'Crazy,' fresh fads create the styles of tomorrow; today's youths make a bold fashion statement - Special Issue - The New Generation of the '90s

Ebony, August, 1990

In some cases, the pursuit of status through fashion has led to the death of young Blacks as a result of the association of athletic shoes, caps and jackets with gang violence. In response to this wave of violence, several school districts have used "dress codes" to ban the stylish clothing.

For many young adults, the widely held perception by adults that gold chains, gang violence and outlandish street dress are standards of the new generation has become an unfair stigma on the nation's Black youth. They argue that street-wise fashion, popularized by gang members and some rap artists, doesn't encompass the wide range of casual and formal youthful attire. "A lot of the [rap] videos made by these young men are only showing their surroundings," protests Adams, the Howard University student. "If they haven't been exposed to culture, fashion and refinement, then that's all they know. That's all they can portray."

For now, the new generation's tastes in fashion will continue in a predictable pattern, impressing some and baffling others. Most experts insist that the older generation need not be alarmed. "The young are a product of the grownups," Dr. Hare says. "The adults have the responsibility of guiding them. They can't point fingers at the youth, because they are replicas of themselves."

PHOTO : Today's "fresh" styles run the gamut, ranging from comfortable casual attire (above) to

PHOTO : those unique hairstyles (right) that make their own bold fashion statements.

PHOTO : Spandex, an elastic material that is found in biking, athletic attire and in skin-tight

PHOTO : knit dresses and pants, has become a popular item for those persons who are involved in

PHOTO : physical fitness programs or interested in accentuating their bodies.

PHOTO : The kente-cloth crown and other African fashions have become popular items with today's

PHOTO : youth. Young entertainers, like singer Tashan (right), are beginning to use the dress as

PHOTO : part of their stage routines. Experts say the look's easy acceptance stems from Black

PHOTO : America's revived interest in the continent's rich culture and history.

PHOTO : Recording artists and television personalities often set the fashion tones of today's

PHOTO : youth. At left, the popular musical group, Living Colour, sport variations ofthe braids

PHOTO : and "dreadlocks" hairstyle and bold, casual attire. Below, Kadeem Hardison of TV's A

PHOTO : Different World has helped make earrings and the fliptop shades popular.