The British youth Cultures

(A) Dandies It’s unclear whether fashion influenced music or vice versa in the 1920s, era of the “bright young things”, but clothing certainly became more risque at just the time when music upped the tempo and dancing became virtually acrobatic. The activities of choice for feisty females during the decade were public smoking, drinking and the freedom to indulge in casual relationships – along with a desire to look fashionably fabulous For the male dandy, the demand was for all things exotic, in particular fashion with elaborate African, Oriental or Aztec references. (B) Teds Teddy boys adopted a look inspired by the prominent artists of the 1950s performing the new music sound – rock’n’roll. As a subculture, teddy boys had a reputation for being troublesome and violent, clashing frequently with authority and famously ripping out seats at concerts. Drape jackets, drainpipe trousers, skinny ties and creepers were compulsory attire. Teddy girls are not as well documented but were just as enthusiastic, sporting denim, Edwardian-inspired blazers and pencil skirts, which must have been a nightmare on the back of a greasy motorbike. (C) Mods The modernist movement of the late 1950s and early 1960s was heavily influenced by Italian fashion. The increase in youth employment saw a rise in juvenile spending. The congregation of the like-minded at cafes and nightclubs fuelled an obsession with clean-cut fashions and black American R&B bands or British bands influenced by them, such as the Small Faces and the Who: the three-button, 14” bottom, mohair suit, fishtail parkas, Fred Perry polos, Hush Puppies, a Vespa with 20 or more mirrors and a girl in a twin set with capri pants and false lashes so long that they blew in the wind. (D) Skinheads By the mid-1960s, fashion was heavily under the influence of the ska music that filled the airwaves. Skinhead subculture was created from a fascination with the Jamaican rude boy style and evolved to adopt drainpipe denim, checkered shirts, white T-shirts, braces and cherry red DMs as a fashion identity. As a young lad going to watch Blackburn Rovers in the late 60s, I was in awe of these immaculately turned out – and somewhat menacing “skins”. Shame the look was adopted by rightwing racists in the 1970s but now the look has swung the other way as a “uniform” for some members of the gay community.