11 Interesting facts about hip-hop fashion that'll make you want to turn into a hip-hop fan immediately!

Updated on November 29, 2021 00:19 AM by admin

Hip-hop is not just a fashion trend. It transcends the boundaries of fashion to incorporate a culture that seems to be timeless. Ever since its beginning in the 1970s, it has been lending a voice to both the crabbed youth generation and the ultra rich section of the society. Eventually, it came to invigorate and spur the social identity of the black Americans. It started to stand for freedom and liberty. It propagated the idea of being yourself. It reflected life on the street and normalised streetwears like hoodies, vests, and track pants. Owing to hip-hop fashion, people started choosing relaxed fashion rather than tight-fitting uncomfortable ones. Since then, it has never gone astray or swerved from its trajectory to flourish forever.

It is not enough to just be a hip-hop fan without knowing the facts about hip-hop fashion and its culture.

So, read on to know some interesting facts about this revolutionary style that changed the history of the fashion industry forever.

Men's wear section saw most of the development

Most of the development made in the hip-hop fashion industry is in the men's wear section. The conventional items included denim jeans, hooded sweatshirts, sneakers, caps, turtlenecks, leather jackets etc. There were also designer wear like designer jeans, gold jewelry, Puma shoes with fat laces, basketball shoes etc.

Our fav baggy jeans!

In the 1980s, loose fitting clothes or baggy attires became popular.

Cool beanies and bandanas!

In the early 2000s, the typical hip-hop look included baseball caps with emblems or symbols of football teams and popular fashion designers. That was the time when beanie hats and bandanas also became popular.

We like 'em oversized!

In the late 1990s, the extensively popular oversized white T-shirt, and basketball vests became trendy. This was also the time when the hip-hop staple, baggy denim jeans along with combat or hiking boots and sports shoes, with dreadlock hairstyles started coming into trend. Little did everyone know that this trend would become ubiquitous and prevalent even in today's world.

Such chic, much wow!

Women's wear began as nugatory and paltry. This was meant to reflect the contemporary women's style. It included bamboo earrings, chains with names on them, midriff or bra tops, tight jeans and high boots, braided hair, oversized golden jewelry and fake long fingernails. However, women also wore men's apparel.

Exception to rule!

It was actually hip-hop’s pariah or outcast status that allowed it the freedom to experiment and then go from exception to rule.

Can you look stylish in a track suit? Hell yeah!!

Designer Marc Jacobs, in his 2017 women’s fashion show, made models walk down the runway donning tracksuits with thick gold chains. They were seen dressed in retro-style coats and hats.

From music to fashion

Hip-hop fashion came to prominence because of hip-hop music's worldwide success.

This is the king of knockoffs!

Dapper Dan, known as the "king of knock offs", was an American haberdasher who started as an underground Harlem designer. He made custom streetwear for the local hip-hop artists, athletes etc. He could be credited to be the pioneer of the gangster-inspired style. He re-imagined and reworked luxury brand products. His initial customers were gamblers, hustlers and drug dealers. Later, he started kitting out for stars and celebrities like Mike Tyson, Bobby Brown etc. He's still one of the greatest influencers of the hip-hop fashion industry.

Gucci was his fan too!

Later, luxury Italian brand Gucci partnered with Dapper Dan. They paid him a homage by sending a jacket down the runway that was similar to Dapper Dan's creations. In 2017, they collaborated to launch a fashion line.

You look phat!

We say "on fleek" to describe someone who looks good. Or maybe "swag". Back in the 90s, it was "phat" and "dope". And before that, it was "fresh" and "dipped".