Effortlessly strutting down the street in a pair of Doc Martens and some baggy camo pants, junior music industry studies major Karl Boynton displays a style that has documented trends in the skate community for decades.
“I’ve always loved skate fashion,” Boynton said. “But I like to mix it up with some more clean, dressed up details like an exposed collar.”
In high school, back in Raleigh, North Carolina, Boynton grew up with the skate crowd and was influenced not only by those around him but also by the East Coast, New York City trends where baggy clothing reigned. These loose styles contrasted Boynton’s then conviction towards skinny jeans and skate shoes.
Usually accompanied by a pair of Dickies and Docs, apparently streetwear essentials, Boynton is also inspired by skaters who began to showcase their personal skate and clothing styles in the pages of Thrasher. Now this subculture has made its way into the mainstream, even being recognized by high fashion magazines like Vanity fair in their article “Pete Davidson and the rise of scumbro.” Now there are collaborations between designer brands such as Louis Vuitton with skater-brands like Supreme when they released their first collaboration in July of 2017 and Polo Ralph Lauren with Palace just in October of 2018.
The aesthetic has even earned a name. The emerging fad in fashion is worn by the likes of Justin Bieber named by i-D Magazine as being part of the “scumbro movement” according to a 2018 article “Thoughts on Justin Bieber’s new style: a love letter to a scumbro.”
Boynton is not too immersed in skateboarding these days after injuring his knee during an accident. However, fashion is still one of the many ways he can express his appreciation for the community and street clothing.
“Fashion has always been something that I’ve been interested in, but in the past I was just too self conscious to get more into it. A lot of my friends here like to do that and dress up, so it definitely helped me become comfortable expressing myself as I started to experiment,” Boynton said. “It’s something that I can do every day to be creative.”
Story and photo by Savannah Nguyen, A&E Associate Editor
Featured photo caption: Karl Boynton, a junior music industry studies major stays comfortable while still sporting a scumbro fit representing skate culture and it’s evolution.