Punk clothing originated from the punk movement’s desire to rebel against mainstream culture in the 1970s and 1980s, with DIY aesthetics and odd combinations. The movement was quickly co-opted and mass-produced, but punk fashion remains popular and has influenced major designers. The punk movement has branched out into sub-subcultures, but watching performance videos by legendary punk bands is the best way to get a true punk aesthetic.
Punk clothing is worn by fans of punk rock music and its related subculture and also includes fashions inspired by that distinctive look. In the 1970s and 1980s, devotees of the punk aesthetic attempted to break away from the manufactured and commercialized trends of mainstream culture. To do this, they deviated from the mainstream in music, hairstyles, and in every other possible way, including creating punk clothing. Ironically, these radical styles were quickly co-opted and mass-produced, becoming part of mainstream culture. Punk fashion and its main imitators continue to exist in the 21st century.
In the 1970s, anti-authoritarian radicals in Europe and America searched for ways to express their discontent with the dominant culture. They noted that the rebels of the previous decade, the hippies, had failed to create their proposed revolution. Instead, they slowly integrated back into the common culture, leaving little lasting change. The founders of the punk movement sought an even more radical rebellion against a culture they saw as conformist and market-oriented. Rallying around the music of punk pioneers like Patti Smith, the Sex Pistols and Iggy Pop, they created a culture as different from the mainstream as they could get.
This was the origin of punk clothing, hairstyles, and fashion. A lot of punk clothing followed a DIY aesthetic. Slogans were added to shirts and jackets with paint or markers, and thrift store finds were embellished with safety pins, splattered with bleach, or afflicted with razor blades. Odd combinations were also popular, such as women wearing pink ballet tutus with army surplus combat boots and men’s work shirts. The punk aesthetic spilled over into hairstyles, often in wild shapes like the famous mohawk, and colored with store-bought hair products. Homemade decorations were also popular; The safety pin as a body piercing became an icon of the punk movement.
Before long, clothing manufacturers were producing their own lines of punk clothing. Some young punks adopted these pre-made punk styles and saw no contradiction in shopping for punk clothes at the mall. Other punks reacted with horror at what they saw as the commercial cooptation of their rebellious aesthetic. These punks rebelled further, creating many offshoots of punk culture with their own fashion styles. Leather craft used work clothes and boots; and outfits held together with thread, string, or even dental floss were not uncommon.
In the 21st century, both the genuine punk aesthetic and commercially produced punk clothing remain popular. The punk movement has branched out into literally dozens of sub-subcultures. Meanwhile, punk styles have influenced major fashion designers like Zandra Rhodes and Vivienne Westwood. Punk fashions are visible in movies like Sid and Nancy and 1984’s Suburbia, and on TV shows like The Young Ones. However, to get a true punk aesthetic, it’s best to watch performance videos by legendary punk bands like Black Flag, New York Dolls, or Dead Kennedys.
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