Skinhead Fashion

The movement of skinhead fashion.

The skinhead movement was born in the 1950’s when American music started to get very popular in England and different kind of groups was created because they listened to one type of music and dressed in one specific way.

Examples of these groups were: “The mods” which dressed very formally and listened to rhythm and blues, and “The rockers” that worn white t-shirts, leather jackets and listened to 50’s rock & roll like Elvis and Buddy Holly.

The big change came when different kind of “Mods” got split up into different groups which was the more conservative “Mods” called “Mod cons”, that listened to more British rock & roll, and “Art mods” that became more hippies and listened to folk music.

The split up let to fights and riots between the different type of gangs and this resulted in the “Skinhead fashion.”
The way these people started to look like was with shaved heads , black flight jackets, suspenders and Doc Marten Boots. (Skinhead Roots in Britain 2011)

“Mod cons”  became more like the skinheads and  started to listening to the band “Slade” which played fast paste music and had a  skinhead image,  however this image was only created as an publicity stunt since the skinheads was given a lot of press at the time.

"Slade" 1969-1970

Because of the way skinheads were very much associated with violence this created image resulted in a reputation of the band being violant.
This reputation of the band was not true, although it had it’s advantage. (Ambrose Slade 2012)

“An advantage of their hard-knock appearance was there was never any hassle collecting their gig payments from promoters who feared they might get beaten up by the group unless they promptly handed over the full amount” (Ambrose Slade 2012, Para. 6)

The fashion of the skinheads was very specific and all the clothes had a particular function. The way the dressed was created because of the way they lived which involved a lot of violence.

The shaved head was because it made it harder to grab their hair. The Doc marten boots were both a symbol for the working class, since the factory workers used them, and because of the steel toe, which was used as a weapon. (Skinhead Roots in Britain 2011)

Later on the skinheads has been associated with violent groups of "football hooligans" around England and also "Neo fascist" groups that was more committed to harassments rather then political gains.

The different ways that “skinheads” has been associated with  negative aspects has made it a questionable way to dress and there are not a lot of people that has the courage of dressing that way because of the way it is considered as a political statement that is not accepted by the society.

I think that you can still see trace of the “skinhead fashion” everywhere, however the people who are wearing it does not see themselves as skinheads.

This is England, n.d

Different movies like Green street hooligans and This is England has made people take after the different things like suspenders and Doc Marten boots, however it has nothing to do with the political views or even the subculture that it is created from, it is simply something different that gives an impression of individuality and style.

Many different groups has been inspired by this fashion and two examples are the brands Doc Marten and Lonsdale which both has a specific connection to either the early violence in the 50’s or the subculture of “football hooligans”

Doc Marten, n.d

A few years ago it was questioned to wear these types of brands and they was associated with a violent lifestyle, however I believe that it is changing and that it is getting more accepted in today’s fashion. 

REFERENCES

Ambrose Slade 2012, viewed 9^th September 2012

<http://www.brumbeat.net/aslade.htm>

Skinhead roots in Britain 2011, viewed 9^th September 2012

<http://search.proquest.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/docview/392373384>

The skinhead international: United Kingdom 2012, viewed 10^th September 2012

< http://www.nizkor.org/hweb/orgs/american/adl/skinhead-international/skins-united-kingdom.html>

Ambrose Slade ,n.d, image, viewed 9^th September 2012

<http://www.brumbeat.net/slade2.jpg>

Tag archives: doc Martens, n.d, image, viewed 10^th September 2012

<http://fashiongrunge.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/full-6.jpeg?w=545&h=754>
This is England 86: The fashion, n.d, image, viewed 10^th September 2012

<http://wardrobemag.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/this-is-england-1.jpg?w=490>