An urban fashion marriage made in musical heaven
The Influence of Hip Hop on Fashion
Let us not forget where some of our favorite fashion trends originated. Look around. Look at what people are wearing – look at what we used to wear. You are soon going to find that the music we listen to definitely inspires the fashions we wear – and that would never be truer than styles that originated from hip hop – at least in the last 30 years – if not more.
Music has a significant impact on fashion. Different genres of music inspire some of our everyday looks. Today’s trends date back as early as the 1900s. Believe it or not, some trends date back even further. Early music influenced some of the clothes, accessories, shoes, hair, and makeup styles we wear today.
Who remembers BET (Black Entertainment Television) or MTV (Music Television)? At least when they still played music videos. And when they did play music, fans watched their favorite artists’ music videos to not only hear their music but to imitate their looks. Whatever hottest Pop, Rock, or Hip-Hop artist was wearing, their fans were too. Yes, styles of dress have been influenced by artists before – but when those styles were streamed live into our homes from that shiny little box, the kids in America caught on quickly. And never more so than the 1980s and 1990s – when music videos permeated the culture. Kids were wearing tutus, bangle bracelets, and showing off their underthings to mimic Madonna. Whitney Houston had us all in big hair and blue jeans. The boys of Wham put us in oversized t-shirts. Boy George had boys looking like girls and girls looking like boys. Whitesnake had a woman in a mini skirt in every single video. And all these trends – Mom and Dad – much to your horror (because this is what you wore) are making a comeback. Even the mullet is showing up again. And that’s a trend I think we could all get over very quickly.
Break out the leg warmers, fire up the perm solution, and find those Candies in the back of the closet. Fashions inspired by musical trends have always been the rage – and the look this fall is leaning toward the genre of Hip Hop. And why not? Everyone has their own inner boom box – if you’re going to dance to it, you might as well look good doing it.
Models featured in this feature: Y.C. Andrews, Natosha Baxter, Syn Cohen and Gina Kurcin. Makeup and some styling: The Glitter Plug.
What’s cool for Fall ? Click on each photo and find out….or better yet… pick up a copy of the September 2023 edition of Johnstown Magazine — even if you are fashionably late.
