BAPE as one of the original streetwear brands of Japan is also one of the most hyped brands in streetwear. But why is BAPE so expensive and popular? Perhaps a question just asking to be flamed. As a fan of urban streetwear, I will provide answers to the question. Read on!

Why Is BAPE So Expensive?

Limited quantity and design
In the past, BAPE was made in Japan, so there was a limited supply. You could only buy their brand in physical BAPE stores. Initially, financial necessity was one of the arguable reasons why the brand has a limited quantity. However, since I.T acquired the brand, they have become a significant label of contemporary streetwear.

The brand is now easier to get, and the price is jacked up to compensate for it. Additionally, BAPE has a unique and high-quality design that features in each of their product. BAPE Shark Hood is the most famous of all the designs made available by the brand.

Status Symbol And Trendy
Even though BAPE might not be as unpredictable and scarce as it used to be, it has deep connections in street cultures and hip-hop. Also, it has a legacy as one of the original icons of streetwear. This has seen BAPE endure with a broader audience. The appetite of its consumptive, young audience for anything on offer has made it trendy and popular.

As a lifestyle brand, BAPE symbol can be seen on furniture, footwear, kitchenware, clothes and a variety of other items. Also, they often work together with Supreme. Hello Kitty, Coca-Cola and other brands. All these have been a contributing factor to why the brand is expensive.

High-Quality Products
Most of BAPE’s products are made in China. If compared to your average mall brand, BAPE offers products that are made of quality materials and construction. From its tees, hoodies, shoes, and jeans to its accessories, bags, belts and much more, the quality is pretty good and well done. Take the hoodies, for example; the fabric is tight-knit, colorway is vibrant, inside linen feel like woven cotton among many other quality features.

How Did It Rise To Popularity?

Popular Celebs Wearing the Brand
Lots of celebrities have always stayed up to par with their fashion style and one of the streetwear brands they are known to rock from time to time is BAPE. It has been a symbolic clothing brand in the world of R&B and hip-hop. Popular Celebs wearing the brand are Jay-Z, T.I, Kanye West, Pharrell, 2 Chainz, Big Sean, Chris Brown to mention a few.

Chris Brown has been a fan of the brand for more than six years, and he is also passing the brand’s tradition to his daughter. With these celebs wearing the brand, their fans tend to follow suit thereby increasing the popularity of BAPE.

Collaboration with Big Brands
While some streetwear fans believe the brand has reached an all-time high where some people almost lose interest in wearing the clothes, there is no boundary to whom BAPE works with. The brand’s surprising partnership with big brands makes you want their products even more. Some of the familiar and favorite collaborations encompass around apparel, shoes, and accessories.

BAPE has collaborated with megastars such as Kanye West and Pharrell. Also, the strong collaborative front with brands such as Reebok, Supreme, and Adidas has continued to generate lots of selling out and buzz. Additionally, collaborations with Pepsi and Disney have taken partnerships of streetwear to a whole new level.

Japanese Streetwear Icon
Even though BAPE may not be the all-time greatest streetwear, it is unarguably the best and most influential streetwear brand that came out of Japan. There are more than 15 BAPE’s store outlets in Japan alone. The brand became famous in Japan and to celebrities in the country before penetrating the international market successfully. It first took over the street of Japan before people around the world started digging into what the brand offers.

Of course, due to the brand popularity, you need to watch out for fakes and scammers. Make sure to buy from Bape legit sellers only online.

Is BAPE Worth The Hype?

There are two sides to a coin, and the same applies to BAPE. Just like other renowned clothing brands such as Luis Vuitton, and Gucci, BAPE offers quality products that catch the attention of many streetwear fans. The brand has amassed an incredible collection of clothing, accessories, shoes and other items. This coupled with the in-cheek treatment of their customers makes it worth the hype and also an expensive brand for rich kids.

One of the factors that contributed to the hype of BAPE is that people tend to buy it because people they admire have worn it. So when the demand is up, the brand tends to increase the price and limit the supply. Additionally, the approach of BAPE to collaborations with other brands is based on lifestyle. The brand is always looking for a way to infiltrate their customer’s entire life and make it cooler. Also, back in the days BAPE gave exclusivity to streetwear fans and are still doing that today. With all the features the brand displays, I can say they are worth the hype and I believe you will agree with me on this.

Because streetwear is popular right now, BAPE makes good use of collaboration with more prominent brands and limited edition collections. They have a strong social strategy and are deeply entrenched in street cultures like hip-hop and R&B. Combining that to the free media exposure they get, the brand tends to have a massive hype.

No doubt, choices, and opinions are different from person to person. Do you think that BAPE is worth the hype or not?

So are you interested on buying BAPE?

If you think Bape is worth the price and want to get your hands on some nice Bape stuff, below are the best legit sellers from eBay. You can also visit my Bape legit sellers page for more reputable sellers online.

LEGIT eBay sellers: Pondon, happyjagabee, hamana_derec09, Tokyoape, snooooozer.