Why Cigarette Merch Is Taking Over The Streetwear Scene

Take a moment to think about what’s generally considered to be the “ideal” street style image. What is visible in the frame? Is there an interesting, often well-known face? A great haircut or statement dad hat? A much-hyped “It” item? Finally, is the objectively chic subject of the photograph smoking a cigarette? Sometimes looking back on the golden age of street style photography feels like clicking through a decade of cigarette breaks. A thin waft of smoke emitting from a manicured hand lent an air of glamour to a candid, fleeting moment in time — presumably grounded in reality. Comparing street style from ten years ago with that from today (including the daily outfit chronicles on Instagram), it’s clear that things have changed. Beyond the significant shifts in style and subject of street photography, the habits displayed in today’s imagery are much more focused on health and wellness: juice-drinking, yoga-mat-toting, plant-tending. In place of a cigarette, perhaps there’s a Juul or some other vape producing dramatic plumes. What was once a pillar of the fashion identity has finally reached its denouement, with smoking rates on a steady decline and use of nicotine vaporizers and marijuana culture on the rise. Read more at Fashionista.