The Best '90s Hip-Hop Fashion Trends That Still Exist

Velour. Timberlands. Baggy tees. The '90s was arguably one of the most iconic fashion decades of all time and birthed most of the trends that are still dominating our closet to this day. Icons include (but are not limited to) Run-D.M.C, LL Cool J, Queen Latifah, N.W.A and Aaliyah and each set their own '90s styling rules that seriously shook up the game.

'90s hip-hop saw rappers go from musicians to fashion legends and some of the decade's most prominent artists - like Ice Cube, Biggie Smalls and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - influenced a huge rise in the sale of Timberland boots, Dungarees and ultra-baggy joggers; not to mention hoodies. New York City was the place to be and sportswear was the look du jour!

Although hip-hop music dominated the decade, some subgenres also rose to prominence. Trap music was born and gangsta rap took over the scene. Birthed in the streets of NYC, some of the world's most iconic gangsta rappers took their experiences on the streets - from dealing drugs to living in poverty - and turned it into music which quickly took over the industry. Baggy hand-me-down clothing quickly became a staple fashion trend and tracksuits - which were previously seen as a low-status symbol - started gaining more traction and popularity across the globe. If you want to see all the trends you know and love in action, you can tune into films like Straight Outta Compton, 8 Mile, Notorious and All Eyez On Me.

So, forget the '90s you think you know; it wasn't all about old school Betty Spaghetti and Kenan & Kel, the early '90s was where streetwear really thrived and unisex clothing really moved into the mainstream, so we're going to take a deep dive into some of the hottest trends that originated from 90s hip hop that you can still wear today.

An absolute 90s hip-hop style staple that's aced the test of time and redefined street style, a strong, sturdy pair of classic nubuck Timberlands will see you through any occasion. Originally designed for construction workers, New York City drug dealers used to opt for this sturdy boot to keep them comfy and warm during the long nights. In his book "Buying In', Rob Walker reports: "the legend goes that the first 'urban' buyers of Timberland boots were New York drug dealers - guys who had to stand on the street all night and needed the best possible footwear to keep them warm and dry." In the '90s, hip-hop artists were always keen to enhance their hustler status, so their Timbs proved they meant business.

Naturally, fans of hip-hop and fashion quickly followed suit! As soon as the likes of Biggie Smalls and Tupac started rocking their boots, the trend caught on and Timberlands 6" boots are still a staple to this day with Rihanna, Kanye West and J Lo all rocking their Timbs on the reg.

If you want to stay true to the '90s look, get yourself a pair of original nubuck Timberlands and team them with cycling shorts, a baggy tee and your best gold hoops!

An unexpected addition to the list, baggy T-shirts have been rocked by everyone from Princess Diana to Kylie Jenner, so what does this retro trend have to do with hip-hop? Well, the trend originated from the streets of NYC back in you know when. Before they made it big in the music industry, a lot of your favourite hip hop artists came from low-income backgrounds and faced a lot of inequality and inequity, and grew up in areas that were rife with drugs and violence. Teenagers would often rock tees that were handed down to them by older brothers or cousins, and so, the oversized T-shirt trend was born! Oversized fits from top to bottom were the vibe and rappers often donned a baggy tee with some baggy sweatpants, Timbs and a polished chain to round off the look.

The baggy T-shirt trend has evolved a bit since the '90s. Now, you're more likely to rock a loose tee with some leggings or straight-leg jeans - but stay true to 1992 and accessorise with gold jewellery and fresh kicks, or play with different fashion styles and team your fave T-shirt with a skirt. Fashion's all about experimenting after all.

One of 90s hip hop's main subcultures was gansta rap. Influenced by NYC and LA's gang culture, this particular subgenre led to the advent of the bandana trend. Three main inner city gangs took over the scene in the '90s; the LA-based Bloods who wore red, the East Coast's Crips who wore blue and Chicago's Latin Kings who wore black and gold. 2Pac was often seen donning his blue bandana, and now the trend has spread far and wide with festival goers and fashion insiders alike opting for a bandana as a hair accessory. However, considering its origins, it's advised that when you're taking a trip to LA or NYC, leave your paisley-print bandana at home.

Now commonly referred to as the "Canadian tuxedo", the origin of double denim can actually be traced back to 90s hip-hop culture. Premium brands like Versace, Guess and Calvin Klein seemed to be taking over the denim game, until black-owned brands Phat Farm and FUBU came along and secured a place for denim in the wardrobes of some of your favourite hip-hop artists. Tupac, Eazy E and Jada Pinkett-Smith all had a penchant for the double denim look, opting for baggy jeans on the bottom and an even baggier shirt or jacket on the top to really make the look pop.

If you want to rock the double denim look now, forget Justin and Britney, look to 'Pac and Jada or Aaliyah for inspo. Opt for light-wash, straight-leg jeans, throw on a white tank top then shrug an oversized Levi's denim jacket over your shoulders. Add a pair of Dr. Martens or fresh Nike Air Force 1s and you'll feel worth your weight in... well, denim.

ICYMI, back in the '90s there was a huge divide between the East Coast and the West Coast. So, naturally, artists started representing their area's sports team and donning sports team apparel. Sportswear brand Starter had licencing deals with the NHL, NFL and NBA and so Starter baseball caps with team branding on became an instant hit. Eazy-E and Ice Cube were rarely seen without their Los Angeles Raiders caps, while Tupac Shakur would often opt for a snapback cap or oversized jersey.

If it wasn't caps, it was baseball jerseys or bomber jackets. If you're a fan of the movie Straight Outta Compton, you'll know that Dr. Dre was often seen rocking a Dodgers jersey over his white tee. This is one of the easiest trends to replicate today! You can easily cop a Raiders cap online and wear it with all your fave 'fits.

Arguably the shoe that caused sneaker culture to be what it is today, a young Michael Jordan collaborated with Nike back in the '80s, but it wasn't until the '90s that things really started to pick up for the Air Jordan 1. Bow Wow and N.W.A in particular were fans of Jumpman sneakers, and since the shoe's debut back in 1984, the Jordan Brand has become a worldwide phenomenon that currently holds the top spot in the sneaker hall of fame.

Now, Air Jordan 1s have seriously taken over the game. One of the most popular sneakers of the year - closely followed by the Nike Dunk - Michael Jordan's iconic basketball shoe is now a staple in the shoedrobes of sports fans, fashion insiders and A-lister across the world. Wear yours with everything from joggers to hoodies to baggy jeans and you'll be an instant 90s hip-hop fashion icon.

You can't say dungarees without thinking of Will Smith rocking a retro denim pair in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. But, in reality, denim dungarees - whether baggy with one strap undone or fitted and teamed with a crisp white tee - were all the rage. Tupac often took to the stage in his fave pair and, of course, TLC were obsessed with the denim dungaree look. Even Yoncè herself wore an iconic 'fit that involved a pair of dungarees and a whole lot of Tommy Hilfiger branding. Since then, Supreme has pretty much included a pair in every new-season launch - so your '90s fix is never too far away.

If you want to rock a pair of dungarees now, go for the oversized look and wear them with a cute crop T-shirt an some box-fresh Dunks.

As Nike and Jordan Brand were slowly rising to prominence, adidas was going steady with rappers like Dr. Dre often rocking their Superstar or Stan Smith kicks. While Easy-E was known for loving his Nike Cortez, Tupac was known for donning Timbs and Snoop Dogg rocked everything in between, Dre kept things classic opting for three-stripe joggers with a matching pair of kicks. Now, the headphone-inventing billionaire still dons his Trefoil logo-adorned jacket at events.

To this day, adidas still has influence in the music industry. The brand, of course, has their ongoing partnership with Yeezy and, in the UK, Grime rapper Stormzy was always repping adidas in his early career.

Nowadays, high-end fashion brands have all dipped their toe into sportswear. Gucci always has a must-have sweatshirt in their new-season roster, Louis Vuitton doesn't shy away from a matching set and Fendi is all about the tracksuits. But without African-American designer Dapper Dan, none of this would have been possible! In the '80s, Harlem's very own Dapper Dan took it upon himself to take the logos from some of the world's most in-demand premium fashion brands and screen-print them over everything from tracksuits to furniture to curtains. This started the movement of monogram print. Soon, hip-hop artists from Jay-Z to P Diddy and LL Cool J started rocking top-to-toe print and the trend caught on. Dapper Dan was shut down in the late '80s, but the trend he started was quickly adopted by the most luxury fashion brands in the world and Gucci, LV and Chanel began offering their very own take on monogram prints.

You can rock this trend now by treating yourself to a carefully selected designer piece every year or so! Whether Balenciaga is your brand or you're more of a Gucci girl, opt for monograming to really add some '90s flair to your 'fit.

A footwear choice that divides opinion to this day, Clark's Wallabee Moccasin was a reluctant trend set by the Wu-Tang Clan that propelled Clark's into the fashion stratosphere. A group that set some of the '90s most iconic trends, Wu-Tang Clan also made it cool to sell your own merch. Yep! Without Wu-Wear, it's unlikely that the Travis Scotts and Kanye Wests of our generation would have been so successful in crafting and launching their own line of sell-out merchandise.

Yes, we know know that clothing doesn't get as versatile or flattering as a crop top. But back in the '90s, showing that much skin was a brand-new thing, and crop tops weren't just worn by women. Of course, Britney, Drew and Christina were showing off their midriff in a cute crop, but Will Smith was the absolute King of cropped T-shirts. Jaden Smith has followed in his dad's footsteps and is often seen rocking a male crop and, tbh, 90s hip-hop fashion just wouldn't have been the same without this longstanding trend.

Nowadays, there are endless ways to rock a crop. Make the look '90s with wide-leg joggers, a white cropped tee and gold hoops. Add some Nike AF1s and you can't go wrong.

This is definitely a trend that's smashed the test of time. '90s hip-hop legends N.W.A were rarely seen without their chunky gold chains. Why? Because chains were (and still are) a way of showing your status, wealth and fame and flexing in the most noticeable way possible. Wearing gold chains with casual sportswear was the epitome of started from the bottom now we here and is an industry trend that is still prevalent and adopted by artists to this day.

Growing up in the noughties, you'd have seen rappers like Jay-Z, Kanye West and Eminem all rocking chunky chains, so this is one of the trends that definitely transcended the '90s hip hop fashion era.

That Tommy Hilfiger underwear set you've got would never have existed if it weren't for the '90s. Way back then, American brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren started releasing premium sportswear that was picked up by the hip hop scene. Aaliyah loved her Tommy sets and, as we said earlier, TLC and Destiny's Child definitely knew how to rock their Tommys.

Before American brands like Polo Ralph Lauren, the athleisurewear space was taken up by European brands like adidas, PUMA and FILA - but as soon as the big American brands came in to shake things up, a new trend was born.

In the words of Ice Cube in F. Gary Gray's Straight Outta Compton, "Wearing Kangol don't make you LL Cool J."

Those bucket hats you've got at home wouldn't be such a trend if it wasn't for 90s hip hop! Artist LL Cool J was famous for always donning his red Kangol hat, often teaming it with a PUMA tee and chunky gold chains, and Run D.M.C also had a penchant for the brand. To this day, you can cop the iconic Kangol bucket hat, beret and cap at ASOS, but each time you wear it, make sure you say a little thanks to Cool J for giving us one of the greatest trends of our generation.

Of course not every 90s hip-hop fashion trend is still relevant today, and not every trend will fit with your personal style. If you're looking to add a bit of 90s style to your wardrobe then there is definitely a lot you can check out. An easy place to start is by picking up some baggy t-shirts or some baggy jeans. These are two pieces which can be easily styled and can be found at most retail stores such as ASOS.

If you're looking to dive a bit deeper into the 90's hip-hop style then definitely check out some vintage pieces! This is the most authentic way to replicate the old school style and stay true to the fit and style of the iconic decade.