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Alex Roest · Jun 15, 2011

Never been able to take 'youth subcultures' seriously as a 'lifestyle' for adults. In fact it's just another hobby slightly outside of the ordinary, nothing more. Whilst being interested in the style myself it was used as a passing fashion (just like many other mod related ones) by the originals which is exactly the appeal IMO.

Brideshead · Jun 15, 2011

Originally Posted by buttons

I know this has been touched on various times and it makes total sense.
But for the older lads, pretty much at the head (in your area) of what was to become' skinhead' fashion, as the media defined it and the kids all flocked to it, what then for the older lads who were there already?
More mainstream fashion? (as that seems like going from cool and a cut above, to not caring so much)
Similar style but more grown up and less uniformed?
Or is it more that the clothes obsessed youngster, dressing (and sometimes fighting) to impress his mates / birds / other gangs is a very short lived thing that you leave behind at a certain age and for the snappy dresser of '68, this just happened to coincide with the tail end of '69?
You couldn't have just stopped being stylish and fashion conscious in 1970.
Is this not "˜suedehead' for want of a better phrase, as to set yourself apart from the boots, braces and Harrington clad 14 year old masses?

Whilst I'm assuming much of the "Made for Skins" items that flooded the market were shunned to some extent, but there must have still been an edge, all be it more difficult to keep exclusive.
Same sort of principal for the Mods after the papers were pushing the "˜sea-side riots' of '64.

Not really mainstream for me. I have always considered this transitional period of sufficient interest to warrant a separate discussion and tried to start one here:

http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=230122

Others didn't get it.

Man-of-Mystery · Jun 15, 2011

Originally Posted by Brideshead

Not really mainstream for me. I have always considered this transitional period of sufficient interest to warrant a separate discussion and tried to start one. Others didn't get it.

John, although there is one page there I am incorporating the information into the draft of the book.

For me the 'transitional period', being more a move towards individualistic fashion, was simply a period when I grew my hair and gradually dumped clothes as I got new ones. It was, for me, never a 'look' as such.

Batwing · Jun 15, 2011

Originally Posted by raging_rapid

I think that the clothes we label as modernist or skinhead, are still the beez kneez today. It looks smart and its a timeless classic look. When I wear these clothes today, few people know what I am, but I seem to be way better dressed, than anyone else, even though I'm no longer in the "young" category in life.

Lets put it this way, they just don't make, amongst mainstream clothing companies, this level of quality anymore.

The clothes today, like most of 'modern' society, have built in obsolescence and are designed, only to last, less than a year before falling apart.

With the button down "Look", you can't really go wrong. That's what I find. I suppose, I'll get to 80, still be wearing these clothes and the grand children, will ask what it was like and I'll be able to tell them about mods n' skins...

But also, I love how its embedded, deep in the working class. And by that, I mean the marxist version of the term (ie, wage slaves), not the term middle class (which these days, seems to mean the richer part of the working class, rather than the small businessman in media speak).

As it was put in the Sharper Word, "Clean living in difficult circumstances" (I see Mod and Skin as a continuum of the same movement, just variations on the same theme, although skinhead may have been a bit more communal and less individualistic by all accounts).

I didn't and still don't want to be part of mainstream society. I want to live in a world, free from the never ending cycle of being just a number in a cog. That's what subculture, in my mind is about. Its about saying "fcuk that". If you've got your own spaces, your own clothes, your own music, your own rituals, your own games and sports, your own people, your own tribe, who then, needs to be an automaton in mainstream society?

A lot of people, say to me, you failed in what skinhead, or any subculture tried to achieve. By "being different" you're all the same as each other. To which I respond, no, we're not the same, we're each different in personality as the next cat. But, we have chosen to be a world apart, from the mainstream, together, to share a common experience of creating our own world, our own society within a society. To not be an automaton and together, we can be like the Viet Cong, the cultural revolutionaries, giving the two fingers up to the bosses...being part of society, whilst at the same time, being apart from society.

Very well put

Brideshead · Jun 15, 2011

Originally Posted by Man-of-Mystery

John, although there is one page there I am incorporating the information into the draft of the book.

For me the 'transitional period', being more a move towards individualistic fashion, was simply a period when I grew my hair and gradually dumped clothes as I got new ones. It was, for me, never a 'look' as such.

Good points Paul.

Lasttye · Jun 15, 2011

Originally Posted by Man-of-Mystery

John, although there is one page there I am incorporating the information into the draft of the book.

For me the 'transitional period', being more a move towards individualistic fashion, was simply a period when I grew my hair and gradually dumped clothes as I got new ones. It was, for me, never a 'look' as such.

Same for me, its like we did not ditch the skinhead style over night we just grew our hair long, we was still the same working class lads same attitude, BD Shirts was replaced by Beagle collars, Sta Prest for Ruperts and so on.
We was still smart as such , but less uniform. I was still shopping at the Squire Shop and the Village gate Oxford Street.
But then things started to get very individual around 72.. a free for all, so to speak , Satin Jackets, Flares Afghan Coats, fcuking awful, Then in 74 we went smart again.
I remember all the cloths i wore as a skinhead but after that its a bit of a blur... dating everything ?? it was so fast moving and individualistic. hard to keep up with.

browniecj · Jun 15, 2011

Originally Posted by Lasttye

Same for me, its like we did not ditch the skinhead style over night we just grew our hair long, we was still the same working class lads same attitude, BD Shirts was replaced by Beagle collars, Sta Prest for Ruperts and so on.
We was still smart as such , but less uniform. I was still shopping at the Squire Shop and the Village gate Oxford Street.
But then things started to get very individual around 72.. a free for all, so to speak , Satin Jackets, Flares Afghan Coats, fcuking awful, Then in 74 we went smart again.
I remember all the cloths i wore as a skinhead but after that its a bit of a blur... dating everything ?? it was so fast moving and individualistic. hard to keep up with.
It was for me,as well,I got bloody married!

Alex Roest · Jun 15, 2011

Originally Posted by Lasttye

But then things started to get very individual around 72.. a free for all, so to speak , Satin Jackets, Flares Afghan Coats, fcuking awful, Then in 74 we went smart again.
I remember all the cloths i wore as a skinhead but after that its a bit of a blur... dating everything ?? it was so fast moving and individualistic. hard to keep up with.

Chris Brown did a good job on that I think Roy as I'm sure you'll agree. As you mention many of those fashions were horrible though. Some people I know would return to a more 'classic look' at some point later on and have stayed 'with it' ever since. That does make sense although it certainly can do without yet another definition...

Lasttye · Jun 15, 2011

Originally Posted by Alex Roest

Chris Brown did a good job on that I think Roy as I'm sure you'll agree. As you mention many of those fashions were horrible though. Some people I know would return to a more 'classic look' at some point later on and have stayed 'with it' ever since. That does make sense although it certainly can do without yet another definition...
By late 71 we all had long hair, then every one started to have the Rod Stewart and Bowie haircuts, Highlights in their hair, earings in one ear, this free for all went on until 74, then The film The Great Gatsby came out and we started to wear suits again, Shorter hair was in, Lads by and large was fairly smart again, By 77/78 i was back in the Ivy Shop buying a couple of BD Shirts and a Baracuta, since then thats the way i have dressed to this day.

albion · Jun 16, 2011

Just wondering, did any of the originals ever have pierced ears?

Man-of-Mystery · Jun 16, 2011

Originally Posted by albion

Just wondering, did any of the originals ever have pierced ears?

Back in the day I never saw a bloke with any piercing at all.

Lasttye · Jun 16, 2011

Me too never saw a original skinhead with any ear piercing, People started to get one ear pierced 72/73. copying Bowie i think, but not everyone, my mate Alan got his done around 72/73.
I personally have never had any piercing done what so ever.

browniecj · Jun 16, 2011

Originally Posted by albion

Just wondering, did any of the originals ever have pierced ears?
None of my Mates did,nor do I remember any other Skins having them.

PxC · Jun 16, 2011

I may be delusional, but I seem to remember something in "Spirit Of 69 - a Skinhead Bible" about a gang of original skins who pierced their noses. It always struck me as weird. Could it be true?

Man-of-Mystery · Jun 16, 2011

Originally Posted by PxC

I may be delusional, but I seem to remember something in "Spirit Of 69 - a Skinhead Bible" about a gang of original skins who pierced their noses. It always struck me as weird. Could it be true?

"De things dat yo liable to read in de Bible, it ain't necessarily so!"

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