Whether it’s Natalie Westling starring in a recent campaign for Vans or Imaan Hammam’s pretty profile splashed across a glossy skate deck, don’t expect skateboarding to leave the fashion world anytime soon. The latest piece to make the street-to-chic crossover from the land of half-pipes and kick flips? The Thrasher tee. Officially paraphernalia from Thrasher magazine, the tee has become a rising staple in the model-off-duty wardrobe of any catwalker worth her Instagram following. Take it from Molly Bair, who owns a hoodie and a tie-dye tee from the label, while tomboy crush Sarah Brannon wears hers in black with white font. Binx Walton and Lexi Boling both have theirs in regular rotation—just a few days ago, Walton wore the Blackout hoodie to her agency’s fete in Paris. The tee even makes a cameo at Chanel’s headquarters on 31 Rue Cambon in Paris, thanks to the house’s fit model, Cristina Herrmann, who, in vintage jeans and belt, gives it a jolt of throwback cool
Which brings us back to the question: How has a T-shirt best known by rail-grinding skateboarders become a wardrobe staple for a set of cool-girl models? We have some theories: The piece comes with a certain skater reputation that’s synonymous with a youthfully rebellious distaste for authority and a vintage appeal. (Using the term thrash to describe the skate-obsessed gained popularity in the 1980s.) There’s a roughed-up appeal to the skater lifestyle that seems contrary to that of the model, whom, you’d imagine, would put preserving her limbs at a precedent (a perfect landing doesn’t always happen, and scabs and broken arms don’t play on the runway), but which is part and parcel of the appeal for self-professed “bad girls” like Walton and Boling, and makes for something that can instantly add a dose of hardness to any polished ensemble. Vogue.com Style Editor Edward Barsamian mixes his tee in with other popular streetwear brands like Fear of God and Vetements. “I started wearing a Thrasher tee once I finally felt confident enough to take to the streets on a board. I think you need to earn a few bruises before you can officially start wearing one,” says Barsamian. “And while I would never wear a Thrasher tee while skating—I typically throw a hoodie, flannel, or leather jacket on top—there’s something compelling about the lo-fi, graphic look. Plus, they’re cheap, so that always helps.”
If you’re sold on the style, don’t worry about digging deep into your pockets to score the look of those who frequent half-pipes: A T-shirt with the Thrasher logo costs less than $20 (a sweatshirt is less than $50). But what we recommend? Opt for a one-year subscription to Thrasher magazine for $17.95 instead—it comes with a free T-shirt and it’s a start to earning the street cred to back it up.
