Freaknik Fashion: Remembering Style Trends From The ‘Greatest Party’ That Haven’t Gotten Old
An upcoming Hulu documentary will detail the events of the 1994 Freaknik festival. What originally began as a way for College students to potluck and dance to some good music, evolved into a cultural phenom spawning many style trends we still see today.
Freaknik was the epicenter of Black culture, music, and fashion in the ’90s. While Freaknik may be the “greatest party never told,” the impending release of Hulu’s documentary has some former Freaknik attendees up in arms. The fear of being exposed has many calling for a boycott. The contents of the documentary haven’t yet been disclosed but we know what will be prevalent, the looks never get old.
In the last few years, we’ve seen a surplus of Freaknik-themed events like Saweetie and 21 Savage’s respective birthday parties.
Keep scrolling for the Freaknik looks we still rock today.
Denim
Denim never goes out of style. Imagine you and your girlfriends are chilling in an open-top jeep jamming to The Notorious Big, Mary, Patra, Tupac and Shabba Ranks. What are you wearing? Doorknockers, coochie-cutters and baby hairs. Sound familiar? Denim shorts were a staple in the ’90s. Washes in white, black and stone were indicators that summer was right around the corner. Three-button Levi Strauss jeans were also the wave.
Square Toe Mules
Square toe mules were the heels of choice by our mamas, aunties, family friends and pretty much every stylish Black woman. Whether they were going to Freaknik or the local bar-b-que, these trendy sandals were cute and comfortable. Today, fashion mules have much elevated with modern twists on the classic shoe style. Designers like Bottega Venetta had the summer on lock with their must-have Lido Leather Mules. The square toe mesh mules are here to stay.
Gold Jewelry
Radio heavily influenced the ’90s’ dress code thanks to the artists who donned these looks in their music videos or bragged about them in lyrics. Think: “I need a girl with extensions in her hair, bamboo earrings at least two pair” or “I stay Coogi down to the socks.”
Layers of gold jewelry like name plates, hoop earrings, layers of thin gold necklaces and lots of rings were a go-to trend in the ’90s. Mary J. Blige famously wore twisted hoops in her ’96 music video for Not Gon’ Cry and had women everywhere trying to recreate the Misa Hylton-inspired trend. Today, Mary is still wearing her signature door-knockers and hoops and is an ambassador for LL Cool J’s wife Simone I. Smith’s jewelry collection which features many popular styles.
Crop Tops
The ’90s were the era of crop tops, making them a staple at Freaknik and in fashion. Transform the most basic tee with a quick tie in the front that added a layer of provocateur. This tiny top can be worn with shorts, a skirt, or even a cute tennis skirt. Rihanna wore a knotted crop top to her Fenty Beauty premiere in 2017, proving crop tops never go out of style.
SEE ALSO:
Prominent Black Professionals Sue Hulu Over ’94 Freaknik Documentary Release
‘Cap D Coming’: Freaknik Documentary Executive Produced By Uncle Luke Coming To Hulu