How Punks Express Themselves in Fashion

Punk Fasion Punk Fashion is what made the most impact on me because it goes so against conventional fashion and yet in doing so becomes fashionable. By going against type and trend, it sets a trend and that is remarkable to me. It is also interesting that in setting a trend, the punk culture then has to set a different course because the goal is to go against trends and not be part of a trendy because that would make one trendy.

There are however different levels to this fashion world and some punk fashion is meant to be trendy and have a definite look and this is the sort of fashion that stays and does not go away no matter what year it is. One example of this is the Mohawk, which is a very punk fashion way of doing one's hair. It is considered classic punk fashion (Harris, 2013). Another side of classic punk fashion is the black leather jacket with studs or spikes on it.

Another is the blue jeans and the black shoes and white t-shirt. But this is just one side of punk fashion and it is always changing and what makes it so complex is that there is not just one way for punk fashion to be: it can be trendy or the opposite of whatever the trend is. In this way, it can be said that there are faux-punks and hardcore punks, and all of this is about the fashion.

What made punk fashion what it was a do-it-yourself style that it had. There was nothing commercial about it or very talented in terms of making nice looking clothing. The blazers of punks in the 1970s and 1980s were ones that they themselves made from old clothing or used clothing. It was embellished to stand out from conventional blazers and that was the whole point. It was to not be conventional. But designers and fashion artists liked the punk style and made it into commercial fashion success (Gorman, 2006).

Before this class I thought that punk style and fashion was outrageous and looked not good. But after this class I understand that there is a reason for this style because it is a kind of self-expression, which is what all fashion is. So in the year 1800, there is a particular fashion among men in Britain and France that is based on the military fashion because of the Napoleonic Wars.

The people like to look like the military man, so they adopt the military fashion of boots and coats and hats. This gives them a feeling of pride and dignity and shows that they are current in style. The punk fashion is similar in that it is young people who do not want to identify with modern world or its values (Henry, 1984). They turn their backs on conventional attitudes and ways of looking at things. In their fashion they express what they believe. They are anti-government and anti-mainstream politics.

They do not promote consumerist ideas. They are not for capitalism. They want more equality. Their clothing is like protest clothing, because they make it themselves and it stands out and is on purpose. The fashion shouts and says that it is protesting the normal society and standards (Sabin, 1999). I did not understand that before because I thought it was just trying to attract attention by being shocking. But now I realize that there is a culture behind it that wants to do away with and reject the today culture.

Fashion is not just what is in the trend. It says what we as people are doing in our culture and society. So in 1800 there was more uniform fashion and for each level of society there is one standard fashion and it is not acceptable to go from one level to another just because you want to. You are in the level you are in and that is the fashion you will show.

But with two hundred years passing, society changes very much and becomes more commercial because of American and business and commercialism spreading over the globe because of globalization. So everywhere is like American culture now, with emphasis on material things, and there is a break down of culture and fragmentation, so there is no one fashion for any level.

So wealthy people do not have to dress one way because so many different people are wealthy now and it is not just certain families or groups but all kinds of people, white people, black, Asian, Hispanic. So one fashion for a wealthy person can be to dress like a hip hop star and a fashion for a football player can be to dress like a fashionable elite person wearing nice suits and ties and shoes.

Some wealthy paper wear sweat pants because they don't care to show off their money in their fashion. This would not be acceptable in 1800s but today it is because there is no social standard. Sometimes for certain events, one must dress a certain fashion but that is not always so.

With punk fashion, I see that it is like an event too, so when one goes to a punk event for music or cinema or something like that there is a way of dressing in the punk fashion that can be acceptable. But it is not an expression of money and status or wealth because the punk world does not put value on that, instead it is an expression of counter-culture of being against materialism like the wealthy fashion.

What is interesting is that there is fragments of punk fashion too, with horror gothic punk or hardcore punk or classic punk or pop pretty punk or commercial punk or ska punk. There are so many different ways punk fashion can be manifested that the fashion is almost not even there, it is gone.

So the question then becomes what is fashion today and does it even exist? Does punk fashion have meaning today or is it all just trendy in a way? This question is one that I ask now whereas before this class I just accepted fashion as a way it is and without thinking about it.

Now when I see fashion I ask myself why is this person dressing that way and what is he trying to say about himself? This is not 1800 so there is no way making him dress this way, not society, not family. But then I think, or is there? Maybe there is something in his life that makes him dress this way. Maybe he dresses in.