Trojan Skinheads. Image taken from shitfordreams.tumblr.com
The Skinhead movement was at it's peak between the years of 1968 and 1971 before making a more prominent comeback in the 80's. It came as a development from the Mods with a more striking and, in some cases, controversial association. There was an underlying political influence for the Skinheads who were predominantly driven by the great economic decline and hard-hitting recession which had arisen at that time. Life became a huge struggle for people in certain areas; South London being a renowned area for the presence of Hard Mods and Skinheads. Because of this association with Skinheads as being working class and rebellious, they never really gained much of a credible reputation. They were known to be involved in a lot of football hooliganism and like any other subculture, the Skinheads had their 'extremists', known as the Neo-Nazi Skinheads or White Power Skinheads, and several sub groups within their collective culture but I will focus mainly Trojan Skinheads as these are referred to as the 'traditional Skinheads' of the late 60's, taking their name from Trojan Records who were known for their Jamaican music releases , being the preferred music genre of the Skinheads. The Neo-Nazi Skinheads are those who seem to bring the negative outlook on the Skinheads due to their renowned racist culture influenced by their anger towards the economy and the fact that at this time employment was a great issue and so the Neo-Nazi Skinheads tended to lash out at those British residents who were perhaps of a different racial culture; they particularly targeted mixed race, Indian and Pakistani people and would argue that they were 'taking our jobs.' They were known for violent behaviour and for wearing offensive and shocking logos and badges on their clothing; the Swastika being a popular choice, simply to make a statement and a way of expressing their anger at society and the government.
White Power Skinhead from the film 'Made in Britain.' Image taken from newlexicons.blogspot.com
WHAT THEY WORE
Skinhead couple. Photo posted on Facebook page 'Skinhead-A Way of Life' by Brian Dowse
MENSWEAR/STYLE
Dr Martens
Button down Ben Sherman shirts (checked shirts - black and white shirts commonly worn by the 'leader')
Fred Perry Polo shirts
Braces (often different colours worn to represent rankings within a group)
Levi jeans worn fairly tight and rolled up at the bottom
Bomber jackets
Sta-Prest slacks
Crombie style overcoats
Harrington jackets
Shaved hair (between 2 and 4 grade) : short hair was considered brave at that time and so there was already that element of rebellion attached to the skinhead fashion just from their choice of hairstyle.
Usually quite heavily tattooed
Male Skinheads. Photo posted on Facebook page 'Skinhead - A Way of Life' by Mario Fritsche
WOMENSWEAR/STYLE
Mod-style short feather hair cut or shaved but leaving the fringe
Fish net tights
Short skirts or shorts
Fred Perry polo shirts
Braces
Dr Martens
Denim jackets
Bomber jackets
Loose fitting suit jackets
Skinhead Girl. Photo posted on Facebook page 'Skinhead - A Way of Life' by Andrea Mazzarello
WHAT THEY LISTENED TO
The Skinheads were greatly influenced by Jamaican and Reggae music as well as Ska, Rocksteady and Soul all eventually brought together to form 2 Tone. Popular artists of the time were Symarip, Soft Cell, Dexy's Midnight Runners and of course The Specials who had a clear reggae influence, famous for The Skinhead Symphony.
Symarip. Image taken from last.fm
Dexy's Midnight Runners. Image taken from lifeisnoise.com
The Specials. Image taken from thespecials.com
WHAT DO THE REAL SKINHEADS SAY?
As part of this project, I thought it was important to speak to the Skinheads themselves and to find out what kind of first hand information they could provide which may back up, support or even contradict what I may have found from secondhand sources. Unfortunately I was unable to collate any photographs for myself as a primary source due to the Skinhead movement being a difficult culture to find directly but thanks to the fantastic source that is the Facebook page 'Skinhead - A Way of Life', from which I have referenced some photos earlier in my post, I have been able to find some fantastic, authentic photographs from years gone by which have been a great help for my research. In terms of personal experiences and individual preferences, I have been lucky enough to get in touch with a few past Skinheads and existing Skinheads through said Facebook page and have made some really interesting and inspiring discoveries.
INTERVIEWS
So through the wonders of Facebook I was able to perform two interviews with some very willing, very different and very interesting people; each are currently Skinheads and have very eye-opening, personal views on the culture. They kindly agreed to let me post what they had to say on my blog, with minor adjustments, so they are as follows:
HC So you're a skinhead?
Dave
Yeah for 11 years
HC And where are you from?
Sorry, I don't want to interrogate you, don't feel you have to answer if you
don't want, I just find it really interesting hence why I'm researching it.
Dave
Born and bred in London, live in Essex now *sigh* lol
HC And
are your friends Skinheads too?
Dave
Yeah they are, well the few close ones anyway.
HC And what made you want to become part of the Skinhead culture? Or is it just
the fashion you follow?
Dave
It’s not really a fashion or trend luv, it’s a statement; a symbol.Well it used to be, now it’s a fashion or
trend, but I s’pose my Dad being an original 60’s skin had a big influence on
me.
HC Ok that's interesting. So what's your motivation
or the statement you're trying to make?
Dave Well, working class youth, the boots used to
symbolise your class in years gone by, like head wear did, its kinda grace
under pressure, not being poncey like the MODS or soap dodgers like the hippie;
being smart when you aint got much money..
Dave
Oh yeah and another thing luv, don’t let people gob off, we ain't all wankers
like them, I’m sure one of the girls used to be a nazi skin a while back.
HC It's okay,
everyone has a right to their own opinion.
Jens Uhlemann Hi, my English is not so good, but I hope it
works.
Q:
How old were you when you were a skinhead?
A: I was 14 or 15 years old when I was skinhead
Q:
What made you want to become part of this culture?
A: It was not that I wanted to be a skinhead. I just cut my hair and put on my
boots. It seemed to be just the right thing.
Q:
Is it still as popular now as it was back then?
A: For me it is not a matter of popularity. For me skinhead is a way of life. I
do not care if people respect me or spit on me. Skinhead is my life and I will
also go through to the bitter end.
Q:
What kinds of things did you used to wear?
A: I wear button-down shirts preferred by Brutus or Warrior Clothing. These
blue jeans and thin (12mm) Braces. As shoes for me to come only Dr. Martens in
question. With bomber jackets and Ranger Boots I can not do anything.
Q:
Where did you hang out?
A: As a teenager I hung out with my friends on the street around. Meanwhile, I
prefer cozy pubs.
Q:
What music did you listen to?
A: I prefer the 2 tone and Trojan reggae. However there is also some Oi! and
Punk CD in my closet. Vinyl records I have just because they are more difficult
to store. I prefer digital music storage.
I
hope I could help you. If you still have questions, I am happy to assist you.
Greetings
from Germany,
Jens
As is probably clear from each of these interviews, they are very different perspectives and different types of people but essentially still part of the same subculture. I had a great response to my post on the Facebook page and received lots of great feedback from various willing volunteers but I personally thought these two people in particular were really interesting as a contrast; mainly for the simple geographic difference, just to see the similarities and alternatives within the same subculture and how maybe their nationality influences their attitude also.
What I also found interesting was other peoples' reactions to my enquiry on the Facebook page; some of which were really supportive, helpful and intrigued, where others were very defensive and hostile towards my 'delving' into their culture. Some of the comments are shown below:
"Why are so many students doing projects on Skinheads?"
"Why are so many middle class students becoming Skinheads? That worries me more."
"They're not becoming Skinheads, they're being sheep...doesn't bother me in the slightest because next week they'll be something else."
"A 'Fashion Project' fuck off with your hipster shit!"
"Hi, contact me and check my Facebook page, I would only be too pleased to help you."
"United Skins all over the world. Cheers n' Oi! from Germany."
"Go on Google and do a little research.. it's all there..made up or not, who gives a shit, us out here living it and doing it don't give a fuck what the internet says is right or wrong..that's just someone's opinion."
"Being a Skinhead aint about not being nice, it's about pride and honour and looking smart. Slagging people off that are just venturing into it is why the scence will die."
"Skinhead isn't just a subculture, it's A WAY OF LIFE! For all those people who aren't Skinheads can never understand us."
"I'm game, I don't care what it's for. I'd rather she hear from me than one of these e-skins."
I think it is important to include both the negative comments here as well as the encouraging ones as it is a good way to present a varied outlook simply and I think it also shows the general attitudes of the different sub groups within the Skinhead subculture in terms of those who are racist and more agressive opposed to those who are very much just proud of their country and who they are.
HOW DOES THE SKINHEAD CULTURE TRANSLATE TODAY?
We can definitely see that the Skinhead movement, or the fashion at least, is starting to re-emmerge more recently. Dr Marten's and skinny jeans are currently a very popular trend and look together with the comeback of the bomber jacket. But not only fashion, I think with the current economic climate, we're living in a society with a reminiscent feel of how it was in the original Skinhead period and so I think we get that underlying lack of money and often motivation coming across in our attitudes and how we choose to dress again; having that edge of rebellion and statement-making.
Fred Perry's numerous collaborations with Raf Simons are a clear example of the Skinhead movement making a fondly welcomed appearance in society today, and very successfully too. Fred Perry was a hugely popular brand when the Skinhead fashion first originated and so for that to come to the forefront with a greatly respected fashion designer is a great nod to our British past culture.
Said of the S/S11 collection -
"This season sees the launch of Fred Perry's newest collaboration with acclaimed designer Raf Simons. Taking the designer's signature minimalist silhouette and blending it with some of Fred Perry's most iconic pieces; the collaboration has gone from strength to strength by returning to basics. Our signature pique shirt has been reinvigorated with bold Riri zips, bright new colour options and a crisp slim fit, paired alongside tailored shorts and soft merinoknitwear."
Raf Simons / Fred Perry S/S11 collection. Image and above quote taken from http://www.fredperry.com/limited-edition/men/collaboration-raf-simons/
ABOVE: Raf Simons x Fred Perry 2013 Spring/Summer Preview taken from http://hypebeast.com/2012/07/raf-simons-x-fred-perry-2013-spring-summer-preview
PHOTOSHOOT
As the final ribbon to my bow in terms of finalising and tieing my project together, we were asked to style and photograph a model(s) representing our chosen subculture. I chose to focus on one male model as I feel that menswear is more easily translated in a modern Skinhead look. I chose two different looks and photographed the model in various locations and positions. I chose to mainly edit my photographs into black and white as I felt it was the most effective way to present the general mood and attitude of the subculture itself. It just so happened that it was quite a grey day on the day of my shoot which worked really well in my favour to create a kind of greyscale in the photos.
