The Establishment’s “Post Punk Fashion”

King’s Road post punk fashion

Sex Pistols’ impresario Malcolm McLaren, and fashion designer VivienneWestwood, were inspired by Richard Hell’s torn and dissolute clothes and the provocative androgyny that New York Dolls displayed. They introduced a new look in 1976 for UK post punk fashion from SEX, their shop on London’s King’s Road. There were frequent visits by the Pistols, Siouxsie Sioux, Adam Ant and other members from punk’s Bromley contingent. They were looking for ripped, explicit, and sexually explicit t-shirts, S&M Fetish Wear, and outfits that were inspired by A Clockwork O’s droogs. Their goal was to shock and offend, which they did admirably. Others, such as The Clash, made their clothes themselves, using marker pen to write situationist slogans on tee-shirts.

CBGB post punk fashion

The first US punk look was perhaps worn by New York City-based bands around CBGB. Patti Smith, Television, Television, and Richard Hell were just a few of the many bands that wore it. It was grubby, simple and anti-materialistic. Jeans, tee-shirts and leather jackets, thrift shop suits and second-hand slacks, shirts and Converse, as well as Dr. Martens boots and Dr. Martens boots, were the staples of their wardrobe. Their uniform was affordable because of necessity for working-class children like The Ramones. Their clothes remained the same because they were focused on creating a musical legacy and their clothing reflected that.

Glam punk

After the ’50s teddy boy look in the UK, a protopunk look emerged in the late 60s and early ’70s thanks to anti-establishment garage post punk fashion bands like the MC5 or Iggy Pop and The Stooges. They embraced a grubbier and darker look that reflected their lifestyle. You will find tight-fitting jeans, black leather and a lot of androgyny. This eventually morphed into ’70s glam punk, epitomised by the New York Dolls, whose backcombed hair, glitter and make-up caked faces, bright hair and mix of gender-bending clothing was a dissolute reaction to the meat-and-potatoes-rock look that dominated at the time.

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Anarcho punk

Anarcho-post punk fashion evolved from King’s Road. However, thanks to bands like Crass or Subhumans, it took off in a more militaristic, hard-edged direction. It featured lots of black clothing and anarchist symbols. There were also many tight trousers and boots. These right-on punks have a lot to do with crust punks and European street-post punk fashion  in style. They are militant vegans as much as anti-capitalists. They avoid real leather and unreliable clothing brands.

Skate punk

The hardcore punk scene in Washington D.C., California and Southern California of the late 1970s and early 1980s was clad with utilitarian, universal clothing. The uniforms of the children working at the local petrol station or drugstore. There was nothing unusual or outlandish. Jeans or cut-offs shorts, plain t shirts or shirts and sneakers or Dr Martens boots are all acceptable. Minor Threat and Black Flag and their fans were able to express themselves freely with whatever they wore.