Punk fashion
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Punk fashion is the styles of clothing, hairstyles, cosmetics, jewelry, and body modifications of the punk subculture. Punk fashion varies widely from Vivienne Westwood styles to styles modeled on bands like The Exploited. The distinct social dress of other subcultures and art movements, including glam rock, skinheads, rude boys, art school students, greasers, and mods have influenced punk fashion. Punk fashion has likewise influenced the styles of these groups, as well as those of popular culture.
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[edit] Historical
[edit] Original
The original punk fashion of the 1970s was intended to appear as confrontational, shocking and rebellious as possible. This style of punk dress was significantly different from what would later be considered the basic punk look. Many items that were commonly worn by punks in the 1970s became less common later on, and new elements were constantly added to the punk image. A great deal of punk fashion from this 1970s was based on the designs of Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren, as well as the dress styles of punk role models such as the Ramones, Richard Hell and the Bromley Contingent.
Punk style was influenced by clothes sold in Malcolm McLaren's shop SEX. McLaren has credited this style to his first impressions of Richard Hell while McLaren was in New York, supposedly managing the The New York Dolls (Note: In the documentary Punk: Attitude, David Johanssen said McLaren was never their manager; he designed clothes for them and booked them one gig, the infamous Red Show.)
Deliberately offensive T-shirts were popular in the early punk scene, such as the infamous DESTROY T-shirt sold at SEX, which featured an inverted crucifix and a Nazi swastika. These T-shirts, like other clothing, were often intentionally torn. Anarchy symbols; brightly-coloured dress shirts chaotically covered in slogans (such as "Only Anarchists are pretty"); fake blood; patches; and deliberately controversial images (such as portraits of Marx, Stalin and Mussolini) were popular. Heavily customised blazers and leather rocker jackets were introduced early, and are still a common fixture of punk fashion.
Preferred footwear included military boots, motorcycle boots, Brothel creepers, Chuck Taylor All-Stars, and (later on) Dr. Martens boots. Tapered jeans, tight leather pants, pants with leopard patterns and bondage trousers were popular choices. Hair was cropped and deliberately made to look messy, in reaction to the typical long smooth hair of the 1960s and early 1970s. It was often dyed bright unnatural colors. Although provocative, these hairstyles were not as extreme as later punk hairstyles, such as liberty spikes or the Mohawk hairstyle.
Other accoutrements worn by some punks included: BDSM fashions; fishnet stockings (sometimes ripped); spike bands and other studded or spiked jewelry; safety pins (in clothes and as body piercings); silver bracelets and heavy eyeliner worn by both men and women. Many female punks rebelled against the stereotypical image of a woman by combining clothes that were delicate or pretty with clothes that were considered masculine, such as combining a Ballet tutu with big, clunky boots.
Punk clothing sometimes incorporated everyday objects for aesthetic effect. Purposely-ripped clothes were held together by safety pins or wrapped with tape; black bin liners (garbage bags) became dresses, shirts and skirts. Other items added to clothing or as jewelry included razor blades and chains. Leather, rubber and vinyl clothing have been common, possibly due to their connection with transgressive sexual practices, such as bondage and S&M.
Punks in the 1970s sometimes flaunted taboo symbols such as the Nazi swastika or Iron Cross for shock effect. However, following the release of the Dead Kennedys' "Nazi Punks Fuck Off!" single, this sharply declined. In a 7" reissue of the single, an armband adorned with a crossed out swastika was included and soon adopted into punk fashion. To this day, most punks are staunchly anti-racist, and many punks now wear a crossed out swastika patch (pictured left) or other anti-fascist symbols.
[edit] 1980s hardcore and anti-fashion
When punk underwent its 1980s hardcore renaissance, it developed a new fashion style. Hardcore fashion was far more functional and much less interested in being shocking than its predecessor.
Dr. Martens boots, as well as steel-toed combat boots were worn, often with bandanas, chains and studded leather bands attached. Dirty, torn jeans and tartan skirts or kilts were commonly worn. Heavy chains were often appropriated and used as belts.
T-shirts were often bought from thrift stores and had either band names or social and political slogans written on them with marker pens. While this was not without precedent (NO FUTURE, a vaguely political slogan from the Sex Pistols song God Save The Queen, was commonly seen on punk clothing in the late 1970s), the depth and detail of these slogans were not developed until the hardcore punk movement gained momentum. Plaid flannel shirts with similar band names or slogans written on the tail of the shirt were also common. Leather rocker jackets became more popular during this era, as the popularity of the earlier customized blazers waned.
Hair was most often shaved. Those who did not shave their heads had crew cuts, mohawks or spiked, short hair, which was often dyed unnatural colours or bleached. Amongst women, a hairstyle similar to The Misfits' devilocks was popular. This involved shaving the entire head except for a tuft at the front. Hardcore punk women reacted to the earlier 1970s movement's coquettish vibe by adopting an asexual style. Body piercings and extensive tattoos became very popular during this era, as did spike bands and studded chokers. Bandanas were also commonly worn, which would sometimes serve to indicate a punk's crew/gang.
A parallel anti-fashion style developed alongside hardcore punk fashion at the same time. It emphasized minimal adornment and muted colors, and eschewing brand names and fashion trends. A typical late-1980s look included items such as a plain T-shirt or hooded sweatshirt, jeans or thrift store khakis and cheap flat-soled shoes. This look was worn by both men and women. Bands that fit this description included Hüsker Dü, Minor Threat and Black Flag.
Some punks believe that the phrase punk fashion is an oxymoron (band), since they see punk as the antithesis of fashion. Bob Mould of Hüsker Dü said:
Punks today are so concerned about what spikes or boots they're going to wear next weekend that they don't think there can be political implications in music. On the other hand, you see someone wearing a swastika on one shoulder and an anarchy symbol on the other and they don't realize that the two contradict one another.[citation needed]
[edit] Contemporary
Current factions of the punk subculture have different clothing habits, although there's often crossover between the different subgroups, in terms of style. Modern punk fashion has absorbed elements from many other similar fashions, most notably heavy metal fashion. One of the few elements in every form of punk fashion is a t-shirt with a band logo on it.
[edit] Standard punk
In general, modern punks wear leather, denim, spikes, chains, and combat boots. They often wear elements of early punk and hardcore fashion, such as kutten vests, bondage pants (often plaid) and torn clothing. There is a large influence by DIY-created and modified clothing, such as ripped pants or shirts. Hair is typically dyed in bright colors such as red, blue, green, pink or orange and arranged into a mohawk or liberty spikes. Hair can also be cut very short or shaved, but this does not necessarily mean the individual is a skinhead. Belts with metal studs, and bullet belts, are popular. Leather or denim jackets and vests often have patches or are painted with logos that express musical tastes or political views. Metal spikes or studs are often added to jackets and vests.
[edit] Hardcore
There are several styles of dress within the hardcore scene, and styles have changed since the genre started as hardcore punk in the late 1970s. What is fashionable in one branch of the hardcore scene may be frowned upon in another. Clothing styles are often chosen to make hardcore dance moves easier to perform. In the 2000s, some elements of hardcore clothing are baggy jeans or work pants, athletic wear, cargo or military shorts, band T-shirts and hoodies. Some hardcore bands and fans wear clothing items that are similar to contemporary hip hop fashion, such as baseball caps, athletic shoes, gold necklaces, large belt buckles, and clothing by athletic brands such as Nike.
[edit] Crust punk
Crust punk fashion is an extreme evolution of traditional punk fashion, and is heavily influenced by bands such as Doom, Amebix and Antisect. Typical crust punk fashion includes black or camouflage trousers or shorts covered in patches (heavy work pants are popular for their durability), torn band T-shirts or hoodies covered in patches, studded vests (commonly black denim), bullet belts, jewelry made from hemp and other natural/found objects, and sometimes bum flaps. Patches, even band patches, are often of a political nature. Patches are often screen printed at home by the individual crust punks. Clothing tends to be unwashed and unsanitary by conventional standards, and dreadlocks are popular. Crust punks sometimes sew articles of clothing with found or cheaply-bought materials. Baseball caps with patches sewn on are populare headgear.
[edit] Deathrock and horror punk
Deathrock and Horror punk fashion is similar to goth fashion. Black is the predominant colour. Deathrock and horror punk incorporates a sexier image, incorporating fishnets, corsets and elaborate make-up for men and women. The use of occult and horror imagery is prevalent on T-shirts, buttons, patches and jewellery. The Misfits crimson ghost logo is a common sight on articles of clothing. Other common adornments include band names painted on jackets or bleached into clothes, as well as buttons or patches indicating cities. The initials D and R (for Death Rock) may part of a crossbone logo, accompanied by other initials, such as C and A for California, N and Y for New York, or G and R for Germany. Hair may be in deathhawk style (a wider teased-out variant of the mohawk hairstyle), an angled bangs style, or in a devil lock style.
[edit] Skate punk
Skate punk can refer to two very different groups. The first group refers to those who are traditional skate punks. Traditional skate punk generally takes a backseat to fashion. There really isn't a consensus about certain brands that have to be worn. The basic fashion encompasses clothing related to skateboarding or punk culture. They commonly have shaggy or short hair. Baseball caps and trucker caps are common, often with punk band logos or skate companies.. They wear tattered, torn jeans or shorts and usually disregard cleanliness. The other group commonly referred to as being skate punk is an almost complete opposite of the former and borders on being the same as pop punk. Generally, they are very clean cut and wear straight leg or baggy/sagging jeans. They often wear hoodies with various logos. All skate punk groups tend to wear skate shoes such as those made by Vans, Adio, Etnies, Circa, Emerica and Fallen.
[edit] Pop punk
Today's pop punk fans often wear items such as band T-shirts with a necklace, tie or scarf; blazers; Dickies pants, ripped pants or jeans; studded belts; stretchy gloves with the fingers cut off; Converse All-Stars or skateboarder shoes; and Trilbies or similar hats. Popular patterns include check and arms. Hair is usually long and up for women and short and spiky for men — and is often dyed black, platinum blonde, or natural hair colors with unnatural streaks. This fashion is influenced by artists such as My Chemical Romance, blink-182, Good Charlotte, The Offspring, and Green Day.
[edit] Emo
Some fans of emo opt for tight black T-shirts, skintight girl's jeans with a carabiner on the back belt loop, and white belts. The style is often associated with bands such as Some Girls, and Converge. Dyed black hair (often combed down over one side of the face), ear piercings, nose piercings, flesh tunnels and labrets are popular within this scene.
[edit] Obscure trends
The punk subculture has produced a few fashion styles that are limited to very few individuals. One prominent example is the wearing of black military surplus clothing. This was practiced by bands such as T.S.O.L. and Crass. Some punks dress similarly to the droogs in the film A Clockwork Orange. This entails white boiler suits, bowler hats, black Dr. Martens or combat boots, suspenders and eye make-up (on one eye only), as well as having songs, artwork, etc. that revolve around A Clockwork Orange. This was practiced by bands such as The Adicts, Lower Class Brats, The Violators and Major Accident.
[edit] Commercialization
Punk fashion has been extremely commercialized at various times, and many well-established fashion designers — such as Vivienne Westwood and Jean Paul Gaultier — have used punk elements in their production. Punk clothing, which was initially handmade, became mass produced and sold in record stores and some smaller specialty clothing stores by the 1980s. By the late 1990s, the American chain store Hot Topic established a niche in selling what they advertised as "punk style clothing" at shopping malls. Many fashion magazines and other glamor-oriented media have featured classic punk hairstyles and punk-influenced clothing. These have caused controversy, as many punks view it as having sold out; those wearing such clothes are often not considered real punks, although they are commonly accepted in pop punk and skatepunk circles.
[edit] Common elements of punk fashion
- Bondage pants
- Brothel creepers
- Chuck Taylor All-Stars shoes, or sweatshop-free alternatives such as Blackspot and No Sweat
- Dickies pants and shorts
- Dr. Martens boots
- Dyed mohawks
- Hoodies
- Kutten
- Military uniform items (i.e. combat boots, BDUs, dog tags)
- Piercings, stereotypically of the nose
- Rocker jackets
- Safety pins
- Skate shoes
- Spike bands and studded belts
- Tartan patterns
- Torn clothing
[edit] References
- Dick Hebidge (1979). Subculture: The Meaning of Style (Routledge, March 10, 1981; softcover ISBN 0-415-03949-5). Cited in Negus, Keith (1996). Popular Music in Theory: An Introduction. Wesleyan University Press. ISBN 0-8195-6310-2.
- Paul Gorman (2006). The Look: Adventures in Rock and Pop Fashion (Adelita, May 10 2006; softcover ISBN 0-9552017-0-5)
[edit] See also
- BDSM fashion
- Black metal fashion
- Cyberpunk fashion
- Deathrock fashion
- Emo fashion
- Gothic fashion
- Industrial fashion
[edit] External links
- "1970s Punk Fashion History Development" by Pauline Weston Thomas, Fashion-Era.com, 2007.
- "Punk and the Swastika", The Summer of Hate (webzine)
- "Swastica and Punk"
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