Punk in fashion

of the of the Concerned 2 May Punk – Fashion Punk is a subculture that gained popularity amongst the young people at some time in the late 70s (Brake 1985). The punk culture believed in expressing resistance to and irreverence for the authority by resorting to what may be called a shocking behaviour (Brake 1985). The varied aspects of this so called shocking behaviour included a preference for offbeat clothes, strange hair styles and loud music. Young people wore punk clothes either because they intended to mock authority or because they really liked and preferred to wear such clothes (Brake 1985). Punk culture laid stress on being creative and trying out new things (Brake 1985). It involved colouring hair, and wearing clothes that were the hallmark of punk movement. Punk culture had a great influence on the contemporary fashion. Some of the essential staples of punk fashion included leather jackets most often accessorized with pictures and embossments of punk band logos, pins, studs and innovative patches (Muggleton 2005). Other quintessential accoutrements of punk fashion were tight fitting stretchable jeans and shorts, heavy denim jackets most often adorned with patches, studs, pins and band logos, creepers, bondage pants, doc martens, etc (Muggleton 2005). The whole objective of the punk fashion was to mock the established conventions and stereotypes of modesty and to accentuate the intention of not being able to adapt to or fit in the mainstream society (Childs & Storry 1999). Punk fashion also adopted certain specific and peculiar hairstyles like buzzcuts, short and spiky, liberty spikes and mowhawks (Childs & Storry 1999). Though the punk fatigue represented a tough and hard persona, the punk culture was on the contrary was very accommodating and open minded. Punk culture had a distinct impact on the fashion in the 20th century (Fashion Trends 2009). The earlier punk fashion trends were distinctly anti materialistic (Fashion Trends 2009). The primary focus of the punk fashion was on rebutting the excesses and pretensions inherent in the mainstream fashion by affiliating to peculiar clothing, body modifications, hairstyles, jewellery and cosmetics (Lamphier 2007). Punk fashion was definitively influenced by the style and dress codes of varied other art movements and subcultures like mods, glam rock, skinheads, greasers, and rude boys (Whalen & Flacks 1989). It would not be wrong to say that punk fashion also influenced many other art movements, subcultures and fashion trends (Whalen & Flacks 1989). The primary intention of the punk fashion and dressing code was to use fashion to make a statement (Whalen & Flacks 1989). The influential British fashion designer of the 70s, Vivienne Westwood is considered to be the mother of punk fashion (Roger 1999). Vivienne was closely associated with the subculture fashion and dress codes and youth movements like punk having moorings in the constrained and difficult economic and socio-political conditions prevailing in the UK in the 70s (Roger 1999). Westwood forged a partnership with McLaren to design and market fashion inspired by a punk vision (McRobbie 1994). Punk ideology is no doubt an important constituent of the late 20th century postmodern fashion, quiet evident in the works of contemporary designers like Martin Margiela and Rei Kawakubo (The Metropolitan Museum of Art 2011). Sad to say that though the punk fashion has not gone totally out of style, it has ended up becoming a victim of the mass marketing strategies of the contemporary capitalist societies. Reference List Brake, Michael 1985, Comparative Youth Culture: The Sociology of Youth Cultures and Youth-Cultures in America, Britain and Canada, Routledge, London. Childs, Peter & Storry, Mike 1999, Encyclopaedia of Contemporary British Culture, Routledge, London. Fashion Trends 2009, Punk Fashion History, Fashion Trends, 11 February, Viewed 2 May 2011, . Lamphier, Jason (June 2007), ‘ Waking Life’, Out, Vol. 15, no. 12, pp. 38. McRobbie, Angela 1994, Postmodernism and Popular Culture, Routledge, London. Muggleton, David 2005, Inside Subculture: The Postmodern Meaning of Style, Berg, Oxford. Roger, Savin 1999, Punk Rock: So What?, Routledge, London. The Metropolitan Museum of Art 2011, Vivienne Westwood (born 1941) and the Postmodern Legacy of Punk Style, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Viewed 2 May 2011, < http://www. metmuseum. org/toah/hd/vivw/hd_vivw. htm>.