One of the most iconic counter-culture apparel trends is the Converse All-Star shoe. The company started out as a rebellion against the monopoly of rubber companies in order to directly produce rubber sneakers, and went on to represent teenage rebellion throughout the sixties. But in 2003, the Converse company was bought by Nike, one of the large shoe companies. It still markets its shoes as "celebrating the spirit of rebellion and originality," but this has a hollow ring, when they are produced by a mainstream company.
I think this trend, for the new and original to become mainstream and identifiable, is seen in many movements. The ideas that we see now as rock and roll, punk, and more recently, grunge and "alternate" (or hipster) culture have become so widespread that they are no longer as unique as they were intended to be.
People, even those who seek to stand out, still want to fit in. This model, seen in the growth and acquisition of Converse and the explosion of teenage trends, is intrinsically ironic and very interesting.