When hip-hop was first born in the early 1970s, the fashion styles came directly from the streets. New York legends like The Sugar Hill Gang wore what their audience wore at the time: jogging suits and eye-catching chains with clean-as-a-whistle shoes. From there, the styles grew and evolved as hip-hop artists gained domestic and international prominence; as increasing album sales put more money in their coffers, many hip-hop artists began to establish their own clothing labels.
Oversized chains and watches were rarely seen before hip-hop artists made them part of the uniform. Members of the hip-hop group Run DMC were among the first to don large, extravagant chains in their music videos and live shows. Jennifer Lopez helped to make grandiose hoop earrings cool again during her "Jenny on the Block" era. Rap legends Bun B and Pimp C loved to rock large-faced watches in their album artwork and music videos, a trend that's continued by Florida rap star Rick Ross.
Hip-hop lyricists like to reference clothing labels, and this practice has impacted both the sale of those clothing labels and the increase of counterfeit goods. For example, Gucci is a name commonly dropped in hip-hop lyrics, and counterfeit Gucci clothing and purses can be found on EBay and on the streets in major cities. Counterfeit goods reduce the value of the authentic products and cut into clothing companies' profits.
Custom sneakers made to coordinate with an outfit originated in the hip-hop culture as well. In fact, Nike owes as much thanks to hip-hop as is does to Michael Jordan. Rap artist Nelly is almost single-handedly responsible for the popularity of Nike Air Force 1s, thanks to his 2002 song titled after the shoe.
Not all hip-hop artists focus their lyrical energies on material bling. Fans of Eminem can often be seen wearing hoodies and plain white t-shirts the way he does; Lil Wayne's listeners can be seen displaying multiple tattoos and lengthy dreadlocks similar to him. Fans of Busta Rhymes can occasionally be heard discussing mutual funds and money market accounts while wearing fashions that look straight out of the swap meet: smart money moves are always in fashion, no matter what genre of music you enjoy.