BACK IN THE MID-NINETIES, MY FRIENDS AND I SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN nightclubs dancing to A Tribe Called Quest and Nas. The de facto uniform was baggy Maurice Malone jeans, stout Champion sweats, and anorak pullovers from preppy brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Nautica. But the most stylish among us wore Polo Ralph Lauren. Color-blocked sportswear met Polo Bear knits, all-over-print shirts, and choice items from the Stadium and P-Wing collections.
Decades later, fashion writers described this aesthetic as a way for nonwhite youths to appropriate the
