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The 80s marked the 2nd decade in Hip Hop in which the new genre began to form its identity sonically and stylistically. At the forefront of the 70s in Hip Hop were the group Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Within the early development years of Hip Hop Culture the groups fashion entailed a cowboy flamboyant aesthetic and Rockstar looks.

While the groups appeal grew globally artists such as LL COOL J, RUN DMC, Eric B. & Rakim set precedence by dressing as the everyday individuals within the Bronx and throughout New York. Which is why 80s Hip Hop Fashion is a merger of street, sport, and luxury fashion.

This off set of change during the 80s would go on to set the blueprint for 90s Hip Hop Fashion as we continued to see select pieces from the 80s be worn in the 90s and still worn today such as air Jordan’s, bucket hats and full tracksuits.

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During the mid-80’s RUN DMC recorded the song “My Adidas” which would become an instant hit influencing the masses at the time to purchase the Adidas Shell Toe.

The impact of the song resulted in the first deal between a music group and a sports cooperation of $1 million. Run DMC invited adidas executives to a live show in which the group told the crowd to raise their shoes in the air during the song’s performance.

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Sportswear brands such as Fila & Kappa began dominating the 80s by creating highly sought-after tracksuits. While the 80s style and aesthetic could be described as loud and flamboyant the flip side to this was Hip Hop artists also opting for more comfortable apparel.

Outside of looking great in its sports detail and patterns the 80s tracksuits provided much comfort and a style which is constantly worn today for its retro appeal.

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The Air Jordan 1 was a prominent sneaker during 80s Hip Hop fashion due to the influence of Michael Jordan and the connection between music and sports. What initially started as a sportswear sneaker immediately became a staple amongst rappers in the 80s.

Nike and Jordan released the Air Jordan series 1 – 4 which would set precedence for style in the 80s & 90s.

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Dapper Dan is responsible for introducing High End Luxury fashion to the world of Hip Hop during the 80s. Dapper made a name for himself creating custom made pieces which artists in the 80s wore. Featuring redesigned logos from Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Chanel, Dans redesign of High-End Fashion added a street feel to luxury apparel which became an 80s Hip Hop fashion look.

Dapper Dans creation can be seen all throughout the 80s for example Eric B. & Rakim used Daps creation on album covers, Salt-N-Pepa used Daps creations in photoshoots & LL COOL J used Daps pieces in videos.

GQ spoke to Dapper Dan about his early beginnings in business during the 80s in Harlem, celebrity clientele and Gucci Partnership.

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LL Cool J popularized the Kangol Bucket Hat making it apart of his signature look during the 80s. While Hip Hop began to form its identity sonically it simultaneously began to dress accordingly which involved making statements using fashion which the Kangol did.

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The track jacket in the 80s is associated to the B Boys who were responsible to adding the break dance element to Hip Hop during this period. The first major trend in B-Boy fashion during this period was the use of sports track jackets.

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Evidence of the use of Jewellery dates to the start of the 80s in which artists such as Kurtis Blow posed on album covers with gold chains. Following the years to come Big Daddy Kane, LL COOL J, Run DMC, Eric B, Rakim & Slick Rick incorporated rope chains into their look.

The main purpose of jewellery was to communicate status and riches which would also compliment the flamboyant outfits rappers wore in the 80s to make statements.

As the culture began to grow so did label budgets which inevitably meant bigger chains for the artists. Rope chains were the status symbol of the 80s and can be seen all throughout the years during this period.

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Certain fashion pieces are connected and synonymous to sub cultural movements and this is the case with the Bomber Jacket regarding Hip Hop.

Certain fashion pieces are connected and synonymous to sub cultural movements and this is the case with the Bomber Jacket regarding Hip Hop.

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One of the biggest streetwear brands connected to Hip Hop during the 80s was Troop who had been endorsed by the biggest artists at the time.

Within a short period of time Troop grossed millions and gained the admiration from the Hip Hop community. From LL COOL J, MC Hammer to Chuck D, artists had outfits and sneakers from the brand due to its high-quality fabrics and style.

At the height of TROOP’s streetwear dominance, a rumour began to spread which suggested that the brand was run by the KKK, this overnight had the Hip Hop community disassociate themselves from any Troop clothing. While you will not see much troops clothes worn today it is still about of the 80s Hip Hop history.

Higsnobiety interviewed the founders of troop - Click Here– The Incredible Truth Behind ’80s Mega-Brand TROOP

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While rope chains were the jewelry accessory of choice during the 80s 4 Finger rings were often used to further communicate status and wealth.

As we have mentioned multiple times in this article, the 80s were about creating statement outfits which 4 finger rings supported! Much credit can be given to Big Daddy Kane for popularizing this style!

Today the tradition continues within Hip Hop culture as artists such as 2 Chainz use this 80s look to compliment statement outfits and styles.

Click here for more --> https://www.one37pm.com/music/80s-hiphop-fashion-history

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As side from being regarded the golden era of Hip Hop Music the 90s also set precedence and tradition for how we dress today. The influence of 90s Hip Hop Fashion continually presents itself which is why we are going to look at the most memorable trends and brands to come from that era to help inspire your outfit choices.

To put things into perspective the term 90s Hip Hop Fashion has had a steady search increase as indicated below by google trends from 2010 – Present which is evidence that we are constantly inspired by the era and its nostalgia is still used as a reference point influencing our style and trends today.

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First on the list and arguably the pinnacle of 90s Hip Hop Fashion is the iconic suede boot which carries heritage and history associated to the culture.

The origin of the boot can be traced back to the 90s as virtually every rap artist from the east coast has worn the boot from Jay-z, Biggie Smalls to Mobb Deep.

Though initially intended for construction workers, the boot became popular amongst New York drug dealers to withhold bad weather conditions. With the vast majority of drug dealers and hip hop artists growing up in the same neighbourhoods, upcoming rappers would be influenced by the look and place the boot within hip hop culture.

How to style: This is How to wear Timberlands

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During Hip Hop’s initial beginnings graffiti in the inner cities of New York was used as a way for people from low income housing to express themselves. With graffiti being one of the 4 main components of Hip Hop Culture artists took these artistic expression that lived on the streets, subways and trains and incorporated the art onto clothes.

The big bold colours, graphics and patterns would cement its place in Hip Hop Culture. Shirt Kings being pioneers of these styles took their graffiti skills and airbrushed these designs to apparel for LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kane & Mike Tyson. More about that here – Shirt Kings: Pioneers of Hip Hop Fashion

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A huge part of 90s Hip Hop fashion consisted of oversized clothing in which artists wore pieces twice their size which has come back in style today.

Culturally oversized clothing became the norm which was often referred to as urban fashion and from this tradition brands were birthed such as Fubu, Phat Farm&Wu Wear catering to their audience of similar tastes.

Though today in Hip Hops artists can be seeing sporting mostly designer and luxury brands the 90s was about stepping out big , bold and confident which was captured through the oversized clothing during the era.

How to style: Best way to style the oversize look today is to create a contrast with a regular/slim fit pants and oversized jacket, jumper or t shirt. The combination of slim fitting clothes with 1 oversized item of your choice gives you the best of both worlds, homage to the 90s while still having a contemporary look.

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The snapback cap is widely associated with 90s Hip Hop Fashion and for good reason, take the fresh prince of bel air for example, the show centred around a young Will Smith who constantly sported the snapback hat during multiple episodes became evident that this was a trend during that era.

Though the early 2000s saw 59FIFTY FITTED being the hat of choice a resurgence of the snapback took place during the last decade with help from songs by Tyga such as Snapbacks Back, clear indicator that the 90s influence is still strong and were still rocking them today.

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This particular style is evidence as to how experimental fashion was in the 90s with the dungarees being something mostly worn by artists opting for a cool comfy look. Similar to the timberland boots dungarees were made for workers to act as a protective working garment, however 90s Hip Hop artist’s turnt this into a fashion statement.

The dungarees were made popular during the 90s through the most prominent artists such as Will Smith, 2 Pac, The Fugees and TLC.

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Throughout Hip Hop culture sports jerseys have appeared in music videos with the artist often representing their home team. The connection between sports, athletes and hip hop has become seamless over the years which is why we saw jerseys featured in rap videos for example Jay –z and Jermaine Dupri – Money Ain’t a Thang or Will Smith Summertime.

With both videos released in the 90s, what the 2 have in common is that the artists are sporting their jerseys as fashion statements.

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Jermaine Dupri - Money Ain't a Thang ft. Jay-Z

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From Tommy Hilfiger to Polo Ralph Lauren Hip Hop quickly aligned itself with American sportswear lines in the 90s as a response to artists wanting more sophisticated silhouettes outside of designer brands.

One of the defining moments took place in 1994 as Snoop Dog performed on Saturday Night Live with a Tommy Hilfiger Polo gifted to him hours prior to the show. This performance would influence Hip Hop and R & B artists toincorporate their own style with sportswear brands.

Other popular examples would be Aaliyah who is a perfect example of capturing 90s Hip Hop Fashion as she featured in multiple campaigns for the brand while keeping the aesthetic 90s with baggy jeans and crop tops.

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As Hip Hop became more of a prominent voice across America, groups and artists used their platform to speak on political issues affecting black Americans such as Tupac Shakur, Public Enemy and Nas.

Whether the artist was conscious of it or not the military gear acted as a uniform to further emphasize the message being portrayed in the lyrics while also symbolising the war against Black America.

Though military clothing became a fashion statement in the 90s it also became the go to gear for artists wanting to spread a message while looking the part and in doing so caught on with artists such as Biggie and Das EFX. Outside of wanting to share a political message camo was also a big trend in the 90s and still is.

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Since the plaid jacket is geographical to West Coast Hip Hop fashion then the Puffy Jacket is to the East Coast Hip Hop Fashion.

Whys that?

Similar to the Timberland Boot, the puffy coat was worn by East coast MC’s as a response to the cold weather conditions. Designed big and puffy for practical reasons it was made popular by Hip Hop artists and black youth within the neighborhood & then paired with NY Yankee caps, hoodies, and boots which would explain all of the New York style meme jokes years later.

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During the 90s urban brands such as Karl Kani, Rocawear, Ecko Unltd and Johnny Blaze noticed the shift from denim being worn for workwear into a fashionable item. The urban spin came in the form of Denim pants and jackets being baggy and oversized.

Subcultures such as punk rock had adapted denim into their culture in the 80s and Hip Hop began to do the same around the time RUN DMC introduced street wear to the masses.

Often styled with timberland boots or Lug boots the denim look in the 90s became another affordable look for black kids in the inner cities.

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Another geographical fashion item on the list, the bandana, which is notoriously associated with west coast rappers and gang culture.

During the 90s rappers from the west coast usually wore bandanas to represent their respective neighbourhoods. Los Angeles was filled with bloods and crips who wore red and blue bandanas which then naturally transitioned to artists from LA incorporating this into their music in the 90s.

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During the 80’s and 90’s multiple sportswear brands were very popular such as Fila and Kappa who were relatively well known for the tracksuits they were creating at the time. These tracksuits came in many different fabrics that hip hop artists took a liking too from Velour, Silk, Polyester and cotton.

Outside of looking great these branded tracksuits provide much comfort for most activities and became a favorite for artists during promo tours, photoshoots and interviews.

Brands such as Karl Kani, Lugz, FUBU and Pelle Pelle all spoke directly to the urban market and demographic. Though brands such as Calvin Klein and POLO were using Hip Hops influence to get the consumer the urban brands had a competitive advantage by understanding Hip Hop culture more.

Take FUBU for example, which meant “For Us, By Us” which was one of the first black owned fashion brands being intended for Hip Hop youth and Black America. The brand understood where street wear was going, what the youth wanted, the lingo and most importantly was at the centre of the culture.