Hip-hop fashion has been evolving for years, although not necessarily in a single direction. If you look at the men in the business now, you’ll notice a huge range of styles, from simple and casual to flashy and sometimes a bit weird.
Some of them manage to look effortlessly cool, no matter what they do, while others can miss the mark on being a fashion pioneer. If you look at your favorite hip-hop artists for fashion guidance, you might sometimes think that they can only inspire you for casual situations. They’re probably not going to help you out if you’re going to a wedding. But even your hip-hop heroes get dressed up sometimes. If you need to dress a bit more smartly, but you want to keep your hip-hop style, here’s how you could be a bit suaver.
Look to Style Icons
Firstly, take inspiration from the hip-hop style icons you know and love. Even if they don’t dress smartly most of the time, you can probably find images of them at events to inspire you. Even the baddest of hip-hop artists isn’t too cool to put on a suit for the red carpet. If you are getting dressed up pretty formally, you’ll notice a lot of your favorite artists go for a slimmed-down look, with then lapels and maybe a skinny tie too. But they’ll often buck tradition as much as they can, maybe going for an unusual color, while still staying smart.
Choose Clothes That Fit
Gone are the days when it was essential to wear your jeans halfway down your thighs. You can still do that, but many of today’s most famous hip-hop artists prefer to wear clothes that fit well. For one thing, it will immediately turn any outfit from being really casual to being much smarter. Put on a pair of pants that fit well, even if they’re just jeans, and they’ll give you more of a smart-casual look. The same goes for what you wear on top. Swap the baggy T-shirts for well-fitting ones or even a button-down shirt if you’re feeling extra formal.
Don’t Go Overboard With Flashy Jewellery
Everybody likes some jewel-encrusted accessories. They’re a great way to stand out from the crowd. But if you’re trying to look a little smarter, wearing enough sparkle to blind someone might not be what you want to go for. Instead, if you want to pull out some bling, try picking just one accessory that will stand out. It could be a pair of jeweled cufflinks, a flashy watch, or one of the gold chains for men designed by Frost. If you choose too many things, you risk going from smart to vulgar. You can show that you have style (and maybe some money too) without going overboard.
Play with Colour
If you want to play it safe, black is always a good choice if you’re trying to look smart, and white can work well too. But if you’re happy to take a risk, experimenting with different colors is a great way to smarten up your hip-hop look. Get some bold colors involved so that you don’t completely take the fun out of your outfits. Take a look at Kanye West, for example, who will try just about any color once.
Don’t Be Scared to Get a Bit Nerdy
Who says that you can’t make hip-hop fashion more sophisticated, and maybe just a little bit nerdy? If you’re trying to smarten up your look, there’s something to be said for embracing sweaters, a pair of chunky eyeglasses and maybe some suspenders. If you want to make sure you look smart and not like a dweeb, the key is to go for high-end fashion and make sure your clothes fit you well.
Keep It Simple
Don’t try to do anything too complicated if you want to dress smartly but still keep your hip-hop fashion choices. Your favourite artists might be able to get away with doing something a bit unusual on the red carpet, but it’s probably not acceptable for you to be so risky. Of course, you could try, but be prepared to possibly get some strange looks. It’s best to keep things simple if you can, avoiding making things overly complicated if you don’t want to make a huge fashion mistake. You might even create a signature look, so you have something to stick to when you’re not sure what to wear.
Just because you want to dress like your hip-hop heroes, it doesn’t mean you can’t look smart. Follow their lead to create a smarter look.