Hip-hop fashion

Hip-hop fashion (also known as rap fashion) refers to the various styles of dress that originated from Urban Black America and inner city youth in American cities like New York City, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. Being a major part of hip-hop culture, it further developed in other cities across the United States, with each contributing different elements to the overall style that is now recognized worldwide.

History

Late 1970s to mid-1980s

During the late 1970s, sportswear and fashion brands such as Le Coq Sportif, Kangol, Adidas, and Pro-Keds became established and attached themselves to the emerging hip-hop scene.

In the 1980s, hip-hop DJs were known for wearing brightly colored name-brand tracksuits, sheepskin and leather bomber jackets, backpiece jackets, Clarks shoes, Britishers (also known as British walkers) and sneakers. DJs would wear sneakers from brands such as Pro-Keds, Puma, Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars and Adidas Superstars often with oversized or "phat" shoelaces. Popular haircuts of the time ranged from the early-1980s Jheri curl to the early-1990s hi-top fade, which was popularized by Will Smith (The Fresh Prince) and Christopher "Kid" Reid of Kid 'n Play, among others. Another trend in hip-hop clothing, pioneered by Dapper Dan in the early 1980s, was the adaptation and brandishing of high-net-worth fashion house brands such as Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Gucci and logos on custom-designed tracksuits, jackets, and mink coats.

Trending accessories of the time included items such as large eyeglasses (Cazals), Kangol bucket hats, nameplates, name belts, multiple rings and heavy gold jewelry. Men's jewelry typically focused on heavy gold chains, while women's jewelry consisted of large gold earrings. Hip-hop performers like Kurtis Blow and Big Daddy Kane helped popularize gold necklaces and other types of jewelry, while female rappers such as Roxanne Shanté and the group Salt-N-Pepa helped popularize made oversized gold door-knocker earrings trend.