Everything about Punk Fashion totally explained
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,
greasers, and
mods have influenced punk fashion. Punk fashion has likewise influenced the styles of these groups, as well as those of
popular culture.
Historical
Original styles
The original punk fashions of the 1970s were 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 the 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 City, supposedly managing the
The New York Dolls (Note: In the documentary
Punk: Attitude,
David Johansen said McLaren was never their manager, and that he only designed clothes for them and booked them one concert; the
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 punk clothing items, were often intentionally torn. Other items in early British punk fashion included:
Anarchy symbols; brightly-colored or white and
black dress shirts randomly 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. Leather
rocker jackets and customised
blazers were 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 long smooth hairstyles that were common in the 1960s and early 1970s. Hair 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. Many punks didn't wear leather or fur because they were vegetarian or vegan.
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
Rock Against Racism, this sharply declined. To this day, most punks are staunchly
anti-fascist, and many punks in the 2000s wear a crossed out Swastika patch (pictured left) or other
anti-racist symbols.
1980s
When punk underwent its 1980s
hardcore,
Oi!/
streetpunk, and
UK82 renaissance, new fashion styles developed as parallel resurgences occurred in the
United States and
United Kingdom. The US scene was exemplified by bands such as
Black Flag,
Minor Threat, and
Fear. The 1980s American scene spawned a utilitarian anti-fashion that was nonetheless raw, angry, and intimidating. In the UK, much of the punk music and fashion in the 1980s was influenced by
heavy metal and the
Oi! scene. However, elements of the 1970s punk look never fully died away. What many recognize as typical punk fashions today emerged from the 1980s British scene, exemplified by bands such as
The Exploited,
Subhumans,
Charged GBH, and
The Partisans. Some of the following clothing items were common on both sides of the
Atlantic Ocean, and some were unique to certain geographic areas.
Footwear that was common in the 1980s punk scene included
Dr. Martens boots,
motorcycle boots and steel-toed
combat boots; sometimes adorned with bandanas, chains or studded leather bands.
Jeans (sometimes dirty, torn or splattered with bleach) and
tartan kilts or skirts were commonly worn. Leather skirts became a popular item for female punks. Heavy chains were sometimes used as belts. Bullet belts, and studded belts (sometimes more than one worn at a time) became common.
Some punks bought
T-shirts or plaid flannel shirts and wrote political slogans, band names or other punk-related phrases on them with
marker pens. While this wasn't without precedent in the 1970s, the depth and detail of these slogans were not fully developed until the 1980s. Silkscreened T-shirts with band logos or other punk-related logos or slogans were also popular. Studded, painted and otherwise customised leather
rocker jackets or denim vests became more popular during this era, as the popularity of the earlier customized blazers waned.
Hair was either shaved, spiked or in a
crew cut or
Mohawk hairstyle. Tall mohawks and spiked hair, either bleached or in bright colors, took on a more extreme character than in the 1970s.
Charged hair, in which all of one's hair stands on end but isn't styled into distinct spikes, also emerged. Amongst female punks, a hairstyle similar to
The Misfits'
devilocks was popular. This involved shaving the entire head except for a tuft at the front. Body piercings and extensive
tattoos became very popular during this era, as did
spike bands and studded
chokers. Sometimes
bandana were worn to indicate gang affiliation. Some hardcore punk women reacted to the earlier 1970s movement's vibe by adopting an asexual style.
Contemporary
Current factions of the punk subculture have different clothing habits, although there's often crossover between the different subgroups in terms of style.
Standard punk
In general, modern punks wear leather, denim, spikes, chains, and combat boots. They often wear elements of early punk 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 or stitched-together 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 could also be cut very short or shaved. 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. Pants are usually tapered tightly. Metal spikes or studs are often added to jackets and vests.
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 moshing easier to perform. Plain
working class dress and short hair (with the exception of dreadlocks) are usually associated with hardcore punk. Mute colors and minimal adornment are usually common. Some elements of hardcore clothing are baggy jeans or work pants, athletic wear, cargo or military shorts, band T-shirts, plain T-shirts, and band
hoodies. Some hardcore bands and fans wear clothing items that are similar to contemporary or old school
hip hop fashion, such as
baseball caps, athletic wear and shoes, and clothing by athletic brands such as
Nike,
Adidas,
Pony, and
Puma. Personal comfort and the ability to mosh are highly influential in this style (Jewelery, spikes, tight clothes, flashy hair and chains are highly uncommon and discouraged in hardcore fashion.)
Anarcho-Punk
Anarcho-punk fashion is a politicised adaptation of traditional punk fashion. This all black militaristic fashion was pioneered by
Crass in the
United Kingdom and by
T.S.O.L. in the
United States. A prominent feature is the heavy use of anarchist symbols and slogans. Some whom define themselves as Anarcho-Punks may opt to wear clothing similar to traditionalist punks or crust punks, but not often to the extreme of either subculture. Mohawks, and liberty spikes are rarely seen, but can still be worn. Tight pants, bands shirts and boots are common. Hair styling products are often used only on the basis that the company who manufactures it didn't test it on animals. Leather, often avoided as part of
Veganism, may be replaced with imitation leather or cloth in a similar design as leather products.
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 and jackets (commonly black denim), bullet belts, jewelry made from hemp and other natural/found objects, and sometimes
bum flaps. Leather can be utilized if bought second hand or if the individual had it prior to becoming a crust punk. Patches, even band patches, are often of a political nature. 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, such as dental floss.
Baseball caps with patches sewn on or studs implanted are popular headgear. Pants are often held up with
string,
hemp, or vegan-friendly imitation leather (sometimes avoided due to the style's connection with animal cruelty).
Skate punk
A
skate punk is a skateboarder that listens to punk music. Many wear clothing from companies such as Baker, Emerica, Fallen, Element, and Vans. They also may wear cheap generic clothes, including army surplus clothing. A common element is a trucker flip-up hat with writing or logos of skate crews or skate punk band logos written on the bill. It is normal for skate punks to wear folded bandanas in their back pockets. Band T-shirts and skateboard company T-shirts or hoodies are common. Wear skinny jeans, common colors are blue, navy and black.
Pop punk
Pop punk fashion sometimes overlaps with skater punk fashion and emo fashion. Contemporary pop punk fans often wear items such as band T-shirts with, tie or scarf;
blazers;
Dickies pants, tight skinny pants, jeans or shorts; studded belts;
Converse All-Stars or Vans Off The Wall,skateboarder shoes. Popular patterns include checkers and arms. Hair is usually long for women, and short and spiky for men — and is sometimes dyed black, platinum blonde, or natural hair colors with
unnatural streaks.
Obscure trends
Some punks dress similarly to the droogs in the film
A Clockwork Orange. This involves white
boiler suits,
bowler hats, black
Dr. Martens or
combat boots,
suspenders and sometimes black eye makeup (on one eye only). This look has been displayed by bands such as
The Adicts and
Lower Class Brats, The Violators and Major Accident.
An item associated with the
Suicidals scene (influenced by the
California band
Suicidal Tendencies) is a
baseball cap or trucker hat with the bill upturned, and with text written or painted on it. Suicidals (and some individuals in the later hardcore scene) also wear other styles associated with the
Cholo gang member look. This involves bandanas (primarily blue in color) on one's head,
Converse sneakers and plaid flannel shirts. This style sometimes includes a shaved head, short mohawk or crewcut.
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. .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.
Common elements of punk fashion
Further Information
Get more info on 'Punk Fashion'.
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