[Fashion Tips] The 'Hot' American Casual Style is Back... How to Wear It?

The Resurgence of 'American Casual'
Focus on Y2K and Classic Sports Popularity
When Coordinating, Emphasize Natural and Comfortable American Vibes

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] The term "American casual," referring to American-style casual wear, is gaining renewed attention among the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z). As the so-called "Y2K fashion," a style from over 20 years ago, is making a comeback, American casual looks are also becoming popular among young people.

American casual is a style inspired by the clothing worn by American workers in the 1900s and broadly refers to American casual styles. It is characterized by comfort and practicality. The style was established based on the Ivy League look, which is the distinctive style of students and graduates from prestigious East Coast universities in the U.S., including items such as chino pants, polo shirts, sweatshirts, baseball jackets, single-button blazers, Oxford shirts, and penny loafers. Preppy looks and workwear are also included in this style. The term "Amekaji (American casual) look," frequently used in the fashion industry recently, refers more to a Japanese-style reinterpretation of American retro casual wear. Nowadays, defining American casual precisely is somewhat ambiguous because many modern clothes originate from American fashion, making it difficult to draw clear boundaries.

American casual was highly popular worldwide in the 1990s and early 2000s. In the domestic market, it gained popularity from the mid-1990s, mainly among Generation X. However, later on, a general preference for casual moods across society grew stronger, and American casual, which could be worn comfortably anytime and anywhere, was sometimes dismissed as a boring, model student style. Additionally, with the emergence of easy casual brands promoting emotional casual wear, the so-called "casports" category, which combines casual and sportswear, became the trend. Following this, the rise of SPA brands led to many alternative casual wear brands, causing American casual to lose momentum around 2010.

Beanpole Man, Unisex Navy Collar Basic Duffle Coat. Photo by Samsung C&T Fashion Division

However, recently, after COVID-19, a trend emphasizing comfort has emerged, and with the popularity of classic mood sports like golf and tennis looks, American casual has started to be recognized again as a "hot" style. In fact, on the comprehensive fashion platform FashionPlus, sales of sweaters, a basic item of the American casual look, increased by 108% from January this year to the 14th of this month compared to the same period last year, more than doubling. Hoodies and sweatshirts also jumped by 83%. Knits and anorak jackets showed sales growth of 30% and 29%, respectively.

The key to coordinating American casual is to capture the natural and comfortable American sensibility unique to this style. Emphasizing freedom and comfort with a relaxed and loose fit is important. This winter, it is also recommended to highlight a comfortable yet classic look with items such as duffle coats, knit sweaters reflecting the stripes of rugby shirts, colorful crewneck sweaters, and corduroy pants.

Lim Ji-yeon, director of the Samsung Fashion Research Institute, advised, "Following the Amekaji look, which adds vintage sensibility to American casual that was very popular in Japan in the 1990s, can be a stylish point. Workwear moods or items like cargo pants and chore jackets with military elements can add flair to American casual looks, which are often dismissed as boring model student styles."