Crystal, Maybach, Tigers on a gold leash. Scandanavian singer Lorde pokes fun at hip hop culture in her platinum hit, "Royals." The opulence of hip hop culture has come under fire in the 2000s, spurring hip hop to be the target of jokes and criticism. But recently, a deeper appreciation of hip hop fashion of the past has been fondly welcomed in street style in New York and around the world. Fashion bloggers and icons alike are embracing trends inspired by hip hop culture nostalgia.In the early 1970s as hip hop music emerged, hip hop artists latched onto sportswear trends and adapted them into their unique style. Sneakers, baseball caps, and sports attire comprised the original uniform for hip hop culture. Today, we are seeing style relate back to this simplistic approach. High tops, snapbacks, jerseys, and varsity jackets appear on the pages of nearly every fashion blog, magazine, and LIM student. The trend, adapted for today's fashionista, demonstrates society's desire to relate back to a more simplistic time, where getting dressed in the morning didn't have to require so much thought.
In early 90s hip hop culture, artists embraced a silhouette far from that's of the 2000s. Oversized clothing captivated nearly everyone, much unlike the " so tight you can see my bones" trend of the Millennia. Girls swam in oversized track pants while men rocked three sizes too big jerseys. How can one forget the oversize low jeans men wore and how they basically begged us to hand them a belt? Today, harem pants and wide leg styles are taking the fashion world by storm. Gone are the days of too tight jeans and unbreathable tube tops. This dramatic turn means women are no longer drawn into such oversexualized images of how a woman should look, making a statement about how differently we wish to be viewed.
The nostalgia of hip hop fashion of the past is making waves in how we wish to dress today. Sportswear and sneakers beg us for more simplistic fashions while our technology-obsessed society is becoming more increasingly complicated. Oversized clothing ask that we begin to look at ourselves differently and question society's sexuality. Ultimately, hip hop trends today point out that opulence and audacity aren't the only option.
