Skinhead clothing, symbols, hairstyles. youth subculture

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:47

Skinheads are a common subculture that mostly attracts urban youth. A distinctive attribute of people who associate themselves with this social phenomenon is a special, specific style in the formation of appearance. Let's find out what kind of clothes skinheads have, what hairstyles and symbols the representatives of this subculture wear.

A Brief History

In the late 60s of the last century, representatives of the working class from the English cities of Liverpool and London began to oppose the ideology of the hippies, whose main slogan was "Peace and Love". Skinheads began to oppose bare nape to the messy long hairstyles of the latter. Bell-bottoms and loose shirts were not recognized as representatives of the new subculture and were replaced by neat, fitted clothing in a militaristic style.

Soon between hippies andskinheads from English cities began to have regular skirmishes. The reason was not the racist views of skinheaded young people, but the desire to convey to opponents the need to honor their proletarian origin. The impending economic crisis had a huge impact on the behavior of skinheads, which forced the supporters of the movement to behave more aggressively. Soon they began to listen to "wild", heartbreaking music, to arrange mass brawls in the streets and football stadiums. All this was done to draw the authorities' attention to the problems of poor, useless youth. Later, some skinheads began to publicly declare their fascist principles for the sake of instilling fear.

In the 80s, fashion, ideology and skinhead tattoos spread throughout developed European countries. Representatives of the subculture were increasingly noticed at protests and demonstrations. At this time, several neo-Nazi groups formed in Britain, which took the appearance of skinheads as the basis of their own style. However, the phenomenon did not find mass support. Soon, organizations of skinheaded young people began to form, who called for resistance to the Nazis.

Classification

Before we consider the style, clothing and symbols of skinheads, let's find out what groups the representatives of this subculture are divided into:

Red Skins is a movement especially popular among Italian youth. Like the Nazis, the "red skinheads" see violence asthe only right solution to stimulate the inactive social masses to action. Members of the group declare the need to combat capitalist views. Their distinguishing attribute is the presence of red laces on coarse military boots.
Traditional skinheads have apolitical views. Representatives of the movement promote an ideology that is closest to the concepts of the first British skinheads of the mid-60s. Despite this, traditional skinheads are quite aggressive personalities. They demonstrate an open hatred of street beggars, people of non-traditional sexual orientation, as well as individuals who have a manner of outrageous dress.
SHARP - skinheads (girls and boys) who advocate the eradication of racial prejudice in society. The movement began to develop in the United States in the 80s of the last century.
RASH are anarchist skinheads. The movement originated in the 90s in Canada. Local skinheads expressed dissatisfaction with their own identification with the extremely aggressive representatives of the Red Skins subculture. Therefore, they created an alternative, more liberal trend.
Gay skinheads are skinheads who openly advocate for the rights of sexual minorities. Representatives of the group organize public initiatives against homophobia. Such views among skinheads are prevalent mainly in Western Europe.

Hairstyles

At the dawn of the development of the subculture, skinheads stood out from the crowd with a carefully shaved head. Howeverfar from all the ideologists of the fashion movement leaned towards this style. For example, skinhead girls preferred to get rid of hair only in the back of the head or above the ears, leaving long strands on the crown and forehead. Some guys created tall mohawks that were painted in all sorts of colors of the rainbow as a protest against the existing foundations in society.

As for today's skinheads, most of them shave their heads with an electric machine. It is allowed to wear a mustache, sideburns or a thick beard.

Pants and skirts

Skinhead clothing involves the use of straight cut jeans with rolled cuffs. This is done to create an emphasis on powerful army boots, which should frighten ill-wishers. It is not uncommon for skinheads to treat denim with bleach to create camouflage-like streaks on the surface.

Short shorts with messy cut edges are popular among skinhead girls. They can also be seen in checkered or camouflage skirts. Combine similar outfits with fishnet garter stockings.

Skinhead outerwear

Most skinheads prefer to wear coarse military coats. In the warm season, representatives of the subculture switch to strict jackets, popularly known as "bombers". The latter must be black or olive.

Skinhead girls love to use worn leather jackets, sheepskin coats, and checkeredcoat. In combination with rough boots, sweatshirts with zippers or pullovers look like a worthy reflection of style.

Knitted shirts with plaid motifs are usually worn under a jacket or coat. It is allowed to wear a knitted sweater with a V-shaped neckline or the same sweatshirt with a zipper over such a shirt. As an alternative to such clothes, skinhead girls often prefer button-down cardigans.

Suspenders

Skinhead clothing is often complemented with suspenders. Many skinheads wear them over a shirt or sweater. Preference is given to suspenders in black or red, as well as combinations of these tones.

Shoes

As noted at the beginning of our material, the first skinheads were ordinary hard workers, representatives of the working class. For this reason, rough leather boots with massive soles remain the traditional footwear of young people who associate themselves with this subculture to this day.

To get the right shoes, today it is not at all necessary to visit a specialized skinhead store. It is enough to pay attention to boots or boots of brands such as Dr. Martens, Steel or Camelot. Among some groups, the wearing of old bowling shoes is also encouraged. In the case of shoes, there is no difference between men's and women's options.

Symbols of skinheads

Next, I would like to consider the main symbols associated with the skinhead subculture:

Posse Comitatus is a sign that confirms a man's readiness to take up arms to assist law enforcement officials in catching criminals and restoring public order. The symbol looks like the star of the American sheriff, which contains the corresponding inscriptions.
Anarchy Sign (red letter "A" on a black background) is a symbol of skinheads and anarchists who are violently opposed to the authorities, since part of their ideology is the belief that secret Jewish organizations rule the world.
Boot Symbols - a symbol in the form of a rough boot with a metal insert on the toe, which skinheads often use as a weapon that can cause injury. It is a sign that should scare away enemies.
Crucified Skinhead - a badge in the form of a skinhead crucified on a cross, which is an attribute of traditional representatives of the subculture.
Hammerskins - Two crossed hammers placed against a contrasting background symbolize the pride of the working class. The sign is often seen as the logo of a racist trend in the subculture.
American Front - the letter "A", encrypted in the crosshairs of the optical sight. It is the hallmark of American skinheads from Arkansas who openly promote communist ideals.