50 YEARS OF FRESH: HIP-HOP’S INFLUENCE ON FASHION

Hip-hop fashion didn’t have a true identity upon the genre’s inception. Before evolving into its own unique look in the ’80s, what the youngins displayed in the streets, park jams, and parties derived from their environment. Fitted tees, leather jackets, button-down shirts, and jeans or wide-leg pants, with your choice of Chuck Taylors or PF Flyers, were the popular fit. And prior to using fitted hats as a fashion statement, berets or newsboy hats were the go-to for headwear.

While the athleisure look, specifically tracksuits, took off in the ’80s, they were part of one’s daily wear in the ’70s. Disco was the real influence as hip-hop began to take hold. That’s why when the first ever hip-hop music video was seen by the masses, what was worn was considered casual: v-neck sweaters, cardigans, fitted jeans.

When one thinks of hip-hop fashion in the ’80s, Kangol bucket hats, Cazal glasses, Adidas Shelltoes (Superstars), matching tracksuits, and big nugget gold chains are the signature styles that come to mind; and defined the genre’s infant stages. We saw everyone rock this look, but there was more to the decade than this holy quintipartite of streetwear. Laying the foundation of what would be the culture’s style today, this decade brought about bold and vibrant colors and a DIY approach that B-Boys and B-Girls relied on to make themselves stand out from everyone else on the block. Thus, insert the Dapper Dan brand, who made anyone that entered its Harlem shop look and feel like a million bucks as its like-named owner cooked up (and still does) custom-made fits with big logo prints from luxury brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton.

But, if you couldn’t afford a luxe aesthetic, you went the oversized jacket and denim route to compliment the ladies rocking doorknocker earrings and 54-11s (Reebok Freestyle Hi) on their feet. And speaking of footwear, you also had Converse, Reebok, and Adidas on lock, and Bally sneakers were the high-end go-to stunt in. But in 1985, Nike released its Air Jordan sneakers, or as we all know them now, the Jordan 1s, which revolutionized both the sneaker industry and fashion. Toward the end of the decade, as hip-hop artists preached education, social issues, and African heritage, they expressed consciousness and knowledge of self through rhyme and style. Kente cloth color schemes and African medallions signified the Afrocentricity that closed the decade.

Ah yes, this is the colorful decade ’80s-babies and Gen-Xers fondly remember, and can’t stop, won’t stop telling later generations about it. Name a fashion style not influenced by this era and retro’d today. There was so much versatility with the trends of this time. You could be the Fendi bag-rocking, bamboo earrings-wearing fly girl, or the dude on the block wearing sagging pants and construction boots, or go the high-end route to spruce it up. There was no fit or brand that didn’t get embraced, or become popular once hip-hop got a hold of it and used it in its lyrics. And yeah, it has to be said…HIP-HOP MADE TIMBERLAND, not the other way around.

Even the companies that promoted a preppy, private school vibe made statements on the street corners. Eddie Bauer, Nautica, Perry Ellis, and Tommy Hilfiger all had the streets buzzing, especially when they embraced the culture with ads featuring a certain artist in TH’s signature overalls, or the brand’s fashion shows with hip-hop’s best walking their runways. Everyone wanted a Ralph Lauren “Snow Beach” pullover, and if you didn’t have the duckets (or any Polo piece), you acquired it by any means necessary—word to ’Lo Life. But as an alternative to the more expensive pieces on the market, the wave of Black-owned streetwear emerged. The aforementioned Karl Kani, Walker Wear, African-American Collegiate Association, and FUBU were all birthed, and meant to be for us, by us.

There are so many to mention from this time in culture, that at the risk of being too wordy, we’re going to rundown all of the flyness that the ’90s had to offer: Iceberg sweaters. Avirex leathers. North Face bubbles. Girbaud. Pelle Pelle Jackets. Helly Hansen. Vanson Leathers. Motorcycle jackets. Lugz. Wallabees. Wu Wear. Gap. DKNY. Polo Sport. Goggles. Starter Jackets. Starter Hats. Jansport bookbags. Triple Five Soul. Beepers. Cell Phones. The Shiny Suit Era. Cuban Link Gold Chains with the Jesus Piece. Every designer brand name dropped on wax. Baggy jeans, camo, or army fatigues. And suede Timbs on the feet makes the cipher complete.

The sh-t was timeless. Y’all weren’t outside.

Signed, a Gen-Xer.

Self-promotion will always be a must in hip-hop, especially if you’re pushing your own product outside of music. So, a certain Brooklyn rapper dropping bars about his signature sneaker through Reebok was par for the course. In fact, the beginning of the 21st century saw fashion brands cozy up to hip-hop artists. And if companies didn’t come a calling, those same artists created their own (Rocawear, Phat Farm, Baby Phat, Sean John, Ice Cream, Billionaire Boys Club, BAPE, Vokal, Apple Bottoms, etc), flooding a market already dominated by beloved hood staples like Mecca, Ecko, FUBU, and Enyce.

And even though the throwback jersey trend was put in a coma, there’s no denying that for a portion of the 2000s, we were committed to Mitchell & Ness and their overpriced, oversized jerseys—complimented with durags (tied or untied), a Yankees fitted, grillz, and an iced-out chain and watch by TechnoMarine. And Velour jumpsuits were a chef’s kiss.

We were rooted in everything oversized, actually. White (or pink) tees and jeans two or three sizes too big were commonplace on the corner or in the VIP section at the club. Eventually, the masses in the mid to late aughts grew up and evolved, adding both fitted designer button-ups and jeans to the closet, adding some grown man ish to their style.

Although not listed as one of hip-hop’s five mainstays, aspiration has always been a pillar of the genre. That’s why artists rhyming about luxury designer brands that were unattainable to their audience was common from the start. Some companies embraced the artform and lyrical callouts while some didn’t want an affiliation whatsoever. But in the 2010s, you can say luxe and streetwear merged. Look no further than the number of collaborations that came to be throughout the decade. Kith x Versace. Supreme x Louis Vuitton. Jordan x Dior. Moncler Genius. Gucci x Dapper Dan (FINALLY!). There are too many to list, but, you can say the collab that defined the decade was that of Off-White and Nike. And hence, the rise of the sneaker reseller, the hypebeast, and ridiculously long lines for Supreme drops began. But the 2010s saw the reintroduction of the “Dad Shoe” wave. Bulky and thick-soled, this item boasted comfort and functionality, and with hip-hop’s influence, ushered in household and designer brands to apply their unique look to the trend.

In this era, everything old was new again, with a retro resurgence of fits that defined previous years. Skatewear, skinny jeans, camo, flannel shirts, snapback hats, bomber jackets, and even throwback jerseys returned to the fashion template. Fear of God made over-sized fashionable again, athleisure exploded, and brands like Stussy, A Bathing Ape, and Palace became signature looks in any Gen-Zer’s closet.