HIP HOP

ABOVE: RAPPER, T.I-on-B.E.T-rip-the-runway-performance-2009



ABOVE: sweetface BY JENNIFER LOPEZ-fall 2005

ABOVE: ON THE SET OF THE MOVIE "krushgroove3"-1984-ll cool j

ABOVE: Hip Hop attire in the late 1980's/early 1990's

Some say it’s an attitude, others say, it’s all in the outfit. The truth is, Hip Hop attire continues to be redefines about every decade since it’s emergence. This may be the only street trend that was not meant to offend or rebel against. Hip Hop began as a celebration of music as well as taste. It began with African American youth in the 1980’s with the emergence of rap and the art of break dancing. The clothes worn to break dance were usually very loose and bright and expressive. Many t-shirts were worn during this time that expressed pride in black heritage. “African-inspired clothing also enjoyed a surge of popularity. Kente cloth from Ghana appeared in almost every type of apparel, and red, yellow, black and green were the colors du jour. When Run-D.M.C. hit the scene, so did a look that would, at least in part, be emulated for years: black leather jackets and pants, black fedoras or Kangol hats, large, chunky chains and, of course, Adidas. Eventually, these leather "suits" made way for nylon and cotton tracksuits, still adorned with heavy jewelry. The ensemble was often topped with a Kangol or baseball cap and bottomed with a pair of designer athletic shoes (Adidas made way for Nike). Hats, and even entire outfits, were worn backward (remember the Kriss Kross video "Jump"?). Basketball jerseys were worn over t-shirts with jeans so baggy that they pooled in a puddle of fabric stopped only by the open, unlaced top of a Timberland or Lugz boot.” Today Hip Hop is largely in the expense of designer labels. As the 1990s came to a close, oversized was still the size of choice, be it denim or cargo pants. The gangsta style of wearing pants so low that underwear shows persists today. Reportedly, the practice comes from prisons, where belts aren't allowed due to potentially lethal uses [source: CNN]. Kangol hats remain, as do baseball caps. Joining them is the do-rag, reportedly another prison-wear influence.

“Gangsta-inspired clothing wasn't the only 90s hip-hop staple. Designer labels, such as Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren, filled closets from the East to the West Coast. The label-heavy trend remains today. Some of the more prominent brands on the shopping list include: Baby Phat, Carhartt, Converse, Dickies, Ecko and Ecko Red, Fubu, G-unit, Lacoste, Phat Farm, Reebok, Rocawear, Sean John, and Von Dutch.”

http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/hip-hop7.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_hop_fashion