From Guest Blogger - Steve Shaw

This is Steve in vintage "Hang Ten" - talk about a throw back and a revival! This was his mom's hat. Steve - yes I'm having a pillow fight!


Welcome one welcome all to the introduction of my blog, to be heard from West 142nd St in NYC to LA's smog. I'm Steve Shaw Jr, starving entrepreneur, raised in the country where the farmers spread cow manure, but love the city, NY in particular where my witty comments here will hopefully get me a Lexus vehicular...


"Way back when I had the red & black lumberjack with the hat to match..." Biggie Smalls/Christopher Wallace/Notorious BIG
I'm noticing the 90's are resurging- in film as well as fashion.
Two films in particular, "The Wackness" which stars 90's real life icon Method Man & Sir Ben Kingsley. The film is set in the summer of 1994- think smoke clouds, gritty rap beats, & hot summer memories. That’s a bit autobiographical, but check out the film for yourself to see a young pot dealer & the world he lives in.
"Notorious", which chronicles the rise of Christopher Wallace from Catholic school kid to corner kid, to having a kid, to the one that was admired by all the kids- myself included. The film is authentic in hip hop fashion of the 90's. Russell athletic hoodies, baggy carpenter jeans, & Tims. Tims & hoodies = Timberland boots & hooded sweatshirts to those of you in Connecticut. It also shows the transition in the mid 90's to more expensive fashions such as Gucci, Prada, Moschino, etc- that's another discussion though. VH1 also released an "I Love the 90's" series a few years back which chronicles pop culture in a particular decade.
Out on the street, I'm seeing 90's fashions like brightly colored t-shirts & sneakers (Diadora, Adidas, Reebok pumps) as seen in the early 90's. Champion hoodies are also making a comeback as seen circa 1994 & made popular by the Wu Tang Clan. On the hipster tip, which I must admit I'm not in touch with very much, I'm seeing LL Bean "duck boots" as well as flannel shirts which were as staple of 90's grunge wardrobes. Much respect though, to Neil Young known as "grandpa grunge". As you can probably tell, I'm an avid hip hop fan (proudly since age 11), I stress hip hop & not "hip pop". I can remember taping "Yo! MTV Raps" in my basement circa 1991-1993. Videos like Tupac's "Trapped", Ice Cube's "It Was a Good Day", Digital Underground's "Kiss You Back", & A Tribe Called Quest's "Scenario".
This retro culture in nothing new. It has been evident in fashion & music for yrs. In the actual 90's I remember bell bottom jeans (flashback to the 70's); LEI if I remember correctly were "in" for girls. On Snoop Dogg's "Doggystyle" & "The Chronic" from Dr. Dre there was a heavy Curtis Mayfield & George Clinton influence. Puffy (as he was known in the 90's) sampled many songs from the 70's & 80's by Matthew Wilder, Lisa Stansfield, Led Zepplin, & Kool & the Gang. Wyclef (also a 90's hip hop icon) sampled the Bee Gees & Willie Nelson/Julio Iglesias songs. I think people in the present day, whenever that is, like to reminisce about their past. With that being said, here in the "2000's" it's only natural to look back at the 80's & 90's & reminisce about the (pop) culture, fashion, music, & film.
I hope this breaks the ice & Sarah Shirley lets me back on her site to ramble some more. Many thanks to the white Oprah aka the younger, hipper, Martha Stewart aka Sarah Shirley !