Hip-Hop fashion is an eclectic mix of elements that have become popular among hip-hop music and its fans. It focuses on edgy, streetwise style and makes use of a wide variety of styles to express the creativity and individuality of the culture’s participants.
Popular items include tracksuits, hoodies, oversized sunglasses, snapbacks, sneakers, jewelry such as gold chains and lockets, denim jackets, blazers, and shirts with unique prints or designs.
Best Hip Hop Clothing Brands
When it comes to shopping for Hip-Hop clothing brands, there are so many great choices out there. Big labels like Fubu, Akoo, Sean John by P Diddy, and Marc Ecko represent the high end of this genre while smaller companies like Supreme Being deliver affordable quality goods with a focus on streetwear.
There are also many independent urban clothing stores offering custom-made pieces for hip hop heads who want something totally unique like VindicoLondon provides.
Other highly respected brands in this field are:
Known for its premium street style and hip hop inspired apparel, Supreme NYC is one of the most popular clothing brands in the hip hop industry. Founded in New York City, Supreme NYC has been a go-to for many popular artists and rappers in the scene who are looking to express themselves with unique fashion pieces. Their collections often feature vibrant colors, bold logos, and attention-grabbing graphics that give off a youthful energy.
Alife NYC is another big name when it comes to hip hop clothing brands. Describing themselves as “a group of defiantly independent designers” they’re known for creating innovative fashion pieces with pop culture influences that keep things fresh yet classic. They specialize in loose-fitting tees, iconic graphic tees, bottoms, and accessories often featuring monochrome designs and cartoonish motifs that make their items both edgy yet highly wearable.
Billionaire Boys Club is another major player in contemporary streetwear today. Founded by Pharrell Williams & Nigo and working closely with A Bathing Ape, Icbnemen, and KARMALOOP this brand’s signature looks remain timeless but never boring – making them an easy favorite among OG’s and newcomers alike.
This is mainly due to its blend of high quality materials along with eye catching visual aesthetics from logo embroideries to all-over prints to keep you ahead of the trend without any question or doubt about where your loyalty lies.
Rocawear is an iconic urban fashion brand founded by hip hop artist Jay Z. With stylish men’s and women’s collections, as well as kids’ apparel, Rocawear offers everything from casual denim and graphic tees to accessories like hats, jewelry, socks, and even bedding.
Brooks Circus Clothing is a San Francisco based streetwear brand that was intent on creating “a new breed of lifestyle.” Offering timeless pieces such as jackets, t-shirts, and hoodies, Brooks Circus sells items for both men and women that come with an old-school inspiration with a touch of modern flair.
Crooks & Castles Streetwear is another popular label that combines classic designs with street style tees featuring their trademark skull logo. Specializing in both men’s and women’s clothing, Crooks & Castles also sells limited-edition artistic pieces such as art prints, skateboards, and keychains.
10 Deep Clothing has made waves since its inception in 1995 by showcasing striking visuals combined with exceptional quality clothing at affordable prices. Offering head turning looks for both men and women 10 Deep Clothing carries everything from tees to snapbacks to hoodies across many different styles.
The Hundreds Streetwear Apparel line features military inspired styles with unique graphics; consisting of mostly t-shirts but also some signature jackets they offer bold statement pieces while maintaining a distinctive aesthetic look throughout their entire collection.
Undefeated Street Style Labels brings together classic silhouettes from brands such as Nike, Vans Converse, and New Balance with contemporary cuts accompanied by tailored street style accents offering a simplistic yet detailed look that can also be described as “the essence of the street”.
Junya Watanabe COMME des GARÇONS MAN had their first collaboration with PLNDR Street Wear Boutique & Shop in 2012 which proved so successful it resulted in a new line called PLNDR X JWCDGM consisting of T-Shirts, sweaters, jackets, shorts, hats, and accessories.
Ecko Online Men’s Clothing Store is one of the leading suppliers when it comes to providing trendy street fashion pieces within every menswear attire category; going beyond just Hip Hop Culture Ecko offers aesthetically pleasing looks featuring sophisticated combination styles intended for everyday wear combined with quality fabrics at competitive prices.
No matter what your style might be – clean cut classic to outwardly alluring – these small and large companies provide huge catalog that includes stylish outfits that cater to all tastes in urban streetwear apparel needs ensuring you will find something you will love!
Evolution of Hip-Hop Clothing Brands
In the ‘90s, hip-hop was dominated by Disco Styles. It included classic styles such as baggy shorts, cut-off denim shorts, and jumpsuits. This decade also saw the emergence of brands that helped build hip-hop culture into the fashion movement it is today – the first of which was Tommy Hilfiger.
Tommy Hilfiger quickly gained recognition for providing rappers with clothing that appealed to their style and image. They emphasized bright colors and quality fabrics in order to make sure they looked good while performing on stage or being seen in public.
During this period, female rappers played an important role in popularizing urban fashion trends among young women. Rappers like Paige Davis and Missy Elliot were some of the most influential early style icons; wearing big logos on shirts or vibrant colors to command attention using their visuals as well as their music.
Nikki D is another great example of a female rapper who pushed boundaries with her daring fashion choices and brought a much-needed change to the industry’s stale male dominated views on who can be a successful artist.
Alternative rappers also embraced urban attire during this period, consciously breaking away from mainstream convention to define what hip hop should look like for them. Will Smith famously sported brightly colored pants paired with a 3/4th length shirt tucked into it throughout his music career, separating himself from other rappers who only wore baggy jeans and oversized t-shirts at the time.
Rapper Dungeon Family member Andre 3000 took things a step further – creating multiple custom pieces utilizing traditional African dress codes blended with contemporary western silhouettes and patterns which became highly sought after amongst younger audiences. These unique styles invited more creative freedom within hip hop due to its boldness and eccentricity not seen before in mainstream culture at large during that time period.
This decade saw major streetwear brands such as Supreme, Akoo Clothing Line (founded by TIP) and FUBU start making waves both inside and outside of the rap genre, impacting urban youth culture in unprecedented ways – specifically, those living below the poverty level who relied heavily on finding affordable clothing brands without compromising too much on their style choice nor comfortability factor presented by these garments.
By giving consumers options beyond designer labels they could feel more confident & stylish while simultaneously benefitting financially within one shopping trip; due to these decisions, mainstream fashion started transitioning towards becoming more economical allowing greater access for buyers all around regardless of their financial situation at the moment.
With innovative designs constantly appearing in stores soon after with ever changing trends many began turning towards picking up items designed by newcomers – often expressing themselves through wearing them rather than just simply buying items just based on popularity alone or prices that be cheaper for buyers!
Designer and Streetwear Brands in Hip-Hop
Designer and streetwear brands have become an essential part of the hip-hop community over the past few decades.
Louis Vuitton is one of the most recognizable designer brands in hip-hop. Their collaboration with rapper Kanye West was a major success as it brought attention to the brand’s iconic designs.
Wu-Tang Clan has a style rooted in streetwear fused with luxury pieces that are heavily influenced by Chinese culture.
Michael Jordan’s signature sneaker line has become one of the most successful performers among athletes and hip hop artists alike which contributed to the development of the street culture brand Boys Club.
Polo Ralph Lauren is well-known for its classic preppy style which can be found on many rap albums over the past few decades.
Air Jordan shoes were designed specifically for basketball but became instantly popular among rap artists due to their iconic design and color scheme hints at royalty.
Calvin Klein is one of the historical sources of inspiration for street culture. Iconic pieces such as the classic logo cotton underwear and tight-fitted jeans became famous in hip-hop fashion. In 2013, the brand collaborated with Justin Bieber on the #mycalvins campaign that celebrated young creatives from pop stars to world class athletes.
Other big names in European fashion designers often seen in rap videos are Gucci and Versace.
Tom Ford’s suit styling also had an influence on artists such as 50 Cent who wore his signature oversized suits in some of his early music videos.
British designer Kim Jones contributed to making Dior popular among rappers like Quavo and A$AP Rocky while Valentino designs were particularly visible during Kanye West’s 2008 Glow In The Dark tour and the 2011 Watch The Throne tour featuring Kid Cudi and Jay-Z.
The more recent history of hip hop’s obsession with streetwear began at Supreme when founder James Jebbia opened a shop in New York City back in 1994. Supreme has been worn by Lil Uzi, Playboi Carti, Chris Brown, Kanye West, Drake, Travis Scott, and many other high-profile rappers over its 25-year history.
Alongside Supreme, other skateboard apparel brands like Stussy have also made their way into the spotlight due to their bright logos and comfortable fits favored by skaters within rap culture.
KITH from Ronnie Fieg was another biggest name to come out of this movement combining sportswear trends with a stylish design for an unrivaled banger like Travis Scott or Kanye West’s Supply drops that he curated alongside Nike x Jordan Brand collaborations stole hearts around the world!
Brain Dead and Heron Preston provide edgy, funky pieces to make any outfit stand out.
Cactus Plant Flea Market produces simple designs with bold prints and neon colors that combine the urban aesthetic with playful designs.
Meanwhile, Diamond Supply Co. offers statement pieces that add modern style to your wardrobe.
Bathing Ape’s classic streetwear is an ever-popular choice – featuring “bape” logo clothing as well as unique patterns, perfect for fans of Tokyo’s street style culture.
More recently, Travis Scott has also released his own line of streetwear fashion labeled “Cactus Jack”, highlighting a variety of tops, hoodies, t-shirts, and accessories inspired by his iconic Houston roots. His designs emphasize vintage styling with a modern twist that encapsulates his individual music career perfectly.
Cav Empt is a Japanese streetwear brand that has been seen by many of today’s top rappers and influencers. They offer a wide range of clothing items such as shirts, jackets, hats, and hoodies with bright colors, bold patterns, and statement designs.
Mitchell & Ness are based in Philadelphia and specialize in producing vintage basketball jerseys and tops which have become popular staples within the hip-hop community.
Pelle Pelle is a Detroit-based company that produces tracksuits with intricate embroidery – one of the most iconic being Tupac’s of California love fame – as well as other urban apparel such as t-shirts and hoodies.
Aime Leon Dore is an Upscale New York City brand created by Teddy Santis who has strong ties to a number of prominent hip-hop figures within the industry. Their garments consist mainly of premium basics including t-shirts and sweatshirts crafted from Italian fabrics with refined details.
The combination of all these brands creates a colorful mix of hip-hop-influenced style that is often seen in today’s rap scene – from the shores of Los Angeles to the rolling hills of Wakanda!
Snapbacks and Bucket Hats
Snapbacks and bucket hats are two popular headwear items making a resurgence in the fashion world today. Snapbacks, which first appeared in the early 1990s, come in adjustable snap-closure styles featuring flat bills. Bucket hats are a circular style of brimmed hat popularized by golfers in the 1980s.
The 90s snapback cap, which was originally part of streetwear culture and hip-hop fashion, is experiencing a comeback trend today. With current designers creating fresh takes on the classic silhouette, snapback caps have reemerged as an iconic item of fashion.
From vintage embroidered pieces to modern designer labels showcasing their own unique spin on this classic design, modern snapback caps appeal to a broad range of style personalities.
Bucket hats also experienced a sharp resurgence in popularity starting around 2015 and remain one of the most popular streetwear items seen by celebrities and fashion icons today. Instagram has played an important role in giving bucket hats more exposure than ever before due their stylish flair bringing it back into mainstream culture.
Overall, snapbacks and bucket hats are both fashionable headgears taking center stage once again after enjoying widespread success decades ago. With many variations available offering diverse aesthetic styles for different types of looks, both these headpieces can suit any wardrobe in a timelessly chic way.
Black-Owned and Community-Oriented Hip Hop Brands
Black-Owned and Community-Oriented Hip Hop Brands are a powerful force for socio-economic change. They bring long overdue attention to the importance of supporting Black communities, creating jobs that inspire pride in one’s community, as well as adding real economic value to the local economy. Two of the most well-known and respected black-owned hip hop brands are Public Enemy and PNB Nation.
Public Enemy is an iconic brand created by none other than Chuck D himself. It’s earned respect worldwide thanks to its innovative sound and messages of peace, justice, and liberation. Since 1990 they’ve been promoting progressive causes in addition to their album releases, such as a focus on African identity through their Fear of a Black Planet initiative and showing support for the movements for racial equity at home in the U.S.
Through events such as their annual MLK Block Party held in Atlanta every December, they continue to create solidarity through music and cultural expressions from within the black community.
PNB Nation was founded by several prominent hip hop figures such as Doug E Fresh alongside former NBA player Kenny Smith and John Chaney, who eventually passed control of this popular streetwear line over to Marquis Bridgeman “Uncle M”.
With them, they created an authentic label focused on producing unique designs that pay homage to cultural icons within urban communities while promoting empowerment within these same neighborhoods through the company’s campaign titled #empowerment.
On top of this PNB Nation also has hopped onto initiatives like feeding those affected by the Coronavirus pandemic with #FeedTheChildren campaigns across America thanks to their continued outreach towards giving back both domestically and internationally over the years
These two brands prove that Hip Hop culture can be more than just entertainment but instead be something used to uplift entire communities both economically and socially.
Overall we are seeing more businesses headed by people from minority races become successful which should encourage people all over the world to strive for similar dreams above all else
Conclusion: Best Hip Hop Clothing Brands
When it comes to hip hop fashion, there are plenty of different styles, budgets, and target markets out there. Many of the best brands have been around for decades, creating iconic looks that still trend today.
Whether you’re looking for timeless streetwear classics like Ecko Unlimited, newer labels like Off-White, or up-and-coming designers like urban nostalgia, there is something to fit all tastes and budgets. Specialty items like caps and beanies from Kangol give a nod to rap history while helping fans show off their favorite rapper’s brand identity.
Collectors and fans alike can build an enviable wardrobe with hip hop apparel by well-known brands such as FUBU or Rocawear or vintage gems reissued by Stüssy. Women won’t be left wanting for choice either as designer options from Juicy Couture or AshantiJeans ensure authenticity and uniqueness along with head-turning style.
No matter what your personal preferences are when it comes to hip hop fashion, luckily there is no shortage of top quality clothing available from some of the best hip hop clothing brands out there today!
Allan Wilson who in the offline world has an extensive background working in research, analyzing statistics, improving work processes, team leading, and implementing training to improve results and now thanks to more than 3 years dedicated to this site is now also a highly regarded researcher of brands.
Allan has a long history of developing brands online way back before blogging existed creating websites using HTML code in Notepad. Allan established brands in the Info Product Marketing arena such as infoproductmarketing, ebookresellerkit, reprintrightsmarketing, along with many other successful websites (and a few failures along the way). Allan has also authored numerous ebooks, owned and operated membership sites, created eLearning courses, and more.
