Tommy Hilfiger found massive success when his preppy, denim driven designs gained popularity specifically in black street style. Not only did hip-hop artists like Coolio and The Fugees make all-denim outfits a part of their look, but eventually stars far removed from the streets of Compton like Jennifer Love-Hewitt and Britney Spears would have denim moments of their own.
Films like Boyz and hip-hop artists of the era first popularized this fashion trend that dominated the entire decade. Tre’s (Cuba Gooding Jr.) denim on denim look wouldn’t have been out of place in LA in the early-‘90s. In the early ‘90s, denim on denim was already a popular look in hip urban areas. Today, the hat is as ubiquitous as the leather jacket was to a previous generation in defining casual cool. While now a few years old, the return of the snapback as a style icon in 2010s hit a pop culure peak in 2011, when Tyga and Chris Brown trumpeted the return of the hats with the song “Snapbacks Back.”. As with all trends, things eventually swung back to other way in recent years, the snapback has returned to prominence. The early 21st century saw the rise of fitted hats, leading to stores like Lids all but discontinuing snapbacks. The hats dominated streetwear culture throughout the ‘90s. Also, as anyone who has seen Straight Outta Compton knows, he deeply admired the group personally.Īfter the snapback became an iconic part of both New York and Los Angeles street style, athletes, actors and other musicians began wearing snapbacks as well. as emblematic of the particular moment in Compton and felt that their presence in the film would add an air of authenticity. in the film, but the studio didn’t know who they were and the some members of the group weren’t interested. Singleton had hoped to get all the members of N.W.A. paraphernalia to the set.” The director rightly recognized that the group’s black outfits with black snapbacks spoke to a trend that was hitting Southern California neighborhoods at the time. When filming began, Singleton “called up and told him to bring all his N.W.A. Boyz n the Hood played an essential role in spreading the snapback gospel, which was quite intentional on the part of director John Singleton. is credited with popularizing snapbacks, which had grown popular in Compton and Crenshaw in the late-’80s and early-’90s, with a broader audience ( Mobb Deep had a similar influence on the East Coast). In tracking the style trends in the film, you can also track how South Central’s street culture permanently impacted America’s style. Over 25 years after the film’s release, Boyz n the Hood is not just an essential piece of American filmmaking, it is also a testament to the ways that early ‘90s West Coast street style has become integrated into America’s fashion DNA. Boyz played shopping malls and multiplexes across the country, marking South Central LA as a hub of black culture and street style. This allowed for a wide release beyond what Singleton could have initially hoped for.
His knowledge of and concern for the style for the style of the era showed up in the film, helping launch numerous national trends.īoyz n the Hood was a hit, returning a gross box office nearly ten times its budget. Because Singleton was only twenty-three years old when he made the film, he was immersed in the culture of the period. In creating the world of the film, director John Singleton drew on his native LA for inspiration. South Central LA street style has had a deep impact on American fashion, and it was Boyz n the Hood, along with the concurrent rise of N.W.A., that pushed early 90s LA street style into the national imagination.