPE Snowboard Jacket. 

Notorious B.I.G. in a BAPE Snowboard Jacket in 1996 via Man Of Many

Techwear Today

Infamous Arc'teryx shower trend (right) via Wall Street Journal and a shot from GOOPiMADE via Parade World

A Bathing Ape segues perfectly into the next phase of the techwear trajectory because it was streetwear brands like A Bathing Ape, Neighborhood, WTAPS, and Supreme that continued to include techwear in their collections year on year, immortalizing its urban styling and planting the seeds for the cult techwear fetish that has exploded into the mainstream in recent years.

Neighborhood Taped Seam Rain Shelter Jacket via Stylistics (left) and a 2008 WTAPS Gore-Tex Sherpa via Boo Bee

Streetwear heads soon began turning their heads to the super high-end techwear brands like ACRONYM, Veilance, and Stone Island Shadow Project, all of which have pioneered the stealthy, ninja look typically characterized by blacked-out techwear pieces made from Gore-Tex or other, more modern technical fabrics.

Taped seams, high-spec fabrics, and technical garment engineering command high prices and garments that remain elusive for most, which perhaps is what feeds into the allure of techwear, and perhaps what has driven the masses to Arc'teryx. Out of all of the techwear brands, Arc'teryx is the one that has caught on the most with the younger generation who earn their techwear stripes on the internet. The Canadian brand offers the techwear look in a robust yet affordable way, and to say that the brand's jackets have gone viral would be an understatement.

The Key Pieces Of The Techwear Look

High-Spec Shell

Arc'teryx Beta Jacket, $350 from

Arc'teryx

Goldwin Pertex Fast Shell, $302 from Wallace Mercantile & Shop 

Water-resistant Pants

And Wander Trek 2Way Pants, $480 via Hatchet Outdoor Supply 

Water Resistant Sneakers

HOKA One One Anacapa Low GTX - Black / Black, $151 from Wallace Mercantile & Shop 

Technical Bag

Climb As You Love (CAYL) Mari Roll Top Xpac, $206 from Wallace Mercantile & Shop 

Water-Resistant Hat

Goldwin Pertex Shieldair Jetcap, $79 via Wallace Mercantile & Shop

Brands to Check Out

You know the big brands like The North Face, Patagonia, Arc'teryx, Marmot, and Nanamica, but check out these contemporary techwear brands you may not be aware of:

• Climb As You Love (CAYL)

• Goldwin

• GOOPiMADE

• CCP (Crazy Character Print)

• Comfy Outdoor Garment (CMF)

• Earth/Studies

• Meanswhile

• Still By Hand

• And Wander

• South2 West8

• Descente Allterrain

• White Mountaineering

Notable Examples & Gallery

GOOPiMADE model shots via GOOPiMADE

VEILANCE womenswear collection shot via Hypebeast

Roc Marciano raps

"Yeah, Goretex, got a few pair"

in his track, Pistolier

CCP FW21 via HAVECCP FW21 via HAVENACRONYM FW19 via Hypebeast

Lauryn Hill raps

"In some Gore-Tex and sweats, I make treks like I'm homeless"

in The Fugees' legendary single "Ready Or Not"

KAWS wearing an Original Fake Gore-Tex Windstopper Jacket via HypebeastCAYL Backpacks via eye_C

Arc'teryx boots via HypebeastCOMFY OUTDOOR GARMENT Lookbook shots via Hypebeast

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