Techwear in 2021

Although techwear can be described as strongly futuristic at first glance, and therefore a relatively fresh addition to the world of fashion, the truth is a bit more complicated. After all, useful durable clothing, with lots of pockets, removable pieces, functional elements and fasteners has been the domain of various ancient crafts for centuries. Maybe in a different form, maybe lacking a Gore-Tex waterproof layer, but still a good starting point to learn more about this trend.

WHAT DOES A TECHWEAR OUTFIT LOOK LIKE?

Techwear is often in dark colors, more often than not in the darkest one. Cargo pants, pockets, zippers and belts utilising as much space as possible, sometimes looking almost over-done. But don’t be fooled. Above all, techwear is a unique combination of utility and comfort. Everything has a use, all the special elements practical – at least ideally. 

Techwear is not a traditional fashion direction, because in techwear a person connects with their clothes on an elementary level, and their clothes become a part of them. Normally, when it gets hot, you’d probably take off your sweatshirt and put it in your backpack. While this sounds logical, and most techwear people would probably do the same thing, a truly perfect techwear outfit doesn’t even have to address problems like this. Either the outfit already addressed the weather and it won’t even be a problem, or it will let you solve the problem in a way that still allows the piece to remain a part of your outfit. For example, using hidden straps on the inside. It’s starting to sound a little complicated, so let’s take a closer look, starting from the bottom.

PANTS

Pants are probably the most debatable aspect of techwear. Try googling them, and you’ll probably find a lot of weird creations, tight fitting and with straps hanging everywhere. But these pieces are not a necessity and most of them actually go against the techwear principle of comfort, which a techwear outfit should always follow. Lots of pockets? Yes. The more adjustable elements the better? Absolutely, but if their numbers grow at the expense of comfort, it’s time to take a step back. Cargo pants are an example of ideal pants for techwear.

ACCESSORIES

Whatever pants you choose, getting the right belt is icing on the cake. The easily clickable cobra belts are very popular. You can also top off your outfit various carabiners or Casio G-Shock style watches. Just a quick reminder that sometimes less is more, so don’t go too wild.

BASE LAYER

The whole outfit should ideally function as one unit, and a good unit is built on a good foundation. The base layer should consist of a well-fitting functional t-shirt, that effectively wicks moisture away from the body.

MIDDLE LAYER

The middle layer is the one responsible for all your heat management. A sweater isn’t exactly ideal, but a fleece or sweatshirt from synthetic materials are a great choice for your middle layer.

SHELL

Most often you’ll end up choosing between softshell or hardshell. Softshell jackets are more movable and comfortable, but will never hold up as well as their more durable counterparts in harsher outdoor conditions. While hardshell jackets have great waterproofness and wind resistance, softshell jackets are most often “only” covered in DWR, which is a thin hydrophobic layer to protect the jacket from getting wet.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPER LAYERING

The functionality of techwear depends on three basic properties: breathability, wind resistance and water resistance. As I’ve mentioned above, your tech piece should ideally become a part of your body, helping it wick away moisture and sweat, even through multiple layers. This is why it’s important to build your techwear outfit on a solid foundation, such as a functional T-shirt and sweater. Only after that does your jacket come into play, which is often the be-all and end-all of the visual side of a complete fit.  A wool sweater under a Myshelter jacket from adidas might be an interesting statement against conventional approaches, but you also don’t spread pasta on bread just to make a statement. 

And let’s make the question of waterproofness clear. Although it may seem like the most important thing, you can’t expect to be able to jump into a river in your full combat dress and expect to climb out dry on the other side. Anyways, the outer layer of your outfit should always have good water resistance as is the case with Gore-Tex products for example.

POV: A NORMAL CUSTOMER

Much of this article is focused on technology and functionality, which are both integral parts of techwear. However, realistically, you probably aren’t planning on climbing rooftops at night and you aren’t looking for ways to deal with the unpredictable conditions of the wilderness all year round. 

Most of us who wear techwear like to wear it to school, work or just for a fun evening out. Therefore, take all the rules with a grain of salt and go primarily by what you want, because in the end, that’s what is most important.

WHAT ABOUT SNEAKERS?

If you want to stay true to the maximum functionality of the entire outfit, look for outdoor sneakers. More and more of them have been created in recent years, due to the growing popularity of techwear. Even in the form of everyday shoes, unreminiscent of hiking boots. 

To be honest, there’s no techwear police that will arrest you if you finish your outfit with a pair of adidas NMDs. It depends more on the overall aesthetics you want your fit to radiate. A vibe’s simply a vibe. 

If I was to give you a personal recommendation, I’d definitely recommend checking out the Salomon Advanced series, which looks like it was born to fit techwear outfits perfectly.

HOW TO CLEAN TECHWEAR

Remember that while your techwear can withstand a wide range of outdoor conditions, poor care can destroy it irreversibly. So don’t forget to read the instructions on the tag carefully or take your piece to the dry cleaner’s. The most common victim of careless cleaning is the aforementioned hydrophobic DWR layer, without which your prized piece can lose one of its most important properties.

A THOUSAND SHADES OF TECHWEAR

There are many styles and aesthetics of techwear, and it is very difficult to label them in other ways than their most basic descriptions, like the technical properties. You can dress like a tech ninja, an all-black skydiver, or you can use looser cuts to imitate the traditional attire of ancient Chinese nobility in a modern way. Specific brands also often have their own uniform aesthetic. We have several of them at Footshop and you can find them all in the category named Techwear. 

Personally, I’d definitely recommend C.P. Company, the slightly more affordable Y-3, the less affordable A-COLD-WALL * or the excellent Nike segment of sneakers and clothing named NIKE ACG.

When it comes to techwear backpacks, EASTPAK or NAUT pieces will definitely complement your fit perfectly. 

Below is a little mood board and that’s all for today. Thanks for reading.

Done reading? Here’s some tips on what to read next. This article, for example, is about the origin of Y-3 and the beginnings of Yohji Yamamoto. And since I mentioned outdoor several times in this article, here’s a selection of the best outdoor sneakers for 2021.