Punk fashion is the clothing, hairstyles, cosmetics, jewellery, and body modifications of the punk subculture. Punk fashion varies widely, ranging from Vivienne Westwood designs to styles modeled on bands like The Exploited to the dressed-down look of North American hardcore. 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 commercialized at various times, and many well-established fashion designers โ such as Anna Sui, Vivienne Westwood and Jean Paul Gaultier โ have used punk elements in their production. Punk clothing, which was initially handmade, became mass-produced and sold in record stores and some smaller specialty clothing stores by the 1980s. Many fashion magazines and other glamour-oriented media have featured classic punk hairstyles and punk-influenced clothing.
There is a wide range of punk fashion, in terms of clothing (including deliberately offensive T-shirts, leather jackets, Doc Marten boots, etc.), hairstyles (including brightly colored hair, spiked hair, mohawks, etc.), cosmetics, tattoos, jewelery and body modification. Early punk fashion adapted everyday objects for aesthetic effect, such as T-shirts, leather jackets (which are often decorated with painted band logos, pins and buttons, and metal studs or spikes), and footwear such as Converse sneakers, skate shoes, brothel creepers, or Dr. Martens boots. 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 masculine clothing.
One part of punk was creating explicitly outward identities of sexuality. Everything that was normally supposed to be hidden was brought to the front, both literally and figuratively.
[Wikipedia]
When Shena gave me my trend for the last issue of the VERSUS Magazine, my heart jumped – Punk!!!
(Read the full Magazine HERE)
Being a punk myself and expressing that during my youth with cool and ‘weird’ clothing and all kind of colorful hair and crazy cuts, that was right along my alley. Certainly SL gives you even some more freedom to be crazy but in general punk is a certain lifestyle and even if you become more calm with your looks when you get older, the attitude will never completely vanish I guess – at least it never did for me.
But what does punk mean for the most of the people? For many it might only be a fashion trend but for some it goes way deeper and becomes a life philosophy.
Punk or Punkrock was born in the mid 70s in the UK. From there it started to grow over the USA and Germany and finally was known worldwide. It was kinda an offspring of the Glamrock and the opposite to the quixotic Progressive Rock. Later, genres like New Wave, independent and Post-Punk developed from it.
In the 70s, big bands like the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd became unreachable and evicted from their audiences while the economy in the UK went more and more down. Many teenagers could not find work after school and there was no social care system to take care of them so they ended up on the streets. They developed hate against the system and the slogan “No Future” became their life motto.
They started to dress up shabby and their hair turned into colorful weird and funky art pieces as a provocation against the system and society and to shock their parents and grandparents.
Punk politics cover the entire political spectrum. Mostly they are concerned with individual freedom and anti-establishment views. They as well include anti-authoritarianism and non-conformity.
To break it down, Punk for the most people is some kind of revolution, provocation and rebellion against the mainstream or the actual situation and society they life in. They want to make a statement with their looks and get attention for their views, interests and desires.
To me it was the music first, that brought me to the punk genre. When I was younger, round about 14, my older cousin heard all kind of punk rock music from the Sex Pistols, Ramones, The Clash, NOFX , Slime and some German ones. Influenced by that I started early changing my clothes towards my ‘idols’ and with 15 I was allowed to dye my hair. I remember very well my first red and blue streaks ๐ The more I did it the more my mom allowed me to ‘play’ with my hair and side – or under cuts were not far away :p
With growing up I started to understand the philosophy of punk and the more I did know the more I felt that is my genre. I never was a mainstream person and being called a freak or an ‘outsider’ because of my hair and looks, it was easy to turn more and more into being a punk and rebel. I really felt good to not look like anyone else and to provocate with my opinions and views about things. I never took anything as a given and questioned nearly everything what I was told. On one side it gave me a lot of knowledge about certain things but on the other side, it was hard to find friends especially in school. Outside of school it was never a problem, but the people in my class were all kids of doctors, lawyers and high society people. Probably that was the reason why I was getting in to the music scene very early and a long time I was the youngest. that had some advantages as well ๐ I finished my school and as well studied, to become a teacher myself but right after exams, I had the great opportunity to get a record label contract with one of my bands. I did not continue with becoming a teacher and decided to live a musicians life for over 20 years, before I went back to the roots and to teaching at a school ๐ I might have grown out of the uber shabby looks and the ultra colored hair, but there is a little punk, a sweet rebel still inside of me and that probably will never change. Maybe that’s why I enjoyed the styling for my VERSUS Magazine trends so much as they brought back good old times and memories ๐
Details
Look 1:
Clothing & Accessories:
Dress: .:EC:. – “Norena” (Maitreya)
Jacket: Aleutia – “Nova” (Maitreya)
Tights: Nanika – “Alina” (Maitreya Applier)
Shoes: Ducknipple – “Docs vs1” (Maitreya)
Headphones: Wicca’s Wardrobe – “Miwa Headphones”
Glasses: ANE – “Tehe Sunglasses”
Hair & Makeup:
Hair: KoKoLoReS – “Val”
Lipstick: [LB Lips] – “Eve Set 3” (LeLutka Applier)
Body & Tattoos:
Head: LeLutka – “Simone 3.0”
Body: Maitreya – “Lara 4.1”
Poses & Props:
Background Prop: anxiety – “%83”
Pose: Foxcity
Look 2:
Clothing & Accessories:
Coat: [sys] – “Carmen” ( Maitreya)
Top: Eclipse Design – “Belial” (Maitreya)
Skirt: GizzA – “Tartan Mini Skirt”
Tights: Nanika – “Alina” (Maitreya Applier)
Septum: [Since1975] – “Horn Septum”
Rings: MEVA – “Victorian Bento Rings” (Maitreya)
Piercings (Hand & Cleavage): MEVA – “Bento Hand Piercing 2” (Maitreya) & “Cleavage & Collarbone Piercing”
Nail Polish: DMZ – “Vinyl” (Maitreya Applier)
Hair & Makeup:
Hair: KoKoLoReS – “Leighton”
Makeup: Zibska – “Hecate” (LeLutka Applier)
Body & Tattoos:
Head: LeLutka – “Simone 3.0”
Body: Maitreya – “Lara 4.1”
Tattoo: [White~Widow] – “Inferno” (Maitreya Applier)
Poses & Props:
Background Prop: -VIXX- – “Mesh backdrop Harder”
Pose: Foxcity
Look 3:
Clothing & Accessories:
Top & Jacket: GizzA – “Vixie Leather Jacket Set” (Maitreya)
Skirt: Paperbag – “Red Tartan Skater Skirt” (Size 3)
Shoes: L&B – “Gothic Platforms”
Tights: Nanika – “Alina” (Maitreya Applier)
Collar: Wicca’s Wardrobe – “Asema”
Rings: MEVA – “Bento Maitreya Rings Silver” (Maitreya)
Hair & Makeup:
Hair: RAW HOUSE – “Sice”
Makeup: Zibska – “Envy” (LeLutka Applier)
Body & Tattoos:
Head: LeLutka – “Simone 3.0”
Body: Maitreya – “Lara 4.1”
Tattoo: [White~Widow] – “Vertigo” (Maitreya Applier)
Poses & Props:
Background Prop: anxiety – “%frostbite”
Pose: Foxity
Look 4:
Clothing & Accessories:
Coat: Asteria – “Anna” (Maitreya)
Top: Asteria – “Anna” (Maitreya)
Corset: Asteria – “Capretto” (Maitreya)
Skirt: [sys] – “Khan” (Maitreya)
Tights: Nanika – “Alina” (Maitreya Applier)
Shoes: **RE** – “Jassy Boots” (Maitreya)
Choker: [[RH]] – “Zipped”
Piercing – [CX] – “Drop Septum”
Hair & Makeup:
Hair: no.match – “No.More”
Makeup: alaskametro<3 – “Molten” (LeLutka Applier)
Body & Tattoos:
Head: LeLutka – “Simone 3.0”
Body: Maitreya – “Lara 4.1”
Tattoo: [White +Widow] – “Spotlight”
Poses & Props:
Background Prop: anxiety – “%nightvision”
Pose: Wicca’s Wardrobe
Model, Stylist & Photographer on all 4: