BAPE Clothing: A Bathing Ape
BAPE is short for “A Bathing Ape,” and it is a popular clothing brand started by Nigo in Harajuku, Tokyo. During the early 90’s Nigo borrowed money to open a small boutique named “Nowhere.” A huge film buff, Nigo decided to call his clothing line “A Bathing Ape,” in honor of the movie Planet of the Apes. Before his brand met widespread success, Nigo produced only a small quantity of clothing, thus making his items limited special editions. Using his influence in the hip-hop music scene, BAPE T-shirts gained exposure among Japan’s trendy youth culture and the label exploded as Japanese streetwear fashion became synonymous with Harajuku. Today, BAPE stores exist in only the most fashionable centers around the planet, including New York, Los Angeles, London and Hong Kong. BAPE hoodies and shoes (Bapestas) are commonly worn by famous personalities in the hip-hop industry, such as Pharrell Williams, Lil Wayne, Kanye West and Swizz Beats.
BAPE Shoes: The Bapesta
BAPE shoes, called Bapestas, resemble the classic Nike Airforce 1. These uptowns are commonly worn by rappers, musicians and celebrities, and offer excellent style and comfort. True to the BAPE label, Bapestas are loaded with all kinds of little details, hidden logos and quality stitching. Although there are many Bapestas sold online that are fake, such as most of what’s seen on EBay, authentic Bapestas are superior in quality in just about every way. Any particular Bapesta model is a limited edition, thus when a new batches of BAPE shoes are released, they usually draw large crowds and sell out fast.
Bale Hoodies
BAPE hoodies are perhaps the company’s hottest item. These hoodies are easily identifiable by their colorful expression, usually featuring a camouflage pattern. BAPE hoodies are make with thick and high quality cotton, with top-notch stitching. Details, such as little labels and logos appear where you least expect them to. BAPE hoodies have become very popular among rappers and streetwear fashion connoisseurs for their unique look and limited availability.