The History of Punk Fashion and

How Punk is Still Present Today

Jayna Palumbo
Where did Punk start?
● Punk subculture originated across the pond, spread
through England and US
● English Political Movement
● A certain look, tends to be anti fashion.

Punk Teens in 70s Punk Teens from London

Source: Source:
https://museumofyouthcult https://londonist.com/london/art-and-photography/lond
ure.com/punk/ on-punk-photos-vintage-1970s-1980s
Sex Pistols
● The Sex Pistols were an English band
founded in the 70s
● The Sex Pistols were known for their
unique look and music.
● Along with, they were known for their
song, God Save the Queen, that mocked
British monarchy
● “England wasn’t free and easy; it was The look of the Sex Pistols, jackets, crazy hair, very
anti fashion.
repressed and horrible.” - Jon Savage, Source:
https://originalfuzz.com/blogs/magazine/sounds-that-s
writer of England Dreaming: Sex Pistols haped-the-sex-pistols

and Punk Rock

 So What Exactly Did Punk Look Like in the 70s and 80s?

Skinny jeans,
silver jewelry,
piercings, layering
with jackets
Source:
https://onartandae
sthetics.com/2017/
05/01/punk-rock-i
n-the-ussr-a-collec
tion-from-the-80s-
by-igor-mukhin/

Style featured mohawks, colored hair, leather combat boots

Source: https://holrmagazine.com/80s-punk-fashion/
Post Punk & Grunge
● Post Punk and grunge birthed in the 90s in the United States
● Tend to be less political, yet driven by emotion and anger

Look tend to be more relaxed, casual.

Source: https://shilpaahuja.com/grunge-style/
Post Punk’s Notorious Band: Nirvana
● Nirvana was an American band originating in Washington in the early 90s.
● Their music tend to be very emotional, yet very angry
● Their look was very simple, tend to be jeans and a t-shirt

Lead singer, Kurt Cobain,

embodying the grunge look.
Source:
https://www.udiscovermusic.com/
stories/best-nirvana-songs/

Nirvana’s look tend to be mismatched. Source:

https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCrPe3hLA51968GwxHSZ1llw
What did Post Punk Look Like in the 90s?
● A lot less structured than punk
● A ‘mismatched’ looked
● Tend to be more casual

Graphic tees, sneakers.

The band here is
named New Found
Glory.
Source:
https://discover.hubpag
es.com/style/How-to-D
ress-Pop-Punk

Emphasis on graphic tees and flannels.

Source:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/63233360
3929106354/
How did Punk change? Looking at the 2000s

● The 2000s created a new look: emo

● Similar to 80s punk, leather jackets, piercings,
makeup (female and male)
● Yet, it had their own style of black skinny jeans, Tend to be dark, heavy
eyeliner with both
skirts, dark colors. Fashion tend to be more genders, much layering
with clothes
ironic rather than casual as seen in the 90s. Source:
https://theroguerunway.w
● Hot Topic, an American fashion store created in ordpress.com/2017/09/16/
the 90s, was raving with emo fashion trends why-you-shouldnt-have-a
bandoned-hot-topic-after-
● Music was emotional. Also, there was some you-ended-your-emo-pha
se/
techno beats added with the rise of technology
Green Day
● Green Day was known for embodying the emo
2000s style
● Along with, their rise in popularity began in
the 2000s
● Their album, American Idiot (2004), helped
the band become more mainstream in the
punk rock music scene
● Their style was textbook emo, usually seen
wearing all black with skinny jeans, heavy Here, we see two members of the band wearing all
eyeliner, and ironic clothing. black and eyeliner. Source:
https://www.rocksound.tv/news/read/green-days-amer
ican-idiot-is-one-of-the-highest-selling-albums-of-the-
mille
The 2010s
● In the 2010s, punk and emo started to change
AGAIN!
● Just like the 90s, it tend to become more casual
and less ironic again
The band, Real Friends, in more casual clothing:
● Clothing trend to be simple amongst the rock tees, jeans, and sneakers
Source:
scene https://www.inkedmag.com/music/dan-lambton-tal
ks-newest-real-friends-album
● Bands emerging music was emotional based and
acoustic. Yet, techo was still very present.
● Bands emerging were All Time Low, Real Friends,
and State Champs
State Champs and Real Friends
● State Champs were a New York based band
founded in the 2010s
● Music was acoustic based, emotional. Their style
was super casual: jeans and a t-shirt. State Champs in casual clothing.
● Along with, lead frontman, Derek Discanio, tells Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Champs
they created their style from Nirvana, especially
Kurt Cobain
● Real Friends, based out of Illinois and founded in
2010 also had a similar style
● Also known as “Midwestern Emo”, a more casual
emo/punk look
Real Friends, this photo was actually taken in their hometown! Source:
https://wallofsoundau.com/2020/02/15/real-friends-part-ways-with-vocalist-dan-lambton/
The Resurrection of Emo Fashion 2020s (again)! But, just a little
different
● Punk Emo fashion comes back again!
● Singers such as Lil Peep and Machine
Gun Kelly combine rock and rap
together
● Fashion is more ironic, along with
bending gender roles with more
makeup, nail polish, and feminine
jewelry.
● Along with, wearing more high end
fashion brands.
American singer, MGK, wearing
pink, necklace women usually
wear, and suit created by Berluti
Source:
https://www.vogue.com/article/jad
en-smith-machine-gun-kelly-2020-
vmas-red-carpet
Lil Peep, defying masculinity wearing
a dress. Along with, wearing Balmain
Source:
https://www.gq.com/story/lil-peep-sa
ys-his-fearless-style-is-what-fashion-n
eeds
Key Takeaways
● Fashion trends recycle themselves
● Music affects fashion, vice versa
● Ironic versus unironic style