1970s

 

Punk rock was about being rebels. They clothing and hairstyles were nothing like what had been in fashion and the music they played and listened to was very different. In the United states, dirty, simple clothes - ranging from the T-shirt/jeans/leather jacket Ramones look to the low-classy second had “dress” clothes of acts like Television or Patti Smith were preferred over the expensive or colourful clothing popular in the disco scene.

 

In the United Kingdom a great deal of punk fashion from the 1970s was based of the designs of Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren and the Bromley Contingent.

Deliberately offensive T-shirts were popular in the early punk scene, such as the DESTROY T-shirt which featured an inverted crucifix and a Nazi Swastika. These T-shirts, like other punk clothing items, were often torn on purpose. Other items in early British punk fashion included: leather jackets, customised blazers and dress shirts randomly covered in slogans such as "Only Anarchists are pretty", blood, patches and controversial images.

 

Other accoutrements worn by some punks included: BDSM fashions, fishnet stockings (sometimes ripped), spike bands and other studded or spiked jewelry, safety pins, silver bracelets and heavy eyeliner worn by both men and women. Many female punks rebelled against the stereotypical image of a woman by combining clothes that were delicate or pretty with clothes that were considered masculine, such as combining a Ballet tutu with big, clunky boots.

 

Punk clothing sometimes incorporated everyday objects for aesthetic effect. Purposely ripped clothes were held together by safety pins or wrapped with tape, black garbage bags became dresses, shirts and skirts. Other items added to clothing or as jewellery included razor blades and chains.

 

Preferred footwear included military boots, motorcycle boots, brothel creepers, Puma Clydes (suede), Chuck Taylor All-Stars and later, Dr. Martens boots. Tapered jeans, tight leather pants, trousers with leopard patterns and bondage pants were popular choices. Hair was cropped and deliberately made to look messy, and was often dyed bright unnatural colours.

 

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1980s

 

In the 1980s fashion styles developed as parallel resurgences occurred in the United States and the United Kingdom.

What many recognise as typical punk fashions today emerged from the 1980s British scene, when punk underwent its Oi!/street punk, and UK82 renaissance. The US scene was exemplified by hardcore bands.The 1980s American scene spawned a utilitarian anti-fashion that was nonetheless raw, angry, and intimidating. However, elements of the 1970s punk look never fully died away.

 

Jeans, sometimes dirty, torn or splattered with bleach, and tartan kilts or skirts were commonly worn. Leather skirts became a popular item for female punks. Heavy chains were sometimes used as belts. Bullet belts, and studded belts (sometimes more than one worn at a time) also became common.Some punks bought T-shirts or plaid flannel shirts and wrote political slogans, band names or other punk-related phrases on them with marker pens.

 

Silkscreened T-shirts with band logos or other punk-related logos or slogans were also popular. Studded, painted and otherwise customised leather jackets or denim vests became more popular during this era, as the popularity of the earlier customized blazers waned. Hair was either shaved, spiked or in a crew cut or Mohawk hairstyle. Tall mohawks and spiked hair, either bleached or in bright colors, took on a more extreme character than in the 1970s.

Charged hair also emerged.

 

Hardcore punk fans adopted a dressed-down style of T-shirts, jeans, combat boots or sneakers and crewcut-style haircuts. Women in the hardcore scene typically wore army pants, band T-shirts, and hooded sweatshirts.

 

The punk rock fashion style is big and different. There are about 15 different punk rock styles.

 

      

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WESTERN FASHION IN THE 1970S

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Fashion in the 1970s began with a continuation of the mini skirts, bellbottoms and the hippie look from the late 60's and eventually became an iconic decade for fashion.

Generally the most famous solhouette of the mid and late 70's for both genders was that of tight on top and loose on bottom. In mid 70's fashion was more about casual looks and the hippie look had completely disappeared. Women wore swaters, T-shirts, cardigans, kimonos, graphic T-shirts and sweaters, jeans, khakis, gauchos, workmen's clothes and vintage clothing. In late 70's fashion became more baggy. This caused much controversy, as women with trim figures were not able to flaunt them while heavier women complained the looser clothes made them look even larger. To make up for this it became fashionable to show more skin. Shirt were unbuttoned, sleeves rolled up and tops strapless, see through and lacy. Styles became curvier in '78, with shoulder pads, tighter skirts and narrower waistlines. Men wore bell bottom jeans, tie dye shirts and military surplus clothing. Tweed sports jackets, khakis chinos, chunky seaters, storm coats, battle jackets, flannel shirts, pleated pants, baseball jackets and pullover sweaters.

In the mid 70's most men simply wore jeans, sweaters, and T'shirts. American suits started to resemble the slimmer European suit. This new model, named the quasi-European suit, featured padded shoulders, higher arm holes, a smaller waist, open patch pockets, and a small flare to the pants and jacket. It became fashionable to wear velvet tuxedo jackets wit more casual pants to formal events, and vests came back into voogue.

By the late 70's most men and women were wearing spots clothing as everday apparel. This was primarily based on tracksuits, jupsuits,velour or terry cloth shirts, sweaters, caridagans, sweatshirts, puffer vests, straight-leg jeans and collard shirts.

 

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MOST POPLUAR PUNK BANDS.

 

The Sex pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Even though they only lasted just two and a half years they are considered one of the most unfluential acts in the history of popular music, having initiated a punk movement in the United Kingdom, and inspired many later punk rock, heavy metal and alternative rock musicians.

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The ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in Queens in 1974. They are often cited as the first band to define the punk rock sound. The band was a major influence on the punk movement in both United States and United Kingdom.

 

The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk and was one of the most famoust punk bands.

 

Vivienne Westwood is known to be the mother of punk rock fashion. She first came to public notice when she made clothes for Malcolm McLaren's boutique in the King's Road, wich became famous as "SEX". It was their ability to synthesise clothing and music that shaped the 70's UK punk scene, dominated by McLaren's band, the Sex Pistols. She was deeply inspired by the shock-value of punk. Westwood opened four shops in London eventually expanding throughout the UK and the world, selling an increasingly varied range of merchandise. She was one of the architects of the punk fashion phenomenon of the 70's saying "I was messianic about punk, seeing if one could put a spoke in the system in some way".