The History Of Punk Rock Fashion

History of Punk Rock Fashion

Punk rock music was an anti-establishment rock music genre and movement in the 1970's. Punk rock was preceded by Rock-n-Roll of the 50's and protopunk of the 60's and early 70's. The movement took place in the years from 74 to 77. The main countries that saw this movement were the United States, United Kingdom and Australia, where groups such as The Clash, The Ramones, and Sex Pistols were the Vanguard of the movement. The punk movement influenced the subculture that created clothing, hangouts, and a do it yourself attitude and lifestyle. The fashion first emerged in the mid 1970s in London as an anarchic and aggressive movement. About 200 young people defined themselves as an anti-fashion urban youth street culture. The original punk rock movement around the world was intended to be confrontational and rebellious. The style of punk dress came from the music and lifestyle presented from the music. Although the fashion was different than it is now, many items worn by punks in the beginning of the movement were less commonly worn later on, and new elements added. A big part of punk fashion was influenced by the designs of Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLauren. People still refer to Westwood for inspiration today, as well as the vanguards of the music.

Deliberately offensive shirts were popular in the early punk scene, such as the infamous DESTROY T-shirt sold at SEX (Malcolm McLaurens store in London), which featured an inverted crucifix and a Nazi Swastika. Many shirts and other items were intentionally torn and destroyed. Other items in early British punk fashion included the Anarchy symbol, brightly-colored or white and black dress shirts randomly covered in slogans, Anarchist slogans and symbols, fake blood, patches, and deliberately controversial images, such as portraits of Karl Marx, Josef Stalin and Mussolini were popular. Leather jackets and customised blazers were introduced early, and are still popular in the fashion.

Leather, denim, spikes, chains, and combat boots, badges, bleach-stained jeans, bondage pants, brothel creepers, buttons, Chuck Taylor All-Stars shoes, or sweatshop-free alternatives such as Blackspot and No Sweat, Dickies pants and shorts, Dr. Martens boots, dyed hair in unnatural colors, piercings, fingerless gloves, fishnet stockings, hoodies, leopard print, military uniform, combat boots, BDUs or dog tags, mini-skirts, mohawk hairstyles and liberty spikes, leather jackets, safety pins, skate shoes such as Vans or Converse, sleeveless T-shirts, slim-fit jeans, spiked bands and studded belts, spray painted clothing, tartan patterns, tattoos, torn clothing, wrist bands, and pictures of Ronald Regan with a bullet hole in his head are part of the punk fashion. Hope you get some ideas from this if needed.

Punk rock fashion has influenced or been influenced by skinheads, rude boys, greasers, gothic, rockabilly, gothabilly, BDSM, black metal, glam, skate punk, ska, pop punk, cyber punk, emo, grunge, heavy metal, industrial, and steampunk fashions.