Skinheads: Clothing As A History

The clothes of the Skinhead were born out of the cross section between mods and the countries working class, weaving the line between function and fashion like the bright yellow stitching of a pair Doc Martens.

Skinheads out and about in London in the 1960's

In the early 60’s Mods could be seen along the length of breadth of britain in sharply cut Italian suits, soft leather loafers, Levi’s jeans or Ben Sherman shirts. This cultural force in britain eventually split leading to the creation of the eponymous Skinhead.

The tight fades and tapered haircuts of the mod were trimmed back, into a grade one all over and the signature hairstyle of the subculture was born.

These skinheads, transformed the look of the Mod into something they could afford, and something that would last. Hard wearing styles that could survive the inevitable scraps and fights, but also the dancehalls and clubs of the UK’s ska scene.

Boots were hard wearing and great for kicking someone in the face, so much so they were banned by the majority of football clubs, but still looked almost as smart as patent leather loafers. Heavy cotton jeans wouldn’t rip, and braces helped keep them up. The skinhead uniform is as distinct as the distressed denim of the punks.

The boots were traditionally cherry red or black, with the iconic yellow stitching providing an immediate sense of uniformity and shared ethos. However, Doc Martens although iconic did lose favour with the scene when they were made standard issue for Police Officers. Many young Skinheads didn’t want to be associated with the bobbies on the beat and so moved to other brands. However, for most Skinheads, as long as it had 11 eyelets, and was six inches tall. The boot didn’t matter.

Levi’s were a must for most seeking to flaunt their fashion but in the north of England where the american brand had yet to take hold more affordable alternatives. The Skinhead in many ways birthed the cropped jean, Usually with the denim styled to stop just at the start of the boots upper.

In terms of the chest there were only a few options for skinheads. A short sleeve Fred Perry polo with every single button done up to the neck, or a check/ plaid shirt worn with the sleeves rolled just below the elbow.

The Skinheads trademark hairstyle transferred across genders, unifying the subcultures different genders.

Skinhead fashion was also hugely influenced by the waves of migration from the caribbean and west indies. With the socially liberal white youths of britain mixing with the rudies. The two cultures shared their music, style and sensibilities on the ever evolving 1960’s britain in the melting pots of east London and the north. Quickly melding the Skinheads began to emulate the rude boys, with their long coats inspiring the adoption of the crombie into the Skinheads repertoire of outerwear. Which largely revolved around bomber jackets, although this is a subject of contention, Harrington jackets, trench coats and more.

When you think of skinheads you imagine a clean shaven barnet, but this is not the case. The skin shave was more closely associated with racist groups which later adopted the Skinhead look, and disrupted what was a culturally accepting, forward thinking subset of society.

The Skinheads working class routes also transformed to their mobility, A Skinhead would much more likely be seen on the bus, the terraces of a football ground, or a pub than the upmarket bars of others. This exposure to the style lead it to flourish, and flourish quickly across the UK.

In the 1970’s the Skinheads like the mods before them saw a transformation, what was a largely open minded group began to merge with the teddy boys and punks, leading to two distinct subsets. Loafers found their way back into style, and suits found a new life in a Skinheads wardrobe for going out, this new subset were donned the smooths, for their sharper more refined style, but the routes to the traditional working class could still be found.

Skinheads often were not completely shaved, the full shave was originally more closely associated with Boneheads, a more racist, hardline, subculture.

However a sense of nationalism seeded in some, leading to the racist connotations we’ve seen today. These neo-nationalist Skins began to adorn their clothing and even their bodies with swastikas, a threatening symbol that created a monolithic force that stood against the traditional Skinheads routes and open minds. Skinheads used to hang out with all different races, but now some of them had ditched the ska for Nazi Salutes.

This is something traditional Skinheads have fought hard to disassociate themselves from. Wishing to replace the racism with their working class sensibilities, clean and simple style, and love for the new era that was being ushered into Britain's shores by immigration.

The story of the Skinhead can be told through their clothing, a gradually shifting look that reflected the influences and subsects of the notorious subculture. For some, a symbol of the working class, for others racism and neo-fascism come to mind. What remains universal however is the ability of the look to turn heads, and draw attention. Whether it be for bad or good. Hatred or Adoration of a shared identity that is now so rare to see across the country.

By Harry Lye