Pimp fashion has become a trope in North American pop culture, with styles depicted as being really flamboyant, gaudy, or even effeminate, in contrast to the gritty surroundings and the macho attitude that would seem to be dominant otherwise.
Here are some examples of what I'm talking about:Dolomite, The Boondocks, Chappelle's Show.
I'm aware that 1970s Blaxploitation films had a major role in developing this image, but my question is: did pimps at that time really dress and act like this? And if so, how did a style so at odds with its surroundings develop in the first place?
The 2002 book "Pimpnosis" by Tracy Fuches and Robert Marriott is a slim 150 page book with plenty of photos. It should answer most of your questions. http://www.amazon.com/Pimpnosis-Tracy-Fuches/dp/0066211654 In a review in the August 2002 issue of Playboy magazine, they said it was the best book about pimps since Iceberg Slim wrote his seminal book "Pimp: The Story of my Life" back in 1967. Iceberg Slim's book is longer and has far fewer photographs. Iceberg Slim teaches his readers about the nuts and bolts of being a pimp. Pimpnosis looks more at the style of being a pimp.
