The staple trucker hat of the 2000's:
The latest tear down of pop cultural moments is of the iconic trucker brand of the 2000’s. Yes I am talking about Von Dutch incase you couldn’t already tell from the title.
Fashion codes are a instant language, so what you wear often times defines you. Gives you a sense of identity as well as connecting you to a community. As I become increasingly conscious about sustainability and educated about brand identities. I know that it”s important to know the history of a brand before deciding if purchasing and wearing a certain piece aligns with your values.
The Von Dutch trucker hat is an iconic symbol that glamourises naughties pop culture. At time I was too young to understand the meaning of trends but old to enough to recognise them. Everyday before I reach work at La Vallee Village I walk past the brands shop, to my surprise the wheels of the truckers keep on rolling. Though the core values of the brand allowed the brand to stand the test of time, the same can’t be said for its founders.
The documentary broke down the scandolous history connected with the originators of the clothing line. One key factor remained with me for sure was the marketing behind the brand. I made note of the integral parts required to produce and sustain a label.
- Classic never dies.
- What you stand for is more important than what you sell.
- Authenticity speaks for itself.
These are the values that the majority of the branded clothing sitting in my wardrobe have at their core. They say what you wear is what you are, but with a brand like this with a complex history — a wearer of VD is usually drawn to the nostalgic feeling of a time, the fashion products evoke. The key to style is learning who you are, which takes years, just how brands will take years to catch up with state of the world???
A dark history of the brands true identity has sparked, a particular keyboard warrior in checking me for “co-signing” the infamous brand on Youtube. For context the YT video involved the unboxing of some Von Dutch hats ordered on Urban Outfitters (4 years ago). Now the commentators original point was “know the history of a product before co-signing”. And he isn’t wrong in the slightest, however I want to pose a question to fashion enthusiasts? What brand have you owned, worn and identified with, that eventually the masses were collectively informed of its true identity?
