Absolut Madness, DDTP, Hobo, Vonteff: DC Streetwear Brands of the 90s

[VladTheImpaler]

When I came to DC in mid 90s I was like...why are these dudes so in love with new balance....and going out in the summer time with a towel/rag around their neck

new balance and sweat pants.....anyway..... I eventually got used to the style and flavor of the DC street clothes...Hobo, Madness,etc

while the city is no longer chocolate city....it is cool to see this thread reppin' old DC flavor

Walking the streets last night with my Lady last night....taking in the city....everything polished, new buildings, french coffee spots and organic bread markets, and "Center City" and all the acronym names now like "NOPA" district and oh we are going to "NOMA" for brunch.....

it is interesting to look at the city and how it has changed so much...

props to the OP

 

[dennis roadman]

Me and all by brehs in middle/high school
Look down and we had nike boots too.
Everyone thought beef and broc was a menu item.

The days when you could be at a rest stop in the middle of nowhere during spring break and D.C./MD guys would recognize each other from across the parking lot all because of hoodie strings and Nike boots

 

[frush11]

When I came to DC in mid 90s I was like...why are these dudes so in love with new balance....and going out in the summer time with a towel/rag around their neck

new balance and sweat pants.....anyway..... I eventually got used to the style and flavor of the DC street clothes...Hobo, Madness,etc

while the city is no longer chocolate city....it is cool to see this thread reppin' old DC flavor

Walking the streets last night with my Lady last night....taking in the city....everything polished, new buildings, french coffee spots and organic bread markets, and "Center City" and all the acronym names now like "NOPA" district and oh we are going to "NOMA" for brunch.....

it is interesting to look at the city and how it has changed so much...

props to the OP

Breh I went to U st on Saturday to a party my peoples were throwing. And I felt so awkward in that area. Just a sea of white folks.

 

[King Jae]

..why y'all doin this to me man?..y'all forgot rugid wear, all daz, solo, bodaego, Threadz up michigan park, Joto in smokeworld(SW)...Zo World on MLK..Playaz World..Pimptown out Forestville, City Life on Minnesota Ave.... Bout break out some drop socks and throw some glitter on a white tee for old times sake...

 

[get these nets]

Does DC still wear long tube socks when they play ball or is that a thing of the past? And did Lawrence Moten (Syracyse)start that or was it before him?

 

[Sankofa Alwayz]

Remembering Madness Connection

While walking past L.A. Nails at 3119 Georgia Avenue, it’s hard to imagine that it was once the location of Madness Connection — a pioneering clothing store established in 1984. The store created the blueprint for a multimillion dollar network of D.C. fashion storefronts across the city that sold go-go mixtapes and concert tickets. It later moved across the street to 3120 Georgia. It was among the first to sell monogrammed hats and T-shirts emblazoned with a coveted logo. Tyrone Johnson, one of the founders, noted that the Madness line took off when the go-go band EU (Experience Unlimited) wore Madness hats in their 1989 “Da Butt” video.

For much of the 1990s and early 2000s, the typical go-go uniform consisted of expensive T-shirts and sweat suits with embroidered logos made by neighborhood-based and black-owned companies. The Washington urban fashion industry became established as an offshoot of go-go in the early 1980s, starting with the Madness Connection on Georgia Avenue.

The store was the place to buy whatever was in style, from colorful headbands in 1991 or lanyard key ring holders in 1996 to popular T-shirts with the Madness logo.

Madness was known to start city-wide trends. In 1987, the store successfully marketed the “Summer Madness” T-shirts that became ubiquitous in black neighborhoods. The following summer belonged to Madness’s white baseball caps with multicolored pastel letters. Area go-go bands helped popularize the caps and T-shirts by wearing them onstage.

The successful business came to an end in 1996 after owner Eddie Van pleading guilty in a case in which he was accused of selling crack to a Drug Enforcement Administration informer. As part of the plea bargain, Van also agreed to turn over to the federal government the building at Georgia Avenue and Kenyon Street that housed the Madness Connection.

looking back, all the different brands that permeated the DMV area were pretty impressive. we had our own retail supply chain and developed brands that people were fukking with.

Here at UMES, DC and PG kids still be rocking Solbiato. Very special S/O to We R One tho, that's my childhood right there moe stamp!!!

 

[L&HH]

When I came to DC in mid 90s I was like...why are these dudes so in love with new balance....and going out in the summer time with a towel/rag around their neck

Fam can you believe some nikka form Bmore on Say Cheese TV was tryna say DC took New Balances from them??? Man I legit wanted to jump through the screen and ring that nikkas neck. Like how a nikka just going lie like that?

 

[Sankofa Alwayz]

Fam can you believe some nikka form Bmore on Say Cheese TV was tryna say DC took New Balances from them??? Man I legit wanted to jump through the screen and ring that nikkas neck. Like how a nikka just going lie like that?

I didn't wanna get too worked up since dude's a lil nikka who don't know any better. And plus Bmore is one of the very last places DC would ever look to for fashion Hell Bmore nikkas are just now fukking with NB's like that. Look at some old school pics of DC and PG peeps, especially at the Go-Gos, NB's been a DMV household staple since the mid 80's, some old heads even claimed since the 70's. NB's are to the DMV what Timbs/Buttas are to New York. Bmore nikkas mainly been about AF1's, ACGs, and Timbs.

 

[Super Ramon]

Solb expensive asf for no reason

 

[King Jae]

....the audacity... nagas was in new balance as long as I can remember...talking elementary school...bmore nagas caught the ism when local brands set up shop there back in the day...Naga trying to bring the rivalry back for no reason...he ain't slick..


Edit: fukked up the quote cuz I'm heated ova that shyt

 

[King Jae]

Solb expensive asf for no reason

Naw order it offline...way cheaper..they always got shyt on sale

 

[badtguy]

Fam can you believe some nikka form Bmore on Say Cheese TV was tryna say DC took New Balances from them??? Man I legit wanted to jump through the screen and ring that nikkas neck. Like how a nikka just going lie like that?

Baltimore nikkas wore new balances but it wasn't 992's/993's. It was the regular ones forgot the name

DC, PG popularized new balances that were 992's/993's then bmore nikkas started wearing them (992's/993's)

 

[JamilALAmin]

nascar jackets and Harley get up was the wave

nikkas had old police cars (96 chevy SS) with the light on the side around that same time

Chevy never made the SS Imp into a fleet car in the mid 90s. You talking about a regular Caprice with a police package that some breh threw a SS decal on the side and called it a Super sport. And ain't no breh with a true spaceship body SS gonna disrespect it and put a police light on the side anyway. That's hustling backwards basically. The Caprice police cars with the 9C1 had the same LT1 motor as the SS Impala, but most police depts up north didn't use those because of winter conditions. They usually ran with the L99 4.3 L engine, which is respectable, but to compare that to a SS is foolish.

 

[Supreme365]

Fam can you believe some nikka form Bmore on Say Cheese TV was tryna say DC took New Balances from them??? Man I legit wanted to jump through the screen and ring that nikkas neck. Like how a nikka just going lie like that?

At a dc nikka taking anything from bamma as b-more

 

[lochead]

Fam can you believe some nikka form Bmore on Say Cheese TV was tryna say DC took New Balances from them??? Man I legit wanted to jump through the screen and ring that nikkas neck. Like how a nikka just going lie like that?

This lil bama ass nikka right here

No hate toward B-More but them bama nikkas was on long ass t-shirts and AF-1's