Great Inclinations > All trails must come to an end Jacey Gibb Distribution Manager Great Inclinations is your go-to source for diving into the world of casual hiking in and around the Lower Mainland. Because hiking’s not just for assholes anymore. Ez months ago, I set out to write about a hobby that stealthily became a favourite pastime. Through “Great Inclinations” I’ve talked about hikes for the transit-bound and day- trippers; about snacks and the absurdly overpriced world of hiking gear; about trail etiquette and even the politics surrounding BC’s most popular paths. However, like any hiking trail, this all has An examination of modern street fashion: Part four to lead us somewhere. Now onto another thing that trails do: They end. I thought Id close off this run of hiking articles with the tale of my first official “hike” seven years ago. It’s wildly unglamorous and quite cringeworthy to look back on, but it’s interesting to see Io\V orl ay reese needs Taree MaKe In 20n, I'd spent almost a year acclimatizing to Vancouver life and I wanted to start checking out some of the landmarks people kept talking about, including the supposedly famous Grouse cehanece A friend and I embarked up the Grind and it immediately felt like a human highway. Every few minutes we'd find ourselves stopping and waiting for the hikers ahead to clamber up a steep section. People were hiking in their » South Korea and brand-specific fashion Brittney MacDonald Life & Style Editor [en 1 left those following this column series on a cliffhanger, for which I apologize. However, fret not, because I] am here to finally answer the question of what acculturation between Asian and Western cultures has to do with modern street fashion. Ifyou remember, in part one of this series | mentioned that the origin of streetwear came from a grassroots notion developed outside of the studio space— studio space referring to the specific process of corporate design. Big businesses employed countless designers and analysts to discover and provide them with notes on what the next big thing in fashion would be. Street fashion was originally meant to oppose that method, but somewhere along the lines, this idea became overridden and confused. Nowadays, we associate streetwear with big names like Adidas and Nike— making it synonymous with athleisure. This is due to a number of reasons I’ve already addressed: The retaliation against the over-sexualization of the 2000s, the fascination with African American youth culture in the ’80s and ’gos, as well as some others. Regardless, when identifying the rise in popularity for streetwear in the present, we can look to South Korea. In terms of fashion destinations South Korea has become one of the biggest in recent years, especially for millennials and Generation Z. The country has a lot of innovative young designers stepping out and rising to prominence due to a young consumerist population devoted to both the participation and viewing of social media—especially Instagram, 17, and Meitu, which are all visual photo and video-based platforms. Due to this, there has been a heightened lens on South Korea in regard to fashion and what people are wearing there. For now, South Korean fashion is very brand-dominated. To understand why, let’s examine some of the historical context. The Korean War officially began on June 25, 1950 and ended on July 27, 1953. After the war, South Korea sought to establish itself as an economic powerhouse, which it did. With a booming export and tech industry, South Korea’s economy quickly became one of the largest in the world and remains so. However, the country is still very traditional—success is largely dependent on aesthetic appeal. In short, in order to advance within this very business and conformist-minded culture, you have to look good. Have an idea for a story? Mlifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca flip-flops and kept stumbling all over the place. I even remember someone talking on their phone for part of the hike, which assuredly is how you get the full experience of being out in nature. We reached the top, took in the gorgeous views of Metro Vancouver, and then noticed the sign that read: “Downhill Travel Prohibited.” Both of us were broke-ass students at the time, and the thought of spending money when we could walk down seemed ridiculous, so we hiked back down the Grind. Aside from being against the rules, walking down the Grind was a nightmare. The path is narrow, meaning it was awkward having to shimmy past hikers coming up a supposedly-one-way trail. There were steep drops without proper ledges to hang onto while descending. Also, I’m 99 percent sure I was wearing Converse shoes, which This, combined with the abundance of wealth within the country itself, created a divide in the mindset of the generations. On one side, you have the baby boomers who sought to establish wealth within the country post-war, mostly to provide for families in a very traditional sense. On the other side, there are the younger generations who have been raised to be very appearance- obsessed in a very wealthy economy, without any personal memory of the struggles before the war—challenges such as famine and medical shortages. This resulted in a very young fashion industry that is heavily influenced by popular culture—mostly celebrities— which prioritizes the display of wealth over the accumulation of it. Therefore, having a visible and notoriously expensive brand logo or recognizable label became a quick way of establishing a facade of success. With that in mind, this devotion life & style // no. 9 ¢ Deconstructing the perfect karaoke song ¢ Celebrate the orange beauty of fall through your wardrobe ..and more! ee ee ie ahs al _ Abe i ee ‘4 es | F i J = a I can't recommend as proper hiking footwear. For days afterwards, our knees felt shattered and my feet ached from hiking in thin, flat shoes. It was a horrendous experience, and I’ve only since returned to the Grind when visiting relatives requested it. There's no particular lesson I want you to take away from that experience— except maybe “respect trail signs when youre out on a hike”—but it’s a peculiar beginning to what would grow to bea sprawling, infinitely enjoyable hobby. This story feels appropriate to end on because it demonstrates how inexperienced and unprepared you can be for hiking, and how ultimately none of that matters. Almost anyone can throw on some shoes (preferably not Converse), hit up a local trail, and wah- bam, you're a hiker. That's all from me, folks. Thanks for reading, and happy trailin. Photo via originals_kr on Instagram to brand-specific fashion then began to invade Western streetwear by means of the acculturation process I have discussed before. However, all that doesn’t answer the question of why streetwear and athleisure went from being mostly affordable, to the exorbitant prices they are now. For that answer, you'll have to wait for “An examination of modern street fashion: Part five”.