• The Corporate Dropout T-shirt

Arguably his best album to date, Kanye West’s The College Dropout changed the entire face of rap music. The album RollingStone magazine named album of the decade not only bridged the gap between underground and mainstream Hip Hop, but influenced the lives of many individuals. Tackling subject matters like religion, education, insecurities, and self-esteem, Kanye spoke of the troubles that the average listener could relate to. In commemoration of the album’s 6-year anniversary (February 10), Cincinnati-based clothing boutique Corporate released their own version of the The College Dropout t-shirt last Friday. Corporate’s t-shirt, The Corporate Dropout, features an identical aesthetic to the original design with the use of collegiate-style lettering and the infamous Dropout bear head. Best of all, a portion of the proceeds of the t-shirt sales will be donated to Kanye’s Dr. Donda West Foundation.

For additional information, check out the Corporate blog.

• 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 Polo

DressLikeKanyeWest.com will be showcasing a vintage outfit from Kanye West every Thursday, appropriately titled Turn Back Thursday. The purpose is to evoke a sense of nostalgia and reveal the evolution of Kanye’s sense of fashion throughout the years.

Turn Back Thursday #1 is an outfit that epitomizes Kanye’s style during The College Dropout days (2004). Not only did he gain fast recognition for his sped-up soul samples, but also for his choice of clothing, which truly broke the mold of the typical rapper uniform. Ralph Lauren Polo shirts, popped collars, bright colors, and non-baggy clothes. He pushed the fashion envelope back then and always went left, when every other rapper was turning right. Fast-forward to 2009, Kanye has arguably become the leading trend-setter of all musical artists and continues to break fashion stereotypes for the African male and Hip-Hop community.

Source: Star Pulse

• Kanye West Wearing Supreme

Here is a shot of Kanye West, during “The College Dropout” days, wearing a Supreme trucker-style hat.

Source: Famous People Search