Fashion Definitions — fashion history, brands and industry terms from Apparel Search
Hip hop fashion is, according to KRS One, one of the nine extended elements of hip hop culture. It refers to a distinctive style of dress, originating primarily with African-American and Latino young people in New York City, that goes hand in hand with the expressions and attitudes of the rest of the culture. Since the 1970s hip hop fashion has changed significantly, and today it is a prominent part of popular fashion as a whole across the world and for all ethnicities. In the 1980s, large Cazal glasses, Kangol hats, multi-finger rings and Adidas shelltoe sneakers with oversized laces were worn by stars including Run-DMC and LL Cool J.
Since the 1970s, hip-hop fashion has changed significantly over the years, and today is a prominent part of popular fashion as a whole across the world and for all ethnicities. During the 1980s, such clothing items as large glasses (cazals), Kangol hats, multi-finger rings, and sneakers (usually Adidas-brand shelltoes and often with "phat" or oversized shoelaces) were prominently worn by the big-name hip-hop stars of the day, including Run-DMC and LL Cool J. Performers such as Kurtis Blow and Big Daddy Kane also helped popularize the wearing of gold necklaces and other such jewelry. Popular haircuts ranged from the early-1980s Jheri curl to the late-1980s hi-top fade. Also during the late 1980s, fashions and hairstyles symbolizing the Black Pride movement, including Africa chains, dreadlocks, and red-black-and-green clothing became popular as well, promoted by artists such as Queen Latifah, KRS One, and Public Enemy.
1980s hip-hop fashion is remembered as one of the most important elements of old school hip hop, and it is often celebrated in nostalgic hip-hop songs such as Ahmad's 1994 single "Back in the Day", and Missy Elliott's 2002 single "Back in the Day".
As hip-hop music and culture grew and developed, its fashion began to change as well. Pop rappers such as The Fresh Prince, Kid 'n Play, and Left Eye of TLC popularized the wearing of bright, often neon- colored, clothing and the wearing of regular items such as baseball caps and even condoms in unusual ways. A number of fads existed during this period as well, including Kris Kross' method of wearing their clothes backwards.
Gangsta rap became one of the most prevalent styles of hip hop, and by the mid-1990s, hip-hop fashion had taken on significant influence from the dress styles of street thugs and prison inmates. The wearing of baggy clothes, often without the use of a belt for the pants, originated from prison, where belts were among the first things confiscated while new inmates were being given their uniforms. Hooded sweaters ("hoodies"), military hats, field jackets and fatigues, Hi-Tek brand para-military boots and Timberland boots were especially popular in New York City, and the West Coast culture contributed the wearing of flannel overshirts and classic Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars to hip-hop fashion. Gold teeth were popularized by Southern hip hop artists such as Master P, many of whom often wore a full mouth of gold fronts or permanent dental fixtures with precious metals and precious gems which were used as a fashion statement and status symbol that can't be snatched from around a neck or out of a pocket.
In the mid-1990s, mafioso influences, especially and primarily inspired by the 1983 remake version of Scarface, became popular in hip-hop, and classic gangster fashions such as Fedora hats, and alligator-skin shoes ("gators") became fashionable, mostprominently popularized by The Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z. Although in some areas in the mid-west these styles have been a constant staple of the fashion scene. Detroit is an area where this element of style has seemed to endure regardless of outside influences that may flow with or against it.
The rise of hip-pop in the late-1990s, primarily the work of Sean "Puffy" Combs, known locally around New York at that time as the "Shiny Suit Man" brought elements such as loud, flashy PVC avaiator inspired suits and platinum jewelry to the forefront of hip-hop in an effort to add a new vivid dimension of color and flash to the videos produced as a marketing tool. Combs, who started his own Sean John clothing line, and clothing manufacturers such as Karl Kani and FUBU brought hip-hop fashion to the mainstream, resulting in a multi-million dollar hip-hop fashion industry. There was a resurgence of traditional African-American hairstyles such as cornrows and Afros, as well as the Caesar l ow-cut. Caesars and cornrows are maintained by wearing a do-rag over the head during periods of sleeping and home activity to prevent the hair from being displaced or tossled. Do-rags soon became popular hip-hop fashion items in their own right.
After platinum replaced gold as the most popular precious metal in hip-hop fashion, it became commonplace for artists and fans alike to wear platinum (or silver) jewelry, often with significant amounts of diamonds embedded in them. Platinum jewelry later became a prominent source of bragging rights for hip-hop performers and audiences, and B.G. recorded a 1999 hit song that summarized the phenomenon with a popular catchphrase: "Bling Bling". Platinum fronts also became popular; Cash Money Records executive/rapper Brian "Baby" Williams infamously has an entire mouthful of permanent platinum teeth. Others have fashioned grills, removable metal jewelled teeth coverings.
After the influx of the hip-pop influence, hip-hop fashion became less based in actual street wear and more in an idealization of such. Hip-hop clothing is often produced by popular and successful designers, who charge significant amounts for their products.
Today, hip-hop fashion is worn by a significant percentage of young people around the world. Many hip-hop artists and executives have started their own fashion labels and clothing lines, including Russell Simmons (Phat Farm), Damon Dash and Jay-Z (Roc-a-Wear), and OutKast (OutKast Clothing). Other prominent hip-hop fashion companies have included, in addition to the aforementioned Karl Kani and FUBU, Willie Esco , Ecko, G-unit, and Mecca USA.
Hip-hop fashion is often satirized by celebrities such as Ali G and Goldie Lookin' Chain.
Learn about street fashion.
Learn about women's hip hop fashion.
Learn about men's hip hop fashion.
| The above article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/hip_hop_fashion 1/23/06 Modified by Apparel Search. |
Designer Definition (from U.S Department of Labor)
Old School Dress and Black Pride1980s hip hop fashion is remembered as one of the most important elements of old school hip hop, celebrated in nostalgic songs such as Ahmad's 1994 single Back in the Day and Missy Elliott's 2002 single of the same name. Its items were specific and repeatable, which is why they could function as a uniform of belonging: shelltoe sneakers with fat laces, Kangol hats, Cazal glasses, multi-finger rings and gold rope chains. Alongside the commercial items ran a political strand. During the late 1980s, fashions and hairstyles symbolising the Black Pride movement, including Africa chains, dreadlocks and red, black and green clothing, became popular, promoted by artists such as Queen Latifah, KRS One and Public Enemy. The two strands were not in conflict. Both used dress to announce identity before a word was spoken, one through the brands and jewellery of success, the other through colours and symbols of heritage. Gangsta, Mafioso and Shiny Suit PhasesAs the music changed, the silhouette changed with it. Pop rappers such as The Fresh Prince, Kid n Play and Left Eye of TLC popularised bright, often neon clothing and wearing regular items such as baseball caps in unusual ways, and fads such as Kris Kross wearing clothes backwards flourished briefly. Gangsta rap then became one of the most prevalent styles, and by the mid-1990s the wardrobe drew on street and prison dress: hooded sweaters, military hats, field jackets and fatigues, Hi-Tek para-military boots and Timberland boots in New York, with the West Coast contributing flannel shirts and Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars. Gold teeth, popularised by Southern artists such as Master P, turned jewellery into a permanent fixture that could not be snatched from a neck or pocket. A second mid-1990s influence looked upward rather than to the street. Mafioso style, inspired primarily by the 1983 remake of Scarface, brought fedora hats and alligator-skin shoes, called gators, into fashion, popularised most prominently by The Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z. Then the rise of hip-pop in the late 1990s, primarily the work of Sean Combs, known around New York as the Shiny Suit Man, brought loud, flashy PVC aviator-inspired suits and platinum jewellery to the forefront, adding colour and flash to videos produced as marketing tools. Combs started the Sean John clothing line, and manufacturers such as Karl Kani and FUBU brought hip hop fashion to the mainstream, creating a multi-million dollar industry. Each phase is legible as an argument about status: street authenticity, outlaw glamour and corporate shine succeeded one another without any of them fully disappearing. Women in Hip Hop Fashion and the Artist LabelThe hip-pop era also saw the split between male and female hip hop fashion, which had previously been more or less similar. Women in hip hop had emulated male tough-guy fashions such as baggy jeans, Loc sunglasses and heavy workboots; performers such as Da Brat accomplished this with lip gloss and makeup to make industrial work pants and work boots feminine. Performers who completely turned the tide, such as Lil Kim and Foxy Brown, popularised glamorous, high-fashion feminine hip hop styles, and Kimora Lee Simmons built the Baby Phat line on that direction. Lauryn Hill and Eve popularised more conservative styles that maintained both a distinctly feminine and a distinctly hip hop feel. The lasting development was commercial. Modern hip hop fashion is less based in actual street wear and more in an idealisation of it, produced by popular designers at significant prices, and worn by a significant percentage of young people around the world. Many artists and executives started their own labels, including Russell Simmons with Phat Farm, Damon Dash and Jay-Z with Rocawear and OutKast with OutKast Clothing, alongside companies such as Willie Esco, Ecko, G-Unit and Mecca USA. Hip hop fashion thus completed the journey from a neighbourhood dress code to a global product category without losing its recognisable core of sneakers, oversized silhouettes, jewellery and logos. Common QuestionsWhat did 1980s hip hop fashion include?Large glasses such as Cazals, Kangol hats, multi-finger rings and sneakers, usually Adidas shelltoes and often with fat oversized laces, worn by stars including Run-DMC and LL Cool J. Performers such as Kurtis Blow and Big Daddy Kane popularised gold necklaces and other jewellery, and hairstyles ran from the Jheri curl to the late-1980s hi-top fade. Where did baggy clothing in hip hop fashion come from?By the mid-1990s hip hop fashion took significant influence from the dress of street culture and prison inmates. Wearing baggy clothes, often without a belt, originated in prison, where belts were among the first things confiscated when new inmates were given uniforms. What was bling bling?After platinum replaced gold as the most popular precious metal in hip hop fashion, artists and fans wore platinum or silver jewellery often set with diamonds, and the display became a source of bragging rights. B.G. recorded a 1999 hit song that summarised the phenomenon with the catchphrase Bling Bling. More to Explore
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