rappaz

© Samantha Jade Royds

The collision of hip hop wear, skateboarding gear and work wear into a unique style is generally called street wear, and this style fusion is growing in popularity as rap music continues to become more central to the fabric of pop culture. More brands are going down the path traveled by outfits like Obey and Zoo York, which showed huge growth but are also at risk of being sapped of their edginess by becoming so mainstream. In SoHo, for example, you will find the first New York outpost of the Hundreds store, squeezed among the high-end boutiques.

This store features an artfully distressed mirror that runs the length of one wall, and the furnishings are done in dark wood and black leather. The store is built for mass appeal, with a vibrant logo in the form of an exploding bomb with a face that it slaps on everything from T-shirts, hoodies, jackets, belt looks and even the scaffolding outside the store.

© kidsire

Hip Hop music which flourished in the later half of the 1960's has become very popular since the past decade. It basically reflects street culture, which reflects the style and relaxed attitude on the streets. Slowly over the years, even hip hop clothing has now become the talk of the town and everyone seems to be having one or either in a hip hop gear. Hip hop clothing is comfortable, trendy and sometimes cheap at the same time.

Hip hop is also a very loud way to dress as is usually noticed; this is how it has made itself noticed in the fashion industry. The basic way to dress in hip hop clothing is to go baggy and lose. Hip hop clothing means wearing t-shirts 3 times your size and even loose bottoms.

© plasticrevolver

In 2011, the trend of mostly young men wearing their pants under their "bottom" doesn't not look to be ending any time soon. It's typical to see groups of young men patrolling the city streets with their pants riding low, proudly displaying their boxers as if it were couture. And in fact, it is couture in the world of hip hop wear.

It's not just about wearing the baggy pants, that's just a part of the overall hip hop style. And not everyone who is into hip hop style wears baggy pants. Some go for slim or tight fit instead. Either way, this is a trend that is disturbing to some people who find it very immature, and some point out the link to prison culture that baggy pants stem from. In jail they confiscate belts, and this look made its way from prisons to urban clothing market in the 1990s when popular rap artists started wearing it in videos.