History of Hip Hop Fashion

The history of hip hop fashion is far from bland. The more you study the changes in hip hop fashion over the years, the more you’ll find the clothes complementing the political and social message of the music. From baggy pants to big gold bling, wardrobes of the hip hop set have made a lasting impression on the fashion scene.

Hip hop styles have gone through considerable changes in the time spanning from the early 1980s to the present.

The earliest hip hop styles were gleaned from popular sportswear brands and worn in unique ways.

What Was Hot: Sneakers with "shell toes" were often paired with tracksuits or leisure suits in eye-popping, bright colors. Hip hop fashions included mainstream athletic brands, who offered the aforementioned shell toes in classic styles. Stars like Salt 'n' Pepa and Big Daddy Kane wore lots of gold accessories, especially chunky earrings and necklaces, which then became very popular with fans of hip hop style.

How It Was Worn: Heavy use of gold accessories spiced up fade haircuts and Jheri curls.

Nike burst on to the scene, and new brands became popular.

What Was Hot: The Nike brand came onto the hip hop fashion scene in 1984 and complemented other active or outdoors brands, such as Reebok, Carhartt, and Timberland. As hip hop fashion caught on, it incorporated African items like traditional Kente cloth.

How It Was Worn: Starter jackets accessorized Dickies brand pants, along with the same heavy gold chains of previous years. Artists Kriss Kross even started the trend of wearing clothes backwards. This was also the first time that high fashion popularized the hip hop trend.

Hip hop fashion got tougher and went through significant changes during this period.

What Was Hot: With the growing popularity of gangsta rap, many West Coast hip hop fashion icons adopted gang-related colors, such as red (Bloods) and Crip (Blue). Pants worn low and saggy became a nod to urban (and incarcerated) life, while sportswear enjoyed booming popularity, especially in the brands of Ralph Lauren, Nautica, and Calvin Klein. Limited-edition jerseys became featured in music videos.

How It Was Worn: Loose items worn with work boots became popular and were often set off by cornrows and Afro-styled hair.

Hip hop icons have started making their own brands.

What Is Hot: New designers for the hip hop fashion scene include Wu-Tang Clan, who produces Wu Wear, Outkast, who created Outkast Clothing, and Diddy, whose label is called Sean John. Hip hop fashions have evolved into more fitted, close-cut styles that include button-down shirts, slim jeans, hoodies, vintage tees, and retro sunglasses.

How It Is Worn: Hip hop fashion has enjoyed turbulent popularity and now can blend into more mainstream selections. While many stars have chosen to eschew a baggier style, there are throwbacks to the very earliest hip hop ensembles out there.

Learn more about the history of hip hop fashion at these highly recommended contemporary hip hop fashion websites:

• Hypebeast: Culture meets style on this great site stuffed full of favorite street designers and urban looks. The site focuses more on fashion than on hip hop, but it's a great recommendation for the city man nonetheless.

• Karmaloop: Karmaloop features traditional street wear in a rainbow of colors, and it has many unisex options as well. Brands include Adidas, Perks & Mini, One People Project, Mind Rite, and Elwood.

• Dr. Jays: This easy-to-navigate site has top brands like Ed Hardy, Roca Wear, Ecko, and Sean John, as well as niche brands. Take a look and see what you dig up—there’s plenty that looks straight out of the early nineties if you look hard enough.

• Yukka: Yukka’s looks include popular Asian street wear brands that are popular with hip urban dressers.

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