So since UK singer (whose finally been promoting her debut album, coming this summer) Rita Ora has been wearing the street fashion label The Hundreds, I’ve been a little pre-occupied with it when it comes to what I’ve been desiring to have in my closet lately, especially for casual wear. I first saw the brand on Fashion Bomb Daily, as they had posted pics of Ora at Coney Island in Brooklyn with both a T-shirt and a varsity jacket from the line, and included another recent photo of her with a beanie. While Ora wears a lot of unique UK-based brands that are hard to find in the U.S., The Hundreds actually comes from Los Angeles and embodies the relax demeanor of overall Southern California. The Hundreds show love to the skater kids, hip-hop heads, punk thrashers, and artists, and the official website acts as a blog with music exclusives with members of bands like Linkin Park. Recent XXL Freshmen class nomiee Australian rapper Iggy Azalea collaborated with the brand for a SUPERIOR PUSSY cartoon tee.
Streetwear fashion is a growing trend in apparel, and while it is necessarily new, its popularity plateaus up and down depending on the brands on sale, and how exclusive they promise their products to be, and even the state of mainstream music. The Hundreds has been in action for eight years, and now has an online and print magazine, sneakers, and eyewear, all thanks to its founders Ben and Bobby Hundreds. The line is stored in over 400 separate retailers (like some Urban Outfitters), and has four specific flagships in Union Square in San Francisco, in Santa Monica, the Fairfax District in L.A., and in SoHo New York where I visited.
In New York, the store is located at 96 Grand Street, not too far from other urban subculture fare like the Billionaire Boys Club and BAPE. Once inside, it’s cool and a little dark, but not unfriendly, though customers are free to search without feeling followed. There is not as much merchandise as I would’ve hoped, like I did not see any varsity jackets like the awesome one Ora wore, but there were plenty of baseball caps, graphic tees, and some jeans and pants of a rough and slick material, and a small wall of eyewear.
The shirts and hats were stacked on fixtures that were covered in quilted leather, and wall-to-wall mirror overlooks you and is opposite the register.
Surprisingly and refreshingly,The Hundreds is pretty affordable, as hats are no more than $35, and T-shirts are of a similar price. The more expensive items make sense according to the material and item, like Ora’s HUGE jacket which is roughly $175 online.
–Carmen S.J. Chambers
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