Punk Fashion

Over the past 30 years since punk music first appeared, punk style has undergone a variety of evolutions. Initially, punk fashion was used as a direct reflection of the music the movement was listening to. Punk music was a reaction to the establishment, breaking many of its unwritten rules and punk fashion was designed for the same purpose.

Punk Style's Evolution

Punk music is rock and roll in its most stripped-down form. No fancy instruments. No fancy chords. Simply aggression, emotion and attitude. Punk fashion came out of both the music and necessity. In its early years, punk music appealed primarily to those who felt disaffected, were unemployed or had little money. The clothing they wore often came from thrift stores and was then ripped and modified in protest of what was seen as the conformist and corporate-driven world.

Doc Martens became the shoe of choice, representing the working class, but also as a way to shock "normal society." Hair was deliberately messy, often colored with food dyes to make an even stronger statement. In essence, punk fashion started as both a style, but also a social message. It wasn't until the late '70s that much of it began becoming a little more codified.

In collaboration with the manager of The Sex Pistols, Malcolm McLaren, designer Vivienne Westwood opened the first punk fashion store in London, called "Sex." It became well known that the band would buy their clothes from this store, which in part began the greater commercialization of punk fashion. Today, although punk fashion still reflects a social message for many, it has also become an accepted part of the fashion world and is no longer limited to a small underground movement.