As we all continue to wait for Playboi Carti’s next project, Whole Lotta Red, it gives us ample time to address Carti’s style over the years. Although ASAP Rocky is constantly lauded for his fits, Carti’s fashion has been underlooked when he’s easily one of the crew’s most stylish members. His wardrobe includes pieces that would get cosigns from both cringey hypebeasts and archival designer snobs.
Carti has been photographed wearing everything from old Supreme box logo T-shirts to coveted Undercover denim grails. Off the jump, when Carti dropped songs like “No. 9,” it became evident that he’s the type of rapper to drop a bag on some archival pieces from Grailed rather than a hyped pair of sneakers on StockX. But Carti’s style has shifted and evolved over the years. He looked more like a Tyler, the Creator wannabe when he first started rapping as a 16 year-old kid who called himself $ir Cartier back in 2012. When he released songs like “Broke Boi,” he gravitated towards rare Supreme pieces but also began walking along the edges of cult Japanese fashion. Nowadays, Carti is seen head to toe in Rick Owens and walks Louis Vuitton runway shows.
Although Playboi Carti’s career has really taken off within the past two years, there are almost too many looks to choose from. The definitive archive of Playboi Carti’s fashion can be found on the Instagram page @cartifits, but we took a moment to break down 15 of our favorite fits here.
Sir Cartier “Steeze”
When: 2012
To fully understand the evolution of Playboi Carti’s drip, we have to revisit the first music video Carti made as $ir Cartier in 2012. “Steeze” is one of those rare Yu-Gi-Oh cards of Carti tracks, so let’s cherish this moment before it eventually gets deleted off YouTube. Here we see a young Carti spitting a song that sounded like it was recorded a month after he discovered Tyler, The Creator’s mixtape Bastard. You could really tell how old this video is by just looking at Carti’s swagged out Mishka fit.
Playboi Carti Preaching
When: 2015
Three years after dropping “Steeze,” Carti moved on from mimicking Odd Future mixtapes and began to hone in on a sound that became the gold standard for SoundCloud rap bangers. Loosies like “Broke Boi” and “Fetti,” which were made while working retail at H&M, catapulted Carti from Atlanta’s underground into ASAP Rocky’s circle—Rocky signed Carti to the Mob after meeting him at the music festival SXSW. In this video shot at the end of 2015, Carti is geeking out about having his most successful year yet while wearing a Supreme “Justice For All” fishtail parka from Fall/Winter 2015 and some clout goggles. “We just getting started bruh, I have no mixtape out,” he says to his friend. “I don’t do shit bro, all I do is visionary. Rocky calls me, I go in the studio, make five songs with him, and he calls me a genius.” Carti has always been young Mozart in the flesh.
Made In America Festival
When: 2016
Just days after announcing his debut mixtape was in the works, Carti came down to perform at the Made In America music festival in Philadelphia. He crowd surfed rocking a vintage Public Enemy T-shirt, Dolce and Gabbana denim, a Gucci Belt, and a pair of "Black Cement" Air Jordan IIIs. According to the Playboi Carti subreddit, if you touch Carti while he’s crowd surfing you will be signed to Alamo Records within a year of starting your SoundCloud rap career.
Playboi Carti Swerving In A Bumper Car
When: 2016
Have you ever gone to your local amusement park to take a fit pic in a bumper car? Probably not because you’re simply not on the same creative levels as Playboi Carti. Here we see Carti rocking a rare 2005 Supreme pink box logo T-shirt, Supreme x Mark Gonzales sweatpants from Spring/Summer 2016, and a pair of "Bred" Air Jordan Is. He looks into the camera, beautifully frozen in time, sitting in a bumper car that low key looks like Skepta’s Air Max 97. God damn, Playboi Carti’s influence is too powerful.
VFILES Runway Show
When: 2016
Although the most memorable moment at the VFILES Spring/Summer 2017 runway show was Young Thug standing up to fix up a model’s look while smoking a blunt, Playboi Carti performing at the show’s finale is also a worthy contender. Carti dashed out onto the runway to perform “Of Course We Ghetto Flowers" and “What” in a Supreme patchwork anorak from Fall/Winter 2016, a pair of Undercover "85 Jeans" from the brand’s Fall 2005 "Arts & Crafts" collection, and a pair of "Bred" Air Jordan Is. This fit will easily go down as one of Carti’s best.
Jimmy Kimmel Live
When: 2017
You know your favorite underground rapper is truly going somewhere when they make their awkward debut on late night television. A couple days after Jay-Z said “Magnolia” was incredible, Carti came on Jimmy Kimmel Live to perform the song. Carti came through in some skinny jeans, a vintage promo T-shirt for the movie “Natural Born Killers,” Dr. Marten boots, and a Levi’s denim jacket.
BET Hip Hop Awards
When: 2017
The first, and only, awards Playboi Carti was nominated for were Best New Artist and Best New Mixtape at the 2017 BET Hip Hop Awards. Carti had just released his self-titled debut and you couldn’t go a single day without hearing the opening verse of “Magnolia” blasting out of a JBL speaker. For his first BET Awards, Carti came through dripping in designer, wearing a Raf Simons “I Love NY” sweater from the Belgian designer’s Fall/Winter 2017 collection, Mastermind Japan denim, and a pair of suede military boots from Yeezy Season 5. Although Carti didn’t come home with any wins that night, we know those Grammys will start rolling in soon.
Raf Simons Fathers Parka
When: 2017
Although ASAP Rocky is hip-hop’s greatest Raf Simons stan, Playboi Carti definitely proves the theory of trickle down drip-economics. In this candid photo by @rayscorruptedmind, Carti is wearing a true Raf grail. A “Fathers” fishtail parka from Raf Simons Fall/Winter 2014 collection made in collaboration with the American artist Sterling Ruby. Please don’t touch my Raf.
AWGE Tape Vol. 2 “Lookin” Video
When: 2018
Although there are many well respected hip-hop duos out there, some will never look as wavy as the legendary tag team of Lil Uzi Vert and Playboi Carti. The music video for “Lookin” was never officially released. It was an easter egg nestled deep inside one of A$AP Mob’s AWGE Tapes. But thank God this exists because it hatched another incredible Playboi Carti fit. Here we see Carti chillin in Atlanta in a fit bursting with New York flavor. A camo Supreme “Uptown Parka,” or Biggie coat, from the brand’s Fall/Winter 2015 season is well paired with tiger camo Supreme Champion sweatpants from that same season.
Shopping in SoHo, New York City
When: 2018
Even when Carti is photobombed by a middle school kid wearing an Anti-Social Social Club T-shirt, he’s still flossing on everyone. Carti was shopping in SoHo, New York wearing a “RIP” T-shirt from his Die Lit tour, Palm Angels x Suicoke slides, Ksubi denim shorts, a silver Prada backpack, and a black denim jacket. If I was that kid, I would have not been able to resist taking a pic of that fit, too.
Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2019 Runway
When: 2018
When Playboi Carti walked onto a rainbow colored runway with a silver poncho for the grand finale of Virgil Abloh’s first Louis Vuitton runway show, it was a true win for the culture. Old heads can say what they will about Carti’s raps, but when this stylish rapper closes out a Louis Vuitton runway show, it properly acknowledges that he’s an influential fashion icon among young people today.
Off-White Fall/Winter 2019 Runway Show
When: 2019
Less than half a year after walking on the runway of Louis Vuitton, Carti walked for Virgil Abloh again at Off-White’s Fall/Winter 2019 runway show. Carti modeled the “Ruined Factory” knit sweater, green wool tailored trousers, and a pair of ODSY-1000 sneakers from Off-White’s “Public Television” collection.
Coachella 2019
When: 2019
Here we see how Carti having an out of body experience in front of a crowd of wealthy hipsters who are rolling off 10 mollys and only know the hook of “Magnolia.” For Carti’s debut Coachella set, he is seen rocking a (B).STROY 5th anniversary T-shirt, 99% IS “Gobchang” pants, and A Cold Wall* Nike Air Force 1s in black.
Devil Horns
When: 2019
Although Whole Lotta Red probably won’t drop anytime soon, at least Playboi Carti gave us a whole lotta Rick fits this year. Recently, Carti has fully converted himself into the cult of Rick Owens. It was all he wore while teasing Whole Lotta Red on Instagram this October. Here is one of those great fits, captured by photographer Gunner Stahl, which was also worn in an Instagram post captioned “i jus made 10 vibes<3.” Carti is captured wearing a red Rick Owens DRKSHDW denim jacket, Rick Owens “Detroit” waxed denim jeans, and 1017 ALYX 9SM chelsea boots with a removable sole. It’s too bad we’ll probably never even hear these vibes that he’s talking about until one of Carti’s closest friends leaks it on SoundCloud.
Astroworld Festival 2019
When: 2019
At Playboi Carti’s most recent appearance at Travis Scott’s Astroworld music festival, Carti arrived wearing almost head to toe Rick Owens again. Carti came to his set rocking a Rick Owens durag, Rick Owens biker jacket, Rick Owens “Larry” skinny jeans, and his favorite pair of 1017 ALYX 9SM chelsea boots. Love it or hate it, as long as Carti’s new adventures in style bring a Whole Lotta Red faster, none of us can knock it. Rick Owens need to cut Cash Carti that check, though.
