Racer-inspired clothing. Whether a student saw House Arrest at the recent talent show wearing it, or a male crush wearing a graphic tee with a hellcat on the front, racer fashion is very apparent! Though it is less common to see a full racer-themed outfit casually during the day, it is a lot more common to see one during an evening event. There are some attributes to racer fashion that are more common to see in the daytime, like full leather outfits and crop tops with side stripes.
Biker designs on mesh tops, crop tops, and graphic tees are just a few ways that racer fashion is inducted into everyday outfits. People wear it so often, they don’t even pay attention to what they are wearing anymore.
It is becoming ingrained into basic wear, but also into nightlife. It is really cute and fun to add theme and texture to the outfit. It is oftentimes colorful, with either a checkerboard design or car design on the front, it may involve leather, but not always, and boots.
“I like leather and biker fashion, I think it’s very retro, I think it gives the 70s,” J’ai Nolen, a junior management major said. “When I see leather, I see motorcycles, anything spiked, and light makeup.”
Sophomore Christopher Stephens agrees.
“When it comes to biker fashion it’s really heated, you can do a lot of different styles with that leather look, and you can do a lot of versatile looks.”
The new trend of wearing leather in the heat is very alarming to some, but worn by many. The younger generation seems to cling onto winter clothing like hoodies, furs, leg warmers, and of course leather, even though it is summer.
“I wouldn’t personally wear it, a lot of people wear it in the summertime and it’s too hot for all of that,” noted freshman Carla Smith.
With that being said, this may raise safety concerns, especially for people who may have health problems. Wearing these items may also cause a heat stroke for some that are very sensitive to heat. It is recommended if a student is going to wear leather in this heat, he or she should make sure to pair it with a crop top or light t-shirt, and platform sandals or their favorite open toe shoe.
Racer fashion seems to be a reoccurring theme starting from the 50s. It made a comeback in the 80s, a huge resurgence in the 2000s, and made its round into 2023 in a major way that encompasses all the previous styles from different decades.
“I like the biker style because it gives off an 80s and 90s aesthetic,” said sophomore Dejay Smith. “It was a time when people rebelled against society.”
The different stylistic choices from each of those time periods are all in style at the same time. How students wear it depends on how they style themselves and their own personal aesthetic. The most popular decade resurgence students will see people wearing leather for is the 2000s, which has a huge impact on today’s fashion because of the 20-year cycle. The 20-year cycle occurs when fashion from 20 years ago becomes trendy again, but updated to fit the newer times.
Despite its resurgence, not everyone is on board with the racer outfits.
“ I wouldn’t wear it but it looks good on other people,” said freshman junior Aifuwa. “If the right person can pull it off it looks good. But a lot of people don’t.”
Racer outfits do not always need accessories, but if accessories are added to the mix, then it has to work with the overall silhouette, color scheme, and design of the outfit. One can always add spikes, bracelets, and chokers to give himself or herself more of an edge.
Y2K shades and a 90s styled leather Newsboy beret hat would work with leather gloves. Brown skin typically always looks good matched with leather. A gold chain is more likely to complement black leather than any other color, but if a student wants to be different, he or she can add a necklace or bracelet of the color that matches the outfit, or if the outfit is all black, then he or she can add his or her favorite color with jewelry.
House Arrest showed up with their new members in white, black, and red biker outfits, with the men wearing black pit stop crew jumpsuits. This was a fun look that was easy to move in, but at the same time very trendy, mixed with the fact that there were no outfit malfunctions and their moves were very quick, like the speed of a race car. Their outfits were cohesive with the theme of their performance as well.
Freshman Kyra Ramirez commented.
“Executed well, I think it’s nice,” freshman Kyra Ramirez said. “I don’t like it when it looks old. But when it’s clean it typically is executed very well.”
