8 Fashion Trends & Movements with Roots in Black Culture

While much praise is given to the Jackie Kennedy's sartorial choices, little credit has been paid to Ann Lowe, the Black designer behind her iconic wedding dress. A prominent couturier of her time, Lowe was not only responsible for creating the future First Lady’s white gown, but she also whipped up dresses for the entire bridal party. Lowe's creation remains one of the most memorable wedding dresses to date. However, she never lived to see recognition for her masterpiece.

Today's modern luxury brands have built their businesses on conspicuous consumption—and very loud logos—all thanks to the works of Daniel Day, better known as Dapper Dan. In the ‘80s, the Harlem-based designer began dressing hip-hop's top artists by using fabric splashed with knock-off designer insignias and that he'd use to customize virtually anything. Whether you coveted a coat with the Gucci logo or dreamt of a car interior decked out in Versace, Dapper Dan could make it happen. Though he was eventually pushed out of business in the early ‘90s due to legal pressure, Dapper Dan has seen a major resurgence, thanks to an ongoing partnership with Gucci that started in 2018.

If you knew that the detailing on the above T-shirt was referred to as a "lettuce hem," you're definitely not a style novice. A favorite among the fashion set in the 1970s, designer Stephen Burrows, created the rippled hem after he misunderstood a request from Diana Vreeland, then the Editor-in-Chief at Vogue, who'd wanted a dress made in "lettuce green." At the time, it might've been a misunderstanding, but it's a style that has stood the test of time.

Even though hoop earrings date as far back as Sumer (aka the first civilization), they're more recently recognized as one of the most popular fashion items attributed to Black and Latinx culture. “In the 1960s and 1970s the hoop earring became associated with African beauty, when Nina Simone and Angela Davis started wearing the hoops,” André Leon Talley told The New York Times. Despite the negative stigma regarding women preferring hoop earrings (we all know the saying), the style has remained a favorite among some of the most influential pop-culture figures in history, including Diana Ross and Janet Jackson. Now, the once-forbidden style has evolved into an essential fashion accessory.

Ah, the oversized fit. Our go-to for everything from denim jackets to distressed boyfriend jeans. Often referred to as "baggy," oversized clothing gained notoriety during the ‘80s hip-hop era. The lack of proper sizing was usually attributed to the fact that clothes were often handed down from other family members in hopes of saving money. At the time, hip-hop artists would perform in "regular street clothes" in an effort to resonate with their fans. Eventually, the oversized trend reached other parts of Hollywood and was soon welcomed by mainstream fashion.