Punk Fashion

パンク・ファッション / mid-1970s– / Style / Subculture Style

Punk fashion grew from 1970s music, shops and street culture, cutting, fastening and rewriting ready-made clothing into a confrontational message that included body and hair. DIY alteration, restraint hardware, metal and slogans made dress an editable medium rather than a finished commodity.

Punk Fashion — Punk dress in Paris, 1981 — photo attributed to Gilui in the uploader’s copyright claim — No machine-readable author provided. Gilui assumed (based on copyright claims). — Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.5
Punk dress in Paris, 1981 — photo attributed to Gilui in the uploader’s copyright claim — No machine-readable author provided. Gilui assumed (based on copyright claims). — Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.5 · CC BY-SA 2.5
Punk Fashion — AI-generated interpretation 1
AI-generated interpretation, not a reference work
Punk Fashion — AI-generated interpretation 2
AI-generated interpretation, not a reference work

At a glance

Visual cues

  • Torn T-shirts with exposed seams and fasteners
  • Safety pins, chains, zips and bondage hardware
  • Handwritten slogans, band names and repurposed insignia
  • Upright hair, hard makeup and body piercings

Best used for

  • Making an editable sign of belonging and opposition for music, protest or club settings
  • Reversing the meaning of ready-made clothes, uniforms and insignia by cutting, joining and overwriting them

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Dictionary entry

Type
Cut existing logos and newspaper lettering into handwritten words and uneven joins. Name the target of a slogan rather than substituting generic rebellion.
Composition
Concentrate tears, metal and text in one part of the body and support it with worn utility clothing. Design hair and posture as part of the full silhouette.
Material
Cut, pin and resew secondhand cotton, leather and tartan with metal and permanent ink. Keep dangerous hardware off skin and verify wear safety.
Caution
A new set of safety pins, tartan and a mohawk becomes costume. Separate it from Punk graphics and retain who objects to what and how the wearer altered the garment.
Further study
1970s London and New York punk / DIY, bricolage and anti-fashion / Vivienne Westwood, Malcolm McLaren and street adoption

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