Remembering the Ultimate ‘Swag’ Era (2009-2014)

Welcome to the 153rd insertion of DEMUR®, an analytical series highlighting the intricacies of the artistic world and the minutiae lying within. In this episode, we revisit fashion’s darkest era, exploring the world of Swag through skinny jeans and snapback hats.

Swagger or ‘Swag’ for short, was an era of fashion that defined the late 2000s and early 2010s. Ignited by the New Boyz smash hit single ‘You’re a Jerk’ in the Summer of 2009, the trend would become a cultural phenomenon in both sound and aesthetic. Impacting the fashion world as much as the music industry, Swag would consume pop culture overnight, influenced heavily by the New Boyz style and viral dance move, the ‘Jerk’.

Swag rose as an industry tyrant, subsequently triggering smaller fads among labels like Obey and New Era. These logos were practically inescapable during this time period, and would often be seen on the panels of snapback hats and ill fitting t-shirts. Celebrities like Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez and Zendaya would aid in popularizing similar labels like Diamond Supply Co. among Crooks and Castles, all within a terrible mash-up between the ethos of hip-hop and a preppy aesthetic.

Other stylistic options would include skinny jeans which were obviously multicoloured (and sometimes backwards?), flashy or studded belts, lensless and shutter glasses that were all too thick, bowties, and so many beanies. Collared polos would come in pair with chains and Beats headphones, among a slew of Chicago Bulls apparel for no reason at all. Let’s not forget about Justin Bieber and Jaden Smith’s unparalleled dynamic either, which was almost exclusively documented while wearing fur and denim.

Tumblr would become the hotspot for all things Swag, pioneering superficially deep quote posts that would proceed to dominate social media. Overly edited photos all became synonymous with the trend, as OOTD’s became second nature to smouldering selfies and hidden faces in fit checks. Congruency became a thing of the past when teenage girls came down with Bieberfever, marking the end of proportions and colour coordination to the sound of Carly Jensen’s ‘Call me maybe’.