Is The Punk Era Over?
By Shaun Parker
It has to be said, there has been nothing quite as shocking to the public as the advent of punk clothing. Of course, there have always been periods of time and aspects of fashion where people have tried to shock - even back in early Victorian days it was the Goths that liked the aspect of being that bit different to the masses (no the youngsters of today did not invent Goth!).
As time goes by we get used to the difference in clothing and we get used to things being a little more daring. After all the uproar in the Sixties of the revealing mini skirt, it’s now just standard clothing and while not everyone would want to wear one, very few people bat an eyelid these days if they see one.
Again, there was outrage when girls began baring their midriff. More widely tolerated, though not accepted by all, the bare belly has become yet another of those things originally designed to shock but that shock value has dissolved into grumbled acceptance until we now find ourselves once again going the other way and more and more girls are willing to cover up and leave a little to the imagination.
So, what was it about punk clothing that made it so different? Well, although I was too young to appreciate it at the time, from what I have seen of today’s punks, I would guess it is because the fashion seemed so aggressive.
Previous fashions would dictate that you combed your hair in a different direction or altered its length but the punk era is the only one that has hair changed to luminous colours and stood up in sharp spikes. This truly makes people stand out from the crowd. Mohicans for men and women, although taken from ancient red Indians, had never before been so harsh, so loudly coloured or so tall! It is the advent of hair products that have allowed this to be possible.
Other fashions have always changed basic clothes to make them their own eg, rounded colours as opposed to Grandad style collars, skin tight jeans as opposed to flared jeans. However, when it comes to punk clothing we once again have a rather harsh look. Jeans and t-shirts that are ripped with large gaping holes and covered in graffiti are the in thing for punks, particularly when teamed with boots that the average person would need a step ladder to climb into.
Safety pins have also had a large presence in punk clothing. Sometimes with just one or two large pins or alternatively a whole row of smaller safety pins holding together the ripped clothing to stop it from falling off!
Piercings have also been popular with punks - the more daring the better. Facial piercings are a must and if you feel like being that little bit…. strange…. you could always attach chains to your clothes and ears, nose or other body parts.
Simply from the description, you can understand why some people would find those that dress like this to be a little intimidating. Punks have a reputation for anarchy. However, this reputation is very generalised and not all punks are like that. Many of them are upstanding citizens who just have a different taste in clothing. The picture of a green mohicaned, chained and pinned punk helping an old lady across the road is not so unusual!
As with all generations, some will make up their own styles and some will revert to a version of a fashion gone by. In any case, the punk is here to stay.
About The Author
Shaun Parker is an expert historian with many years of experience in the fashion world. Find out more about punk clothing at http://www.subculturewear.com