• The 80s hip hop clothes had colors resembling an African flag.South Africa image by bluefern from Fotolia.com
  
  In order to understand the hip hop styles of the 80s, you have to understand hip hop. When Afrika Bambaataa was interviewed by "The Source" magazine, a popular hip hop print publication, he shared the vision he had for hip hop when he started the musical movement: "Hip hop is a movement of funk. A movement of getting up and doing something -- shake something. Enjoy yourself. Peace, love, unity and having fun." Through hip hop, Bambaata was able to redirect gang members to an alternative of creative expression, showing them how to communicate their frustrations with life and politics through music, dance, art and clothing.
  
  

Women's Fashion

• In the late 1980s, hip hop welcomed the first all female rap group, Salt-N-Pepa. Salt-N-Pepa gave the female audience a path to tread along amongst the highly influential hip hop movement. Through the duo's lyrics and choice of clothing, women embraced the concept of dressing in sexy, comfortable and bold attire. Skirts and dresses were replaced by skin-tight leggings and body suits. Both the leggings and body suit allowed curves to be shown, and with straps that secured the leggings inside of shoes and beneath the feet, women could move freely without any discomfort. For her top, the hip hop female could either wear a loose fitting sweatshirt or leather jacket over her body suit. To add that touch of boldness, she would wear these clothes in colors of deep red, green, yellow or black.
  
  

Men's Fashion

• Starting in 1983, a rap group called Run-DMC entered the hip hop movement. Run-DMC was the first rap group to bring hip hop from the basements and street corners to concerts and platinum albums. Their lyrics were influential and their clothing style was mimicked. The group wore straight-leg jeans and a black shirt or track suits. In either clothing choice the leather bomber-jacket was a must, as well as a mushroom shaped, winter-soft hat or classic flat-top hat and a pair of white Adidas. For the hip hop male, clothing attire was designed to look simple and cool.
  
  

Hair

• In the 1980s, hip hop males either wore a Jheri curl or a high top fade. For women, the choices included a Jheri curl, a high-low bob or the "freeze." Jheri curls made hair curly and because of the hair care product also had a wet look. The high top fade was a hair style in which hair was cut low around the sides and the back of the head, leaving a square, almost towering, section of hair in the center; this hairstyle is often attributed to Will Smith in his role on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." The high-low bob was a hairstyle that cut the hair into a bob cut with one side of the bob significantly higher than the other. The "freeze" was a "do" that required hair gel and spritz that made the hair stiff and wavy, standing on top of a woman's head.
  
  

Jewelry

• Thick, gold jewelry was African inspired and popular as a 1980s hip hop fashion.bracelet en or image by Freddy Smeets from Fotolia.com
  
  The 1980s hip hop look was not complete without the addition of gold jewelry. As a symbol of wealth, the jewelry worn with any hip hop inspired outfit had to be big. Heavy gold chains or ropes became popular for both males and females. The females also wore over-sized hooped or square gold earrings, referred to as "door knockers" because of their size.