New York City Streetwear Inspo for Men (How to Dress NYC Street Style)

As you travel across the country, you’ll see different takes on the streetwear aesthetic. Miami’s streetwear vibe is beachy: bright colors, loud graphics and skin. In Chicago, you’ll see layers on layers. Windy City streetwear rocks puffer coats and hoodies, and two-tone fashions are big there. On the West Coast, which Rockstar Original calls home, L.A.-style streetwear can be described as sophisticated casual. 

The urban streetwear aesthetic has a certain vibe, no matter where you live. For men, the look includes ball caps, T-shirts and/or hoodies, distressed jeans, and sneakers — all of which are accentuated by graffiti and logo graphics. Streetwear fashion can be described as the intersection of rock and roll and hip-hop, with a little athleisure wear for comfort. 

The fourth fashion-forward city we want to highlight is New York City, one of the most iconic cities in the world of fashion. What defines New York streetwear fashion? As online culture magazine One37PM describes, it’s both minimalist and maximalist, a combination of punk rock meets hip hop. Here, we’ll unpack some core essentials to NYC streetwear vibes.

What Color Defines New Yorker Style? Back in Black

If any collection in the Rockstar Original catalog defines the NYC street style, it’s our Black Label. New Yorkers gravitate to this collection not only for its simplicity of style and color aesthetics, but also for it’s top-of-line materials. Check it: The two-piece Casey black hoodie track set features a black-on-black premium cotton hoodie and track pant. 

Really? Just Black?

New York-style clothing is so much more than people who wear only black. In a city that's known for its vibrant art scene, music, and sports, the colors are bright and bold. Think red denim, hip-hop graphic tees, and custom paint-splatter denim.

You’ll also see monochrome looks like the athleisure-inspired two-piece men’s track set from RSO Art Dept.

So ... How Do New Yorkers Dress? Comfort First

Above all, New Yorkers dress for comfort. The typical NY look is a mix of simple pieces with one "statement" piece or a "touch" of fashion. Here's a good example: Take a basic white tee with distressed jeans, but not just any pair of distressed denim. Make it a pair of split-seam distressed jeans with a stacked hem, like the Wiz blue and white stacked flare jeans. 

Some say that New Yorkers walk an average of 5 miles a day. As one of the most walkable and fashionable cities in the world, two-piece coordinated tracksuits are staples in New Yorkers' closets. For the best in NYC urban streetwear tracksuits, see RSO's Black Label collection. They're comfortable, made from high-quality cotton and cotton blends, and they look dope. 

Men's Denim, NYC Style 

When it comes to defining streetwear jeans, it’s all about the hem. For New Yorker style, men’s stacked denim and super-stacked denim are where it’s at. 

Stacked denim is defined as having a pants’ hemline that ends below the heel, making the pants appear to be almost too long, so the extra material bunches, creating folds. The longer the jean, the more bunched the folds, the more stacked. If the hem drags the ground, even better. Hence super-stacked denim. 

Nowhere is super-stacked denim more popular than on the streets of NYC’s five boroughs, where you’ll also see custom designs like these fringed side seams.

Shop for New York City Streetwear 

For NYC urban streetwear inspo, shop Rockstar Original, the leader in New York streetwear brands for men. Our Men's Art Department is a great place to start. Look for coordinated track sets, hoodies, denim, and more. When you spend $125, your shipping in the U.S. is free.