The History of Hip Hop Clothing
The history of hip hop clothing dates back to the '70s, and continues to change with each passing year. It is generally linked to the urban styles of African American youths, and is commonly seen on rap and hip hop artists. Hip hop has seen dramatic changes in the philosophy of its clothing styles, but it has always maintained a devotion to the look of the streets.
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'70s
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Before the term "hip hop" was even coined, the culture began to take shape in the late '70s. The first hip hop styles were inspired by disco and soul music, as can be seen in early episodes of "Soul Train" and Sugarhill Gang's 'Rappers Delight.' Inspired by James Brown, jump suits were associated with the earliest forms of hip hop. From here, track suits became very fashionable.
'80s
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Track suits were still popular in the '80s, as seen worn by the group Run DMC. Later in the decade, Run DMC started to wear black leather and gold chains, giving them more of a "gangster" look in accordance with the organized crime mobsters of the prohibition era. Hip hop clothes also became influenced by basketball in the '80s, with many groups donning hi-top sneakers and basketball jerseys. This is the decade when hip hop fashion got baggy, and over-sized shirts were worn with extra long, sagging shorts.
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'90s
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The '90s saw hip hop take a dramatically sexualized turn. Whereas the '80s hip hop fashion made social and political statements, the 90s became exceedingly more materialistic. This was the decade when "bling" became essential. Hip hop artists wore gold and diamond jewelry in great amounts. The clothing remained baggy, and the appearance of the "gangster" became glorified in the fashion and music, something that Sean Combs called "ghetto fabulous."
2000s
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At the turn of the century, the evolution of hip hop style threw back to its early days. "Old school" fashion became popular again as a result of retroactive artists like Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco. As early '80s fashion became popular once again, bright neon colors took the place of bling. Modern hip hop clothing was also enhanced by punk and hipster culture, which infused skateboarding and European styles into the fashions of the streets. As a result, the style of modern hip hop has been criticized as succumbing to ironic intentionality.
Hip Hop Brands
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Over the years, a number of brands have been created to market exclusively to the hip hop culture. Fubu, Zoo York and Phat Farm are just a few examples of clothes designed specifically for the urban look. Many hip hop artists have crossed over into the fashion world after establishing themselves in the music business. Sean Combs went on to create Sean John, Snoop Dogg has a line called Rich and Infamous, Jay Z's Roc-a-Wear line is hugely popular in hip hop fashion and Wu-Wear is directly linked to the music of the Wu-Tang Clan.
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