Gorpecore and the Rise of Tech in Streetwear
By Zuza Gaboush
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Never before has humanity’s involvement with tech been so integrated into our personal and collective lives. In large cities like San Francisco, you may find yourself on the road alongside an empty, self-driving car, or spot someone in a cafe experiencing augmented reality, sipping a latte while wearing a pair of VR-goggles; the advancements of technology are impacting almost every aspect of day-to-day life. Fashion is no different. With the explosion of technical advancements in the field of clothing, subgenres of streetwear have emerged that merge the functional uses of outdoor and military wear with stylish, urban aesthetics that have grown widely in popularity.
One of these subgenres is techwear, an aesthetic that focuses on the utilitarian-based functionality of fashion, revolving around military style accessories and streetwear silhouettes. Appealing to a futuristic aesthetic, it’s characterized by baggy, oversized jackets and hoodies (emblematic of all streetwear trends) and is usually coupled with functional ergonomic accessories and layering pieces.
While techwear remains a smaller subgenre of streetwear fashion, its ‘casual cousin’, Gorpcore, is another facet of streetwear based on the practicality of clothing, and is much more accessible for the everyday. Prioritizing outdoor wear as the foundation for its colorful, functional and comfortable designs, gorpcore includes a wide variety of technical wear, from colorful neon fleece jackets to muted, earth-toned windbreakers or hiking boots. The main element that defines gorpcore is the utilitarian aspect of its clothing; REI, Patagonia and Arc’teryx are a few examples of popular companies that have recently risen in streetwear popularity since gorpcore’s introduction. These brands specialize in making functional wear to endure the elements and provide efficient, comfortable gear to better harmonize humanity and nature. So how did yuppie, ‘granola’ wear worn by Boulder hippies and the like work its way into the world of streetwear, now worn by popular rappers and celebrities living urban lifestyles?
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While gorpcore has been around for a while now, existing under different names and evolving through time, it has gained recent traction as popular celebrities and style icons have been seen donning this aesthetic. In 2019, Frank Ocean was seen front row at a Louis Vuitton runway show wearing a bright orange Mammut puffer jacket and Arc’teryx beanie, bridging the ever-closing gap between streetwear and high fashion. And as runway fashion does with most streetwear trends, these aesthetics have been adopted into the high-end realm, making gorpcore a forefront of many high fashion shows, including but not limited to: Prada, Fenty, and Puma. Asap Rocky and Kanye West have also been seen clad in this new wave of streetwear, and lots of Yeezy items are compatible with this style, notably through their comfortable, over-sized, yet functional attributes. These simple, sleek yet futuristic designs are distinctly modern, and the marrying of tech and clothing are signifying elements in the new age of technology’s transition into less of a tool and more of a lifestyle. Neutral toned sweatsuits with combat military-style hiking boots are all reminiscent of the advanced and efficient integration of tech into streetwear.
New advancements in technology have allowed for exciting improvements to the functionality of clothing; the maximization of zippers, pockets, and ergonomic designs have crept their way into many genres of streetwear, while still prioritizing streetwear’s arguably most important feature: both its aesthetic look, as well its comfortable feel. As we begin to harness the power of technology and apply it to the everyday, mundane aspects of our lives, it’s no surprise that streetwear evolves alongside it, advancing to better suit the modern human and their fashion needs.
