Apple Bottoms: From Rapper to Fashion Icon

Apple Bottoms have taken the clothing industry by storm. How well does the transition go from Rapper to designer? It appears that it is done on a regular basis now, but exactly how successful is it? Hip Hop super star Nelly came out with a line of jeans called "Apple Bottoms," back in 2003. The launch of his clothing line included a model search looking for the perfect Apple Bottoms girl - or the model with the perfect big butt. Many celebrities wear the jeans including Oprah. His clothing line has been a complete success selling out within two weeks of the first production run.

The artist Nelly claimed that the design of his jeans were to accommodate the body of the woman stating that clothes should fit the woman, and not the opposite. The jeans were designed to fit the curves of a female body. Nelly's urban clothing line not only targets females of all shapes and size but has expanded into a children's line as well. In 2005 Nelly added a line of form fitting dresses and mini skirts to the Apple Bottom clothing line. His current designs of the clothing line now include casual tracksuits, tops, tees, jackets and other accessories. The prices begin at $20.00 up for the clothing line.

So what do those that wear Apple Bottoms think of them compared to other jeans. Some fans say the where some jeans are meant to minimize, and some jeans are made to maximize ones figure, Oprah a fan of Apple Bottoms feels these were meant to maximize. Some consumers have expressed they are just a pair of jeans with an Apple Bottom logo on the butt. The fact is Apple Bottoms are priced at an average of $69.00 sell, and sell quite successfully.

The success has not come without criticism from some feminists. Some consider his image in his videos to be misogynistic and have protested his appearance on a prestigious Black college campus (Spelman College) when the purpose was in support of a bone marrow drive for his sister (now deceased). That being said, not all women are comfortable supporting his clothing line for moral reasons. There were many femiminists that felt the model search exploited women and thus will not support his products.