The Story of Hip-Hop Fashion – Before and Now.

In recent years, fashion is probably the most commercially successful part of hip-hop even before music. Fashion developed along with the entire hip-hop in New York City in the 1970s. Underwent major changes due to both the gangsta rap and the increasing successes in the mainstream.

Urban or Hip-Hop Fashion

Street fashion is the umbrella term for a series of fashion phenomena. Originate from the ghettos of American cities and are associated with hip-hop music. Often – for example through KRS One – fashion is counted among the elements of the hip-hop culture. Street fashion is a state of mind and a way to express ourselves through history and legacy of the few.

Hip-Hop Fashion History

In the early 1990s, gangsta rap began to become the most influential substyle of the genre. Fashion was also significantly influenced by the typical dress of gangsters and prison inmates. The typical baggy pants, often known today as the accessory of the hip-hop fashion, had their origin in the rules of the prisons, that belts were confiscated with first and the clothes accordingly often sat very low.

Gangsta rap

The gangsta rap on the west coast made the dress codes and identification marks of the street gang known to a wider public. Gangsta rappers, who belonged to a particular gang, showcased the symbols of this affiliation in their videos: Particularly well known here are the two identifying colors of the two largest street gang LAs – red for the Bloods and blue for the Crips. Baseball caps of certain teams, sports jackets and the now popular bandanas in appropriate colors, which were also worn in a special way, made it possible to assign to a particular gear. So for example the West coast rapper Snoop Dogg played in 2004 in his Hit single “Drop it like it’s hot” with the line I keep a blue flag hanging out my backside/ But only on the left side, yeah that’s the Crips side on his affiliation to a Crips-Gang an.

As hip-hop began to become more and more a mainstream phenomenon, street fashion began to be worn outside the scene, while hip-hop fashion changed: Will Smith, Kid “n Play and Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes (TLC) popularized wearing light, often neon-colored clothing and regular accessories such as baseball caps in unusual styles. At that time, there were also some short-lived hypes, such as Kris Kross’s way of putting on the clothes the wrong way around, so that there were zippers and openings on the back of the wearer.

The Basics of Street Fashion

Here is the basic clothing and must have accessories that everyone that is interested in street fashion should consider. These are the following:

• Very wide, deep pants (Baggy Pants)
• Strong brand awareness
• Bright, colorful clothing
• White sneakers, sneakers
• Oversize (T-shirts up to 9XL)

Accessories:

• Diamond rings
• Chain worn on the outside (part with conspicuous pendants)
• Conspicuous sparkling earrings
• Headscarves (also called bandana)
• Head stockings (also called Durag)
• Caps (often in combination with Durag / Bandana)
• Conspicuous rings and more.

This old school Luxury, full diamond hip – hop ring still remains a classic and a must have choice for everyone that needs this identity. Find the ring here