Teddy Boys
They are characterised by dressing style partly inspired from the Edwardian period (1901-1910). They represent the first era of british youth subculture.The trend came about in the early 1950s in England after the end of World War II.
They use to refer themselves as teds. Originally, the style of Edwardian inspired clothing was introduced by Saville Row, but eventually that look was customised by the Teddy Boys with even narrow trousers, trimmed, cuffs and pockets. Hence, the term “The New Edwardian Look”. The style was created by the working class teenagers themselves.They like to flaunt their clothes and they would spend much of their money on clothing.
Clothing: Drainpipe trousers,long drape jackets, bootlace tie,collared shirts.
Hairstyle: Slicked up with a quiff at the front
Elvis Presley
Music: Teddy Boys embraced American Rock and Roll music. They would listen to Bill Haley, Elvis Presley and so on of the 1950s. They also play an important role in introducing American Rock and Roll music in Britain.
Footwear: Brogues , Creepers, Chukka shoes or boots /Accessories: Tie pins and cuff links
In 1953, when a teenager John Beckley was murdered by Teddys Boys, thereafter it created a negative image of them in the society. They were seen as bad guys in the society.
In 1970s, their look was promoted by Vivienne Westwood and Malcom McLaren through their shop “Let it Rock”. The style of second generation teddys boys in 1970s followed the style of the first generation, but with some changes such as they started wearing brother creeper, satin shirts, big buckled belts, colourful drape jackets. They started using hairspray instead og grease to style their hair.
In 1990s, the Edwardian drape society was formed in order to reclaim the original style of the 1950s Teddy Boys style which was somehow faded along the way.
ROCKERS
The subculture was first seen in United States and then later developed in UK in the 1950s. Rockers wore jeans and leather jackets and ride motorcycles and have scruffy appearance. They were not welcomed at the dance clubs and pubs because of their appearance.They were also called Bikers. They would usually buy normal standard model motorcycles, and then modified to make it look like racing bikes which would be louder and faster.They used to race on public roads.The Ace cafe was the hangout place for Rockers in the early 1950s and they would make the cafe as starting and finishing line for a speed race. Hence, the term “cafe race” and they were also called “cafe racers”.They used the motorcycles not just only as a means of transportation but also as a symbol of masculinity.
Clothing: Leather jackets with studs, patched, and decorative such as pins and badges to adorn the jacket. They used to jeans and leather pants.Rockers used to wear white silk scarfs and aviator while riding the bike. The style was influenced by American music and movies.
Hairstyle: The Rocker hairstyle was usually pompadour.
Music: They use to listen to 1950s and the early 1960s rock and roll music. Examples: Elvis Presley, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, Chuck Berry and so on.
HIPPIES
It was developed as a youth movement during the 1960s and 1970s, that rejected the mores of mainstream American life.It was originated on college campuses in the United States and later spread to other countries, including Canada and Britain. During those time, Hippies felt alienated from middle-class society, which they saw as dominated by materialism and repression, and they developed their own distinctive lifestyle.They displayed the peace symbol on many things such as for the Vietnam war, to show they opposed the war and supported world peace.They were sometimes called”Flower children” as they advocated nonviolence and love.
Janis Joplin
Music: They expressed themselves through new kinds of music such as listening to psychedelic rock ‘n’ roll and folk music that protested the war and encouraged freedom from conformity .These music were an integral part of their hippie culture and they often held music festivals or gatherings where they protested the war.Singers and groups such as Bob Dylan,Jimi Hendrix, Beatles, Rolling stones were among those identified with the movement.
Jimi Hendrix
Fashion:One way to represent their beliefs or their dissatisfaction with the society was through their appearance.Many wore bell-bottomed blue jeans,tie-dyed t-shirts and some even went barefoot.They preferred long hair, rimless granny glasses,wore beads and many male grew beards.Whereas, long flowing granny dresses were popular with women.
MODS
This subculture which was a youth subculture was established post World War II in London, England.Teens who were from working-class families were trying to adopt exciting, fashionable and social lifestyle as it was a way to escape and rebel against the older generation and family obligation.They enjoyed a heavy social and party life, where they would gather in coffee shops which had jukeboxes for music and would party all night. Within the subculture they had general breakdowns of cliques, which was divide into three loosely defined groups: the mainstream Mods, the Scooter Boys, and the Hard Mods.This three different group had their own sense of fashion.
Music: They were attracted to modern jazz. The Who was one of the most famous Mod bands.Some of the key mods musicians were David Bowie, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane. They enjoyed emulating the African-American culture, and listened to early reggae, Jamaican ska, and soul music.
Fashion:The most important part of their subculture was style and appearance.They would spend every penny to wear tailor made suits, narrow lapels, skinny ties, pointed shoes, and pointed-collar shirts, so they would always look well-groomed and impeccable.Their fashion was very much influenced by the look of Italian and French television and movie stars.They could be considered narcissistic, as they were very focused on their physical appearance and dressed for show.
Hairstyle
The mod hairstyle was one of straight hair that was styled neat and short ,close to the head.It took a lot of effort and time to get the hairstyle perfect.They used sugar and water to shape up the hair and was left overnight,sometimes 24 hours to get it right.
PUNK
This subculture was established during 1970s in the UK, USA, and Australia, before spreading around the globe.Although punk music was largely an American invention, punk style and attitude was very much a product of British youth culture. Punk is anti-establishment, anti-status quo, anti-institutional and anti-religious. They believe in anarchy, freedom of the people, destruction of tradition and a basic truth that exists beneath all of these societal constraints. Everything that was normally supposed to be hidden was brought to the front, both literally and figuratively, such as one part of punk was creating explicitly outward identities of sexuality.
Music: Punk rock music has a variety of origins, one of which was the garage rock genre of the 1960s. Punk was also a reaction against the popular music of the 1970s, including superficial “disco” music, and form is heavy metal, progressive rock and arena rock.
Fashion: Punk fashion is all about the clothing, hairstyles, cosmetics, jewellery, and body modifications of the punk subculture. The distinct social dress of other subcultures and art movements, including glam rock, skinheads, rude boys, greasers, and mods have influenced punk fashion. Punk fashion has likewise influenced the styles of these groups, as well as those of popular culture. Many punks use clothing as a way of making a statement. Punk fashion has been extremely commercialised at various times, and many well-established fashion designers—such as Anna Sui, Vivienne Westwood and Jean Paul Gaultier—have used punk elements in their production. Punk clothing, which was initially handmade, became mass-produced and sold in record stores and some smaller speciality clothing stores by the 1980s. Many fashion magazines and other glamour-oriented media have featured classic punk hairstyles and punk-influenced clothing.
Some of the famous punk hairstyle are spikes, Mohawks or hair colour which are vibrant and unnatural.They use safety pins and razor blades as jewellery. They tend to show their love for a band by pin-back buttons or patches on their jackets or clothing to make it more attractive
Subculture 