Hip-Hop Fashion

While writing about rap subculture I stumbled upon some interesting fashion trends that those involved in hip-hop and rap subculture are participating in. These trends deserve a post of their own. The clothes worn by people in this subculture are placed at a greater value if they are designed by high end fashion designers, thus contributing to the bling-bling lifestyle which exemplifies materialistic wealth. For a more in depth explanation refer to my last post on rap music. Within the last decade there has been a split between male and female hip-hop fashion. Previously the fashion of both sexes had been similar in style, but with artists like Lil Kim the style for women changed to become more glamorous, sexy, and revealing. There are now entire clothing lines devoted to sexy hip-hop fashion, such as Kimora Lee Simmons’s company Baby Phat. Some staples for male fashion include large t-shirts, sagging jeans, platinum chains, and a do-rag tied around the head, sometimes with a baseball cap on top. However, the most interesting hip-hop fashion trend that I found so far is the popularization of grillz. Grillz are cosmetic dentures made from a shiny metal, like gold or platinum, and usually embedded with diamonds or other precious stones. The music video “Grillz” produced in 2005 by Nelly showcases many diverse styles of grillz that are common today in hip-hop subculture. Grillz can be purchased online, or from specialists like Paul Faucette. The grillz expert undeniably is Paul Wall, who is seen in the photo on the left. I found this photograph and more information on Grillz in Matt Rosenberg’s blog.