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Punk fashion was born in the 1970s. Many people view punk fashion as strange, and sort of rebel-looking. Such a situation is one of the reasons why many people frown at this type of fashion. You may or may not be one of these people. Regardless of how you see punk fashion, have you ever wondered how it came into conception? In case you’re curious to find out, read on below:
Clothing Distinctions in Different Parts of the World
Great Britain
Punk fashion has become more acceptable in the United Kingdom than in the United States. Many British people have come to regard punk fashion as a creative means of dressing up. Many kinds of punk clothing have become widespread in the country. Examples of this clothing have been “Destroy” T-shirts, bumbags, Tartan-styled bondage trousers, ripped muslin shirts, and Sloganed types of clothing.
Furthermore, punk fashion in the United Kingdom has consisted of a do-it-yourself (DIY) artistic collection of clothing called Hebdige “Bricolage”. This style of clothing comprises a couple of rare materials. These materials are mohair sweaters, tight jeans, and “jelly shoes.” The use of old or used clothes has become prominent in the country during the inception of punk fashion.
The United States
Strangely said, though, punk fashion originally came from the United States. New York seemed to be the place in the country where this kind of clothing was first conceived. Detroit, Cleveland, and potentially, Los Angeles, were other cities in America where punk fashion possibly became widespread. The wider array of the distribution of punk items when World War II came to an end caused many young people to adhere to their own unique preferences of clothing or fashion style. These fashion style preferences are those of punk style.
Beginning in 1975, musicians have also started to adopt punk fashion style of clothing. Punk fashion at this stage and nature have been otherwise popularly known as the Bohemian fashion. Punk fashion in America was initially characterized by the black leather jacket, T-shirt, straight jeans, and hustler sneakers clothing.
The Combination of Punk Fashion in the United Kingdom and the United States
Punk fashion in the United Kingdom reached its most trending popularity in 1977. In fact, this height of popularity has led to the publication of a book called, “Subculture: The Meaning of Style,” by Dick Hebdige. Hebdige applied ideas from Marxism, Structuralism, and Semiotics to give the audiences a clear picture of traditional practices of post-World War II British youth subculture. These practices are based on the concepts of punk.
In the analysis he conducted, Hebdige utilized the concept of “Bricolage.” Bricolage referred to a mix of fashion of incomparable coded items and juxtaposition, and, thus, made punk fashion send out a new message to the general public.
The image of a pierced nose and ripped jeans and jacket have been the images that protect punk fashion’s reputation in Britain.
In the United Kingdom, young people depicted punk fashion as something that symbolized isolation from their parents. Such a situation ran into a completely contradictory situation in the United States.
How Punk Fashion Was Commercialized
In 1979, the popularity of punk fashion in the United States was halted. As a result, its commercialization was set through the ads of punk clothing, badges, and T-shirts in music-themed magazines. After some time, a reconnection with the motorcycle jacket, Dr. Martin’s work-wear boots, the popularity of various hair colorings, the iconic Mohawk haircut, and the fondness with anything in black color, transformed punk fashion popularity into Goth and New Romantic concepts during the initial parts of the 1980s. Down the road, this transformation of Demonia style has come to be known as rejuvenation of punk, but, in a different version.