Hip Hop Fashion Trends – Past and Present

Hip hop fashion trends is not a newcomer to the fashion scene, by any means. In fact, this style has been around since the 1980′s, when celebrities like Will Smith and Christopher “Kid” Reid, showed how young people do. Of course, hip hop fashion trends have developed over the past two decades as the tastes and styles have changed to match the culture of the time. Below is a brief history, but color in the world of hip hop, with some of the current fashion designs today.

At the beginning of Hip Hop in the 1980′s, the big brand names became synonymous with fashion trends hip hop. Brands like Nike, Adidas shoes and Clark wore leather jackets and brightly colored sportswear. Sports jerseys were a hot commodity, with Will Smith were showing in his hit television program, The Fresh Prince of Bell-Air. This was the moment in heavy gold jewelry and big sunglasses came into play, creating an image of wealth and luxury into hip hop culture this time. In the last part of this decade, MC Hammer and other rappers had tendencies hip hop fashion as baggy jeans and baseball caps.

The Gangsta Look in the 1900′s, hip hop fashion trends went to look gangsta in the fashion of the Chicano gang members in Los Angeles. This style looked to be wearing baggy pants low and no belt, shirt tails hanging out of his trousers and headscarves. In the midst of this fashion trend, designers were also providing something that young people of this time he liked, and brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Polo and Nautica also became fashionable. At this point, the hip hop fashion trends became the city street, with names like Mecca USA, Lugz Rocawear and come into play.

Flash and Bling The new century saw the hip hop fashion trends change sets and flashy bling bling jewelry, popularized by the likes of Jay-Z and hot guys. High-end designers like Gucci came to the hip hop scene during this time also. Today, the aspect of hip hop has toned down somewhat, with the trends of fashion hip hop that are more personalized and professional – hip hop preppy, if you will. However, given that trends in hip hop fashion are mainly embraced by young people, this style is always cutting edge and separated from the mainstream of fashion. After more than two decades in the fashion scene, it seems that this trend is more than a trend – it’s a fashion icon that is here to stay.

  • Specialist retailer of
    premium denims
    Such as J Brand
    Citizens of Humanity
    & 7 For All Mankind