Black culture has always been the epitome of excellence throughout every generation but more often than not, pop culture fails to give us the credit we deserve. Let’s face it- Black people are trendsetters! From music to fashion, and even small mannerisms or slang; we are constantly shaping what’s trending whether people recognize it or not! With that being said, here are the top 5 trends created by Black people.
- Hoop Earrings
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Hoop earrings have been around since ancient times, however, they were majorly popularized during the Black Power Movement by Angela Davis and Assata Shakur as the women of the movement. They took the stance of embracing their African descent and hoops became an accessory embodying Black culture. In later years Black pop stars brought even more light to the trend, including Tina Turner, Diana Ross, and Janet Jackson. Hoops are now a staple for any style in any culture.
- Nameplate Necklaces
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Nameplate necklaces are another extremely, popular accessory that many people do not realize were brought to light by Black people. They originated as a statement piece that emphasized having pride in one’s name even if it is out of the ordinary or hard to pronounce. Especially in the black community, having an “unusual” name is very common which made this style blow up quickly. After this popularization, the nameplate styling made it to TV screens on Sex and the City with Carrie Bradshaw’s infamous necklace.
- Oversized Clothing
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The Hip-Hop era beginning in the late 70s and early 80s birthed tons of trends that are still present today. Among these trends is baggy/oversized clothing popularized for women by various Hip-Hop and R&B acts. Rapper, MC Lyte and Queen Latifah, and singers, Aaliyah, TLC, and Xscape. All of these women were very adamant about making bold statements with their fashion. With their oversized clothing, they proved that the style wasn’t only suitable for men, and caused the style to become extremely popular even now in 2020.
- Bucket Hats
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Before the late 70s, bucket hats were never very popular, however, they gained popularity through the Hip-Hop era right along with oversized clothing. These hats were made popular by various esteemed artists including Run DMC, LL Cool J, and Sugar Hill Gang. Once these artists hit the scene with this new style it was an immediate hit that caught mainstream fashion’s attention. Now, in today’s fashion, artists including Tyler the Creator, Billie Eilish, and Rihanna carry on this bucket hat trend.
- Sneakers
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Sneaker culture is a staple of streetwear pioneered by Black people. In streetwear fashion, you can have a relatively simple outfit, but if your sneaker game is right, the entire fit comes together. Sneakers truly became popular when Hip-Hop came to the scene in the late 70s by rappers including Grandmaster Flash and Run DMC. Hip-Hop, being a whole new genre of music, came to be highly influential in fashion because it had never been done before. Not long after, they became a status symbol in black communities, and eventually, in pop culture as well.