val fashion’? Pffsh…so passé. This summer, dress like you’re BFFs with Will and Jeff.
‘Summertime’ by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince
It never really feels like summer until the sounds of this DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince tune float lazily out of car windows and through backyard BBQs. Released in May ’91 from the duo’s fourth studio album Homebase, ‘Summertime’ is the ultimate hot-weather jam — a slow grooving hip hop classic that seems built for summer afternoon cruising. According to Jazzy Jeff, the song was inspired memories of those early warm days of spring, fueled by Will Smith’s hometown nostalgia. ‘Will was in L.A.,’ he later recounted to Biography. ‘And he remembered the feeling (from Philadelphia) around April, when you get that first 70-degree weather and everybody comes out that hibernated during winter…Those were all of the nuances of weather changing attached to growing up, and he was missing that.’ ‘Summertime’– which sampled Kool & the Gang’s 1974 instrumental masterpiece, ‘Summer Madness‘ — instantly became the jam of the season, topping Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop charts and winning a Grammy in 1992 for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.
About the Look
The ‘Summertime’ video was shot in Philly, and features Jeff and Smith lounging on lawn chairs drinking iced tea while coasting through the city on the back of a flat-bed truck. From the Art Museum to the pro-sports paraphernalia, the entire video pays homage to the City of Brotherly Love. And with it being the early-90s, the look also includes the decade’s pre-grunge streetwear styles: high-rise jean shorts (rolled at the waist), printed bomber jackets, white leather sneakers, and those ubiquitous slouchy socks. Adopting this look head-to-toe takes some chutzpah, so even a few jolts of clashing colors and a pair of Club Master shades will evoke festive ‘Summertime” vibes. The outfit’s best accessories, though, are some def dance moves to break out for that inevitable backyard dance-off. So make sure to brush up on your Running Man, Roger Rabbit, and Funky Charleston before heading out in that Speed Racer tee.
clockwise from top left:jacket: Just Cavalli ~ bustier: River Island ~ cap: New Era ~ earrings: JC Penney ~ Scrunchie: Ulta
socks: WigWam ~ shorts: Christopher Kane ~ sunglasses: Ray-Ban ~ sneakers: Reebok