Ten Things You Didn’t Know About A Bathing Ape

BAPE, short for A Bathing Ape, has been one of the most popular streetwear brands on the market since its inception in 1993, but it didn’t achieve widespread popularity until 1999 when Pharrell and other celebrities started wearing it. Here are ten things you probably didn’t know about this iconic company and its products.

The Founder

Nigo, The Man Behind BAPE Shark Hoodie: Nigo founded his first clothing store in Harajuku, Tokyo at age 19. Always fascinated by vintage clothing and American urban subcultures, Nigo focused on brands such as Rocawear, Ecko Unltd., Mitchell & Ness and Triple 5 Soul.

The History

Founded in 1993, A Bathing Ape (A BATHING APE) is a Japanese clothing brand specializing in hip hop fashion. The brand offers a wide range of products ranging from T-shirts to sneakers, accessories and fragrances for men and women. Its most famous products are its shark hoodies, which became popular worldwide. With full of unique style and high quality of materials, it has become one of Japan’s top brands recognized by urban youth worldwide.

The Brand Logo

The BAPE logo was designed by Nigo, who founded A Bathing Ape Hoodie. The logo’s name is a play on words: it’s an acronym for Brand of American Predator, but also contains a graphic representation of a duck facing upwards. This symbol is intended to convey that, like a predator in nature, an owner of BAPE clothing should stand out from others.

How To Buy A BAPE Hoodie

Buying a BAPE Hoodie isn’t like buying just any other T-shirt; first, you have to get your hands on a BAPE hoodie. Some people find it difficult to tell whether they are buying an authentic one or not, which is why we are here. We’ve put together some important tips that will help you get your hands on an authentic BAPE Hoodie. Read through these tips to know what exactly a real piece of clothing looks like.

Where To Buy BAPE Products

Though BAPE is an international brand, its name has become synonymous with Japan. This makes sense because Nigo, its founder, is Japanese. Though Nigo opened up shop in New York City back in 2004. He still lives and works from his hometown of Tokyo. BAPE operates several stores in Japan (and a few locations around Asia), but to buy authentic gear you’ll want to go directly to their web store.

Stores that sell BAPE products worldwide

BAPE STORE® NY, BAPE STORE® LA, BAPE STORE® London and BAPE STORE® Japan. There are currently two flagship stores in New York City and Los Angeles. As of September 2008, there were plans to open additional flagship stores in London and Tokyo.

The Most Common Misconceptions about the brand

The brand is actually spelled A Bathing Ape, but most people, even employees of BAPE, don’t realize that. They often spell it as Bape (note: don’t do that. Most of us have been sent letters from HQ correcting us). It’s because BAPE stands for A Bathing Ape in London. The Japanese word for monkey is Saru, so it makes sense.

Wear it on your own terms

By now, most people know about Nigo, aka Sk8thing—the founder of BAPE and former head designer for major streetwear label Nigo. What you may not know is that his inspiration for BAPE’s designs came from a diverse group of sources, including various comic books and films. If you’re an avid fan of A Bathing Ape’s brand or its T-shirts, hoodies and accessories then here are ten things about BAPE that may surprise you.

Is it worth waiting for drops?

For many, BAPE Hoodie is synonymous with hype. They’re one of those brands that people camp out for in freezing weather (okay, maybe it’s not quite as bad as waiting in line for days on end to be one of the first few hundred to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens), only to find out there are probably better hoodies/shirts/pants that they could have gotten with their time. But should you really care about these hyped drops?

Will I get scammed if I buy online?

The truth is that you may if you don’t do your research and know what to look for. There are a number of warning signs that you can use to determine whether or not a seller is legitimate.