The Long and Winding Road of Hip Hop Fashion
Some of the most remembered fashion styles in today’s industry are those that have endured the tests of time and not every style can boast of being in trend for more than twenty years without a single year of waning popularity the way that the Hip Hop Fashion has since the 1980’s. Of course the fashion trend for hip hop lovers has changed in many ways but the initial trademark has stayed the same down the road and it does not seem like it will slow down with the turn of the new decade.
The fashion trend started in the early 80’s, a time mostly recalled as the “good old days” by rappers and hip hop supporters as it was the time when black nationalism and the hip hop movement merged into what it is now. It mostly consisted of heavy gold chains, large nameplates and numerous rings and other sorts of jewellery while some also popularised the use of large eyeglasses, usually Gazelles. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air himself, Will Smith, was a prominent figure in early hip hop and his hi-top fade haircut became a constant trend.
As the 80’s continued the Black Nationalist movement strengthened by the recalled significance of traditional African attires and this reflected in the Hip Hop Fashion. Rappers like MC Hammer popularised blousy pants, while others promoted African hairstyles like dreadlocks and African colours like red, black and green. Will Smith and pop rappers like Kid’n’Play popularised bright colors and baseball caps that were mostly worn backwards or to the side. The 80’s was the time when fashion brands began to catch on to the hip hop craze and started manufacturing clothes that matched popular rappers and leading hip hop stage performers. Nike, Adidas, Timberland and Reebok all lined up for gangsters and rappers from Will Smith to the Wu-Tang Clan.
From there, the hip hop world turned back to the 1930’s and the 1940’s for inspiration during the rocky years of the 1990’s. Movies like Scarface and The Godfather have become strong points of interest and this became a trend for the “elite” class of the hip hop movement.
Bowler hats and fedoras matched with black suits and ‘gator shoes replaced the old bright-colored street-gang look, but the hip hop statement remained with the traditional mark of heavy gold jewellery and loose clothing. For the rest of the hip hop world, marketing brands like Tommy Hilfiger used African-Americans models to endorse their fashion statements that strongly focused on sportswear. Throwback jerseys became very popular during the decade but waned out at the turn of the millennium and some hip hop artists refused to identify the trend as a true hip hop statement. This was also the time when hip hop performers actually attempted to make a fashion statement that would symbolise the hip hop movement with singers like Karl Kani literally pushing forward to see if one brand or another would succeed in bringing the hip hop community closer.
Coming close to the turn of the millennium some long-standing marks in the Hip Hop Fashion have changed. Gold jewellery was replaced by platinum and silver and became popular as major jewellery brands such as Gucci and 212 Diamond City made appearances in hip hop music videos. It was during this era that the popular term bling-bling became known as well, a term that reflects the “sound” of light shining on jewellery.
The 2000’s saw some major differences and fashion merging in the hip hop community. Old trends have spun back into popularity such as the Mafioso fashion but this time with the platinum or silver touch while some of the older curls and faded hairstyles came back into popularity as well. These days famous hip hop performers start their own fashion brands and this is where Hip Hop Fashion has exploded into mass diversity. Unlike the old days where one could immediately identify a person as a member of the hip hop society, the same cannot be said today. While some rappers wear baggy pants and low jeans some prefer to wear Chuck Taylor sneakers and fit jeans. Bonnets and berets have become just as popular as Du Rags and baseball caps.
Some people criticise Hip Hop Fashion to be brand-centered and too focused on materialism. Others state the fashion trend promotes sleaziness and some view hip hop women to appear skanky and inappropriate. Some hip hop members like Public Enemy avoid the use of expensive jewellery and brands to lessen the impact of materialism in the hip hop community.
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