Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(orig. US black) to show off, to strut around.

1968		‘Sl. of Watts’ in Current Sl. III:2 46: Style, To show off; to act a part.
1974		V.E. Smith Jones Men 163: How come y’all didn’t get me one of them fur coats so I could style too.
1980		M. Thelwell Harder They Come 143: Everybody just styling — but mostly small groups of both sexes extremely conscious of each other.
1991		C. Fletcher Pure Cop 12: These guys know enough not to style in front of the judge.
2001		(con. 1975–6) E. Little Steel Toes 168: Jazz is stylin’ around the pad in her new sable coat.
2002		J. Lerner You Got Nothing Coming 24: ‘Motherfucker be stylin’!’ exclaims the Bone.
2019		N. Walker Cherry 164: ‘What about these prima donnas who don’t want to wear all their body armor because they like to style and profile?’.