The African-American Influence on Contemporary Fashion
By
Seneca
seneca@excapethematrix.com
1800’s to 1910’s
As slaves in a new world, early African-Americans wore whatever they were provided. The daily conditions African slaves had to contend with left little room for one to be picky about what was worn. But before the turn of the century, as free men and when Victorian dress was all the rage, African American men and women adhered to the style of the day and followed suit, so to speak.
1920’s to 1950’s
While African-Americans in the first half of the twentieth century
exuded sophisticated style and elegance and while African-American men
generally have a natural swagger and African-American women have a
natural sass that pairs well with any clothing style, there was still no
significant break from the norms of the style of dress influenced upon
them by their whit
e counterparts. Of course there were a few breakout
moments when African-Americans defied White America’s idea of what was
accepted as style and fashion. For example there was the Jazz-influenced Zoot Suit of the 1940’s with its bold cuts and sometimes bright-colored
pinstripes. But for the most part, it was business as usual and that
meant that the gentlemen wore suits… daily. The gentleman carried a
handkerchief and he wore a hat, but never inside and not in the presence
of a lady. The lady wore stockings, gloves, flowers and hats fit for
queens.
Perhaps the reason that most of the first half of the twentieth century was a time when African-Americans did not steer far from traditional styles of dress is because they were still so newly freed and didn’t want to stand out as much as they just wanted to fit in and be granted the simple things like basic human rights, equal education, employment and acceptance.
1960’s to 1970’s
The notion of fitting in and not wanting to make any
waves all began to change in the 1960’s. A time of civil unrest and when
Black power was becoming more than just an idea or dream and more a
reality, African-Americans began to assert a stronger sense of identity
with their appearances. The most noticeable assertion of self identity
and awareness birthed in that period is the afro. The
hairstyle that said we will no longer conform, we will relish in our
distinctive beauty. We are black and we are proud. It sometimes had
political meaning and certainly the hairstyle carried with it a militant
undertone but all the while it maintained its regal grace and beauty.
For the first time since arriving to the new country, black people had embraced their individuality openly and unapologetically in numbers far greater than that of any other time in American history. However, this style that African-Americans could call theirs exclusively was not long lived. For by the 1970’s many white men and women began to sport the afro hairstyle themselves. Albeit without the natural swagger or sass, these white men and women wore the afro purely for the fashionable element. By doing so they had, maybe unintentionally but all the same, reduced this thing of pride to a simple passing fad.
1980’s to Present
There’s always redemption and it’s usually sweet.
It’s said that music influences fashion and there is certainly no
question of the impact that African-American music has had on popular
culture and art. It was only a matter of time before African-American
music began to profoundly influence fashion. The 1980’s presented us
with Hip Hop music and with that came a whole new culture in
African-American life. But perhaps the biggest deluge of African
American influence on fashion began in the late 80’s and the early 90’s
when hip hop music began its massive crossover into the White-American
suburban market. White teens were becoming enamored with the music and
the fashion that had already had a major impact on black youth since the
late 1970’s. It isn’t so much that Black youth were b
ringing
new fashions to the fashion market so much that they were bringing a new
attitude, swagger and flavor to the fashions that were readily available
to them. Brands like Nike, Adidas, Cazal, Puma, Fila, Kangol, Pro Keds
and Converse were worn with such a unique and fresh perspective that
white America and rest of the world had no choice but to stop and pay
attention. When white kids began to emulate the “Hip Hop style” by
wearing their jeans baggy, over-sized gold chains and over-sized shirts,
Black-America did not this time relinquish its rights to the signature
style they had created. Black-America did not stand by and allow other
races to capitalize on trends that were birthed in their communities
through their eyes, by their struggles and by their graces. Instead
young entrepreneurial Blacks responded by starting fashion brands and
clothing labels of their own. Since then there are and have been a
plethora of successful black-owned clothing labels like Sean John,
Rocawear, Deréon, Phat Farm, Baby Phat, Karl Kani, G-Unit, Gino Green
Global, Parish, Akademiks, Stash House, Fubu, Apple Bottoms, Enyce and
many others.
In any city in the world from New York to England and Japan, the affect of urban African-American style can be witnessed. And with the recent reports that mogul Jay-Z is selling the Rocawear brand to the Iconix Brand Group for $204 million, it’s safe to say that Black-American style is very big business and is here to stay.