SMITHSONIAN
Black White Striped Wide Leg Performance Pants
1990s · 2010s · African American
Production
one-of-a-kind
Material
synthetic fiber blend
Culture
African American
Movement
Hip-Hop
Influences
1970s disco flares · funk performance costume
A two-piece performance ensemble consisting of a white fitted tunic top with black trim and dramatically flared black and white vertically striped pants. The tunic features a deep V-neckline with decorative trim, three-quarter sleeves with black cuffs, and appears to be constructed from a lightweight synthetic material. The pants showcase bold vertical stripes of equal width in black and white, cut in an extreme flare silhouette that widens dramatically from knee to hem, creating a bell-bottom effect reminiscent of 1970s disco fashion. The high contrast striping and exaggerated proportions are designed for maximum visual impact under stage lighting, reflecting the theatrical nature of funk and R&B performance costume traditions.
pantswide legfloor length
Connected To
Movement·Hip-HopFunction·performance-costumeMotif·stripe-band
LINEAGE30 years · cross-category→ directed
Echoes Across Time
1970s → 1990s · 40yr48%
LINEAGE
These two pieces trace the arc of performance dressing from disco's sculptural glamour to hip-hop's street-coded swagger. The teal gown's exaggerated lapels and body-conscious silhouette established the template for dramatic evening wear that commanded attention on the dance floor, while those black-and-white striped flares twenty years later translated that same "look at me" energy into baggy, swaggering proportions that turned the street into a stage.
Function·performance-costume
1990s → 1960s
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