Figure 1.--
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Figure 1.-- |
Teenagers have developed their own terminology for evaluating clothing, much of it based on hip-hop styles. Two accolades for boys clothing are "loose" and "ghetto." Hip-hop culture first appeared among Black youth and young men in New York City's Bronx (mid-1970s). Early expressions of hip-hop were rap music, spray-painted graffiti, and break dancing. Eventually these young people began to develop a destinctive fashion sence. The four major clothing garments associated with hip-hop styles are: baseball caps, jerseys, baggy jeans, and sneakers. Notably these were primaily not destinctive garments--but items from mainstream fashion worn in a distinctive way. Basseball caps were worn backwards. Adidas sneakers or Timberland boots were worn with aces untied. Perhaps the most destinctive feature of rap clothing is the use of bright colors. This is especially true of the popular over-sized jerseys. Another destinctive feature is the use of clothes with logos--especially sports logos. Clothes with a name brand are also important. There appears to be a significant influence of prison culture on baggy hip hop clothing. This can hardly be ignored in a history of boys' clothing, since it suffuses mainstream fashion as well. Fashions standards were once set by the wealthy class and then emulate bu=y the middle class and then the working-class to the extent they could afford to do so. Hip-hop has reversed thsat trend. Many White middle-class teen agers have adopted hip-hop styles, a style originsating among Black inner-city teenagers. Here the White teenagers appear to be taking their fashion pointers from rap music videos that they view on MTV.
American primary school boys traditionally wore cord knickkers and later jeans. Plaid shirts were another classic. Stripped "T" shirts were also popular with long-sleeve versions for winter wear. High scjool boys woul wear slacks, commonly khaki slocks called chinos to school.
Teenagers have developed their own terminology for evaluating clothing, much of it based on hip-hop styles. Two accolades for boys clothing are "loose" and "ghetto."
Hip-hop culture first appeared among Black youth and young men in New York City's Bronx (mid-1970s). Early expressions of hip-hop were rap music, spray-painted graffiti, and break dancing. Eventually these young people began to develop a destinctive fashion sence. [George]
The four major clothing garments associated with hip-hop styles are: baseball caps, jerseys, baggy jeans, and sneakers. Notably these were primaily not destinctive garments--but items from mainstream fashion worn in a distinctive way. Basseball caps were worn backwards. Adidas sneakers or Timberland boots were worn with aces untied.
Hip-hop head gear is of course the baseball cap. The style of the caps have not changed, but the way of wearing them has changed over time. For a while wearing them backwards was popular. In 2001 wearing them tilted at 45 degrees to the right was considered stylish.
Jackets with bold sports logos are popular. Denim jackets are also worn.
The T-shirts once worn by American boys have been replaced wuth a kind of jersey. Sports jerseys are particularly popular. Thet are made in large sizes and fall below the knees.
The grunge look and hip-hop styles appearred in the 1990s. Many boys want large baggy jeans as baggy as possible with waists several sizes to large. There is some disagreement among the origin of baggy jeans. Some observers seem to think people in the Hip Hop community began to copy the pants that prisoners were issued while they were incarcerated and thus lend their attire to prison chic? Others are convinced that the baggy jean actually has some roots in the skate/snowboard industry. It just happens that when the urban hip hop and core skate crowds get together it can be explosive. Baggy jeans that hang below his hips are mow a standard with American teenagers.
For a time Adidas sneakers or Timberland boots were worn with aces untied.
Important accessories are colorful doo rags and bandannas. Here there appears to be a racial divide. While colorful sports jjerseys and baggy jeans are mainstream items among White suburban teens, doo rags and bandanas are not commonly worn.
Perhaps the most destinctive feature of rap clothing is the use of bright colors. This is especially true of the popular over-sized jerseys. Another destinctive feature is the use of clothes with logos--especially sports logos. Clothes with a name brand are also important.
Black designers began markeing hip-hop fashions in the early 1990s. FUBU, mening "For Us By Us", appeared in the early 1990s. Rap music stars used the popularity oif their music and their bad boy images to market lines of hip-hop clothing. Such artists included Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and Jay-Z. Russell Simmons who founded Def Jam Records also came out with hip-hop clothes: Sean John, Rocawear and Phat Farm. Two best selling labels are Sean John and Rocawear, both rap-inspired clothing labels.
Some popular rap artists have sponsored fashion lines, some concentrating their energy on fashion. This began in the 1990s and by the 2000s had become big business. These brands focus on a "bad-boy image. This is very popular among Blacl inner-city teenagers and has proved to be also popular among White suburban teenagers.
There appears to be a significant influence of prison culture on baggy hip hop clothing. This can hardly be ignored in a history of boys' clothing,
since it suffuses mainstream fashion as well. [Novet] Salim Muwakkil presented a brief sociohistory of blacks in Chicago who first migrated from the south in search of work and now face joblessness and incarceration of crisis proportions. If you're still working on the history and have an interest in following up on in this, you can find more on the NOW website. At present they don't have a transcript posted, though that should follow. This is significan for the future development of the Civil Rights Movemnent.
Fashions standards were once set by the wealthy class and then emulate bu=y the middle class and then the working-class to the extent they could afford to do so. Hip-hop has reversed thsat trend. Many White middle-class teen agers have adopted hip-hop styles, a style originsating among Black inner-city teenagers. Here the White teenagers appear to be taking their fashion pointers from rap music videos that they view on MTV. Apparently kids growing up in quiet suburbs are drawn to the exciting life depicted in the videos. [Kitwana, Generation.] These fasions are now commonly available at suburban mall anchors like Sears, Nordstrom, and Target as well as the smaller trendy mall stores. It remains to be seen how hip-hop fashions, now that it has been adopted in the suburbs, will fare in the inner city.
When we assume that we see the absolutely most tacky item of clothing possible, we are constantly surprised with an even tackier item. We think we have now found perhaps the most offensive children's garments possible. One of the most egrgious aspects of hip-hop fashion is Haloween costumes we have noted--pimp and "ho" costumes. Rap music is full of references to "ho's". The costumes are being marketed by a California company which reports increasing sales. A typical pimp outfit is a pink velvet suit with a long jacket along with a wide-brimmed hat. The suit jacket and hat has faux-zebra trim. Not exactly what most of us recall wearing fro Trick-or-Treat. The costumes come in sizes beginning at age 4. The costumes are done in the styles seen in Black exploitation films like "Superfly". Notably, these costumes were not designed by Blacks or the hip-hop fashion companies.[Stepp] There were also prison costumes offered on the same website.
George, Nelson. Hip-Hop America.
Kitwana, Bakari. The Hip Hop Generation: Young Blacks and the Crisis in African American Culture.
Kitwana, Bakari. Why White Kids Love Hip Hop.
Novet, Jacqueline. E-mail message, August 28, 2004.
Stepp, Laura Sessions. "Costumes that raise the specter of the street, " The Washington Post (August 28, 2004), p. C1.
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