
Trends come and go, and nowhere is that more evident than in the world of hip-hop style. From its early days of tracksuits, bucket hats, and dookie chains to the '90s heyday of gangsta leans, baggy jeans, and Timberlands, it's evident that today's crystal-mask-clad, skirt-wearing rappers are a far cry from what was considered dope when Tupac and Biggie ruled the airwaves. The line between high fashion and hip-hop is more blurred than ever—just look at how guys like A$AP Rocky rub shoulders with lauded designers like Alexander Wang and Jeremy Scott. The fashion landscape of the rap world is absolutely nothing like it was in 1993. Is it better? Arguable. Is it weirder? Definitely. Let's take a walk down memory lane and look at 20 Ways Hip-Hop Style Was Different 20 Years Ago.
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A Bathing Ape was relatively unknown outside of Japan

No rappers wore Givenchy

Collabos happened organically

The streetwear "industry" was just beginning

Female rappers were less sexualized

Camo was from the surplus store, not a fashion or streetwear brand

Style gimmicks made it easier to stand out

Looking tough was more important than looking trendy

Hair was bigger and more awesome

Skaters listened to rap, but rappers didn't skate

Brands discovered the hip-hop market

Timberlands were more popular than Jordans

Very few rappers had tattoos

Rappers didn't sit front row at fashion shows

Everything was baggier

No one expected rappers to launch their own clothing lines

Hip-hop style was determined by where you were from

Rappers wore Nikes; they didn't design them

Polo was the fashion brand with the most hip-hop cred

Rappers championed more affordable brands
