• Turn Back Thursday: Polo Bear Sweater

For this week’s Turn Back Thursday, we go back to 2003/2004 when Kanye West was merely known as a college dropout who had an interest for bears. From the bear head artwork to the mascot that Kanye would bring out during shows, the Dropout Bear, as it was officially referred to, became  imagery that would forever be linked to Kanye. Here is a photo that was used to promote the album “The College Dropout”, where Kanye is wearing the Dropout Bear costume with a complementary red Ralph Lauren Polo Bear sweater. This specific Polo Bear sweater is a vintage piece that is no longer sold by Ralph Lauren, but can be found, on rare occasions, at  thrift stores and even on Ebay.

• Turn Back Thursday: Kanye and A-Trak

In 2004, Kanye West released The College Dropout, which did a very effective job of bridging the gap between mainstream rappers and backpackers. Not only did he revolutionize the radio with his soul samples and conscious rap style, but he changed the rap uniform forever. Kanye spearheaded a movement that made it cool to wear Ralph Lauren and collared shirts when everyone else in the rap community was wearing a jersey and oversized shirts. Here’s a photo of A-Trak and Kanye from 2004, when Kanye ‘s outfit usually consisted of bright colors, a popped collar, and Polo.

Source: A-Trak

• Turn Back Thursday: Kanye Wearing Puffy Jacket

When it comes to outerwear, Kanye West can usually be seen wearing a plain hoodie, jean jacket, varsity jacket, or a technical cut-and-sew piece from an international clothing brand. These pieces are usually fitted and possess a high level of attention to detail. Now, several years back, the big trend in outwear for Hip-Hop artists included puffy jackets. Here’s a photo of Kanye with Twista and Dame Dash at New York’s SOBs, in 2004, rocking the infamous puffy jacket with fur-lining on the back. With any other fashion trend, it has come and gone, and is definitely not a piece you would ever see on Kanye, or any other rapper, for that matter.