Image via Complex Original
The street goth movement now extends its shadowy tendrils from the biggest rappers in the world to the pimply teenage nerd on page 145 of Hypebeast's "What Did You Wear Today" thread. It's the movement of the moment, but the concept of street goth can be heavily attributed to the dope, unique genre of '90s R&B.
Back in the day, while groups like Jodeci and Dru Hill were blasting over car AM/FM radios, they were also setting a stylish precedent for today with lots of trends you can find within the street goth look. We just want to give steez-respects where respects are due and pay homage to the greatest. You may have loved their music in a past life, but now you can appreciate their style. These are Street Goth Tips from '90s R&B Groups.
RELATED: 10 Signs You Are a Street Goth
RELATED: The 10 Best Brands for Building a Street Goth Wardrobe
RELATED: The Most Stylish R&B Singers of the '90s
RELATED: Green Label - 20 Best Hip-Hop Fashions from the '90s
Stick to lavish outerwear to let others know they're peasants.
Pays homage to: Boyz II Men
Sometimes, you have to show people your opulence. The street goth movement emphasizes this and it's usually done with lavish outerwear. But this ain't nothing new in the hood because groups like Jodeci and Boyz II Men were all about letting others know they were virtually peasants if they couldn't flex in coats and jackets of this level.
Snapbacks should only be black on black.
Pays homage to: Blackstreet
Yes, we are very much aware that snapbacks were around before the '90s, but who made black snapbacks sexy? Groups like Blackstreet as they crooned their way into ladies' pants while rocking the headwear. Now it's an everyday part of the street goth uniform. Time to sexy it up a bit though, yeah?
A good, obscure jersey can truly add an athletic aspect to your very non-athletic outfit.
Pays homage to: Bel Biv Devoe
The non-athletic fashion jersey is a pivotal part of today's cool-guy uniform. Tossing on some obscure jersey that no one else has, paired with the right silhouettes is street goth gold. Dudes like Bel Biv Devoe established this fact back when you were a gellatinous embryo.
An all-white goth look is very next level, but only because R&B gods blessed us first.
Pays homage to: 112
Pulling off the all-white street goth look is extremely difficult; You have to be on some next level shit before you even consider it. And you want to know who was next level? 112 in the '90s. Have you heard "Only You?" Only 112 can be a catalyst in the all-white street look that stands heads above most dudes' style game.
Different interpretations of flannel shirts are very necessary.
Pays homage to: H-Town
Flannel shirts are back in play, especially among street goth advocates, but different colors and interpretations are important. Groups like H-Town took it to another level with flannel hoodies back in their day. Now you can see other flannel enthusiasts rocking them in different ways; elongated, with cut-off sleeves, etc.
The lower the dropped crotch, the stronger the goth.
Pays homage to: R. Kelly and Public Announcement
Let's face it; R. Kelly was trying to drop crotch in just about anything. Luckily, he found a pair of pants to accomodate his addiction to "that vibe" the ladies had. And even though numerous of today's street goths barely have dropped testicles, these pants are still a pivotal part of their wardrobe today.
Masks add a sense of thuggery to any street goth ensemble.
Pays homage to: Jodeci
Sometimes you're teetering on the threshold between a straight-laced looking goth kid or a thugged-out, 'bout it 'bout it one. Toss a mask on and you shall surpass any question of the legitimacy of your thuggery. That's how Jodeci got by in the '90s and they kept it going with thug ballads and rampant drug usage in the years after. Your move, Bieber.
Add some bad-ass patches and any question of your legitimacy is nullified.
Pays homage to: Color Me Badd
Even though they were a group that wanted to sex people up all the time, Color Me Badd also found time to kill the street goth game before anyone else. Not only were they huge proponents of the shirt-tied-around-the-waist, but their patched jacket game was on point. Apparently, the more patches you add to your jacket, the more bad-ass you become.
You know what they say: "Clothes get weirder."
Pays homage to: Immature
Street isn't just about black silhouettes and boots. Sometimes, you can still join the movement by tossing on some incredibly weird get-ups. A$AP Rocky said it best; "clothes get weirder." In the '90s, groups like Immature got hecka weird with it. And apparently, the weirder you look, the more panties drop.
Leather, bruh. Leather.
Pays homage to: Dru Hill
Sisqo may be so lonely, but he certainly isn't alone in his affinity of leather streetwear. Dru Hill, along with just about every R&B group in the '90s, brought the leather trend to the forefront of street fashion in which the street goth movement took a cue from. Kanye West and Virgil Abloh may have invented the leather jogging pant, but Dru Hill and their peers championed the material well before kids were draping dead animals head-to-toe.
