Leather In Punk Subculture

A leather jacket, is just a leather jacket, until a punk makes it their own. Leather is a symbol in punk subculture that showcases their beliefs and opinions to the rest of the world. While many abhor the fashion trend, the punks find enjoyment in shocking the masses with their radical and unconventional apparel adorned in spikes, studs, chains, and intentional rips. They look for cast-off garments often from thrift stores, Good Will, and Salvation Army, especially black clothing and untraditional accessories to make statements. Most of the fashion was “initially handmade, often stitched together from scrap denim and leather.” The most desired piece of clothing that the punks are known for are their black, studded leather jackets.
Vivienne Westwood, a British fashion designer with an avant-garde style, is credited with birthing punk fashion but, although she is one of the first punk fashion icons, she did not introduce every fashion statement. Leather is first seen in the 1950s and 1960s with the American greasers and the rockabilly epidemic. In the 1970s, Westwood’s skin-tight leather, rubber, and vinyl clothing paired with ripped fishnet tights, harsh eyeliner, and spiked jewelry placates the need to sexualize clothing. Street …show more content…
Rockabilly is “an amalgamation of the words ‘rock’ and ‘hillbilly’ – referencing the cross between rock ‘n’ roll and country music that influenced” the culture to form in the 1950s. The iconic look that most traditional male rockabillies embody is the leather or denim jackets, plaid bowling shirts paired with black jeans, and unwieldy work boots. Having Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis as archetypes, rockabillies found that the right jacket could help explore the possibilities of the world. Beat-up leather jackets or faded denim jackets help rockabillies find their confidence; jackets are worn with an aura of pride and a lighthearted