Menswear writer Jonathan Keys reviews the streetwear store Street Casuals.

Street Casuals lies within the Morgan Arcade very much off the beaten track in terms of both location and its range of brands. Set up over a year ago now, originating

in Bristol, SC has set out to rejuvenate the streetwear scene in Cardiff. There is a considered approach to the brands stocked with the current collection being a strong mix of well-established skate brands like HUF and Only NY, in amongst the more refined streetwear that Carhartt and Universal Works has to offer. Whilst bringing to attention the innovative and striking designs of Parlez, along with most recently releasing the first in three t-shirts as part of their collaboration with African Apparel. ┬áThe ethos behind Street Casuals focuses on working with smaller independent brands in order to better establish streetwear in the local scene. The shop has a strong aesthetic; the latest Asics and SauconyÔÇÖs sitting next to the newest edition of Crack magazine while a fixie bike sits mounted on the wall. It is clear Street Casuals is selling a culture not just the clothes.

In contemporary culture music and fashion have become synonymous, a view that the store also shares as teaming up with F.A.O, CardiffÔÇÖs go-to for alternative nights, proved an easy decision. On first visiting the store, I gained the sense that Street Casuals seeks to push boundaries and bring to Cardiff the street culture that it currently lacks. Their latest marketing ploy was ever imaginative, rebranding cans of baked beans with the SC logo and gifting them to students. Even if the shop is small in size it packs a powerful punch.

Jonathan Keys