Image via Complex Original
Big Sean releases his highly-anticipated album, Hall of Fame today. From what we've heard already, the rapper is showing signs of growth. But, as anyone who's kept an eye on him will know, the progress goes beyond music. His personal style has also undergone its own transformation over the years.
Remember the Big Sean who wore A Bathing Ape on a regular basis? How about the one who dangled Louis Vuitton coin pouches from his belt? Those days seem lightyears ago, what with his more recent minimalistic, sometimes street goth looks and even more recent affinity with rap tees. But understand that he didn't jump from one trend to the other overnight. See how far the stylish rapper has come in The 10 Stages of Big Sean's Style.
1. The "I Got That Bape All in My Closet" Stage
Era of Prominence: 2007-2009
Early on, pre-Givenchy and Alexandre Plokhov, Big Sean was a big fan of A Bathing Ape. The Detroit native wore tons of T-Shirts, sweatshirts, and jackets with the memorable Ape head. And in 2008, he went from a fan to a model for the Japanese label, posing in the winter lookbook. Sean said it best in his "Mr. Incredible" track: "All I need is my Nikes, chain, and Bathing Ape on."
2. The "Louis Vuitton (Coin Pouch) Sean" Stage
Era of Prominence: 2009-2010
At the time, the Louis Vuitton coin pouch was the accessory of choice for a lot of rap's biggest stars. Much like Kanye West, Lil' Wayne, and Rick Ross, Big Sean was also guilty of dangling the Damier pouch from his belt. He wore them during performances and to award shows and other events. Though it's been about four years since we first spotted Sean rocking this look, we're still not quite sure what he kept in these pouches.
3. The "My Chains is Pow on Pow on Pow" Stage
Era of Prominence: 2009-2011
Before the lion chain and all the other gold jewelry Big Sean would end up wearing, his choice of jewlery was the Ambush "POW!" chains. He was definitely a big fan of Verbal's designs—he even got custom diamond encrusted versions of the chain, which were priced at $15,000 each. Now, he does still wear the chains now, though not as often as he used to.
4. The "Marvin & Chardonnay" Stage
Era of Prominence: Summer 2010
Prior to the all-white Cruel Summer we witnessed last summer, Kanye West had his G.O.O.D Music family dress in black suits and black ties for what's often been reffered to as the "Rosewood movement." Whether the crew had a show, were out and about, or were in a cypher at the BET Awards, everyone, including Big Sean, was dressed to the nines.
5. The "Pocket Square" Stage
Era of Prominence: 2010
Though it seems like ages ago, there was a period when Big Sean was really, really into accessories. In addition to his pins, he wore pocket squares—even with T-Shirts. A few other celebrities tried the same look, and it seemed as though it was on the brink of becoming a trend. Thankfully, said look didn't last very long.
6. The "Snapback" Stage
Era of Prominence: 2010-present
Very few had more of an extensive collection of snapbacks than the Detroit rapper. It was rare to see him sans the headgear, especially from 2010 to 2012, be it a TI$A or Just Don Snakeskin version. He still wears snapbacks today, but perhaps not quite as often as he used to.
7. The "Getting Guap Right Now" Stage
Era of Prominence: 2011-2013
Right around the time Big Sean was getting ready to release Finally Famous, we started to see him really wear designer clothes (other than Louis Vuitton). He rocked a Balenciaga leather jacket—a gift from Kanye West—to his album listening party in New York City. Then starting 2012, he added brands like Maison Martin Margiela, Givenchy, and even G.O.O.D Music favorite, Katie Eary.
8. The "Leather Weather" Stage
Era of Prominence: 2012-2013
For a while, Big Sean had a sligh obsession with leather. His vests were leather. His fur vest had leather. His shorts were leather. His pants were leather. And his snapbacks were leather. But the plus side is, he didn't fall for the "all leather everything" trend.
9. The "Finally Famous Street Goth" Stage
Era of Prominence: 2013
Truth be told, this look sort of came from left field. Prior to his minimalistic, sometimes street goth look, Big Sean was wearing tons of snapbacks, gold jewelry, bright colors, and prints. Then almost halfway into 2013, he suddenly switched it up and started rocking long tees and button up shirts, a monochromatic palette, and brands like Alexandre Plokhov, Rick Owens, En Noir, and Fear of God LA.
10. The "Hall of Fame Rap Tee" Stage
Era of Prominence: 2013-present
A little over a week ago, Big Sean started bringing back an old trend: Rap tees. He's been spotted rocking T-Shirts with the faces of Master P, Snoop Dogg, Ol' Dirty Bastard, and Notorious B.I.G. According to Sean, his "rap tee collection is extensive cuh..." Which means this is just the beginning. Look for the G.O.O.D Music artist to wear more of these T-Shirts in the near future.