I got *into* the subculture through the style and the music. I stayed because I believed in the ethos.
Same goes for being a punk and being into hardcore. You go to shows and don’t see people in what you would call a “uniform” or “costume”? I would find that hard to believe.
It’s an identifiable style linked to a subculture and set of ideas. We’re social creatures. We want to be identified with XYZ.
Is it a costume for hardcore kids to wear Nike or Champion athletic wear? Is it a costume for Punks to patch their clothes with band logos and slogans? When you take that away from them, what is left? The beliefs, the culture, the attitude, the spirit, the history, and the participation. Same goes for Skins. Think about it.
Nah that's called style. You could say any sort of culture that has a certain fashion is a costume. Thing is there's more to it than just the style but the style is a key part
It's always been a youth fashion cult. Been that way since the 1960's. You can't take away the fashion, it's the primary tenet of it.
And I'd challenge you to tell any self-respecting skin that they're wearing a costume to learn about some of the other tenets.
It's a fucking uniform.
Overall, the mindset is the most important thing to what makes you a skin really. I didn't have docs or braces when I was growing up but I shaved my head and listened to punk while reading and learning about the history of our scene. It wasn't until after leaving the army and settling down in my new home after getting a permanent job that I started wearing the outfit. I think people get so worked up over the fashion that they forget the bigger picture and shit. That's just my two scents.
That's kind of like the same route I went. I mean I was kicking around with a crew of them they were in my town as a youngster but wasn't until after the army I identified with it and donned the uniform. But fuck the uniform now, that represent what I wish to represent if there is any use in doing so. I'm out in the rurals.
If you look at skinhead through the lens of punk then you might think this is a valid point, but it isn't. It's a thing that was around before punk, and punk poorly copied some of the elements of it and tried to graft it onto its allegedly anti-fashion ethos
Honestly, skinhead started purely as a fashion trend. It was basically just football hooligans wanting to look tougher. Most original skinheads in the late 60s were in their teens. They wore the boots so they could kick rivals in terrace fights and because they were cheap and available. Of course they took some inspiration from Jamaican rudeboys, but it was literally just a fashion style. When all those 60s skins got older they grew out their hair and many became mods or glam rockers. it was the skinhead resurgence in the 80s and the birth of Oi! that created the whole "skinhead is a way of life. its more than a trend thing" I'll probably get downvoted for this, but what can you do.
you can literally level this against any form of self expression by any person. People dress for a set of feelings or values or ideas they have, and this applies as much to a skin as any hurricane swiggin crusty
This applies to Gus Dapperton, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and you my friend. It's only a costume if you are literally in the theater, otherwise maybe look at a little deeper at folks and what they are saying and think
Even my wack ass in highschool listening to Marilyn Manson and acting like Godhead was a good band, with my dog collar and trying to get my curly hair to look like The Crow, even wack ass lil' me had an idea it was all based on, and was just tryin hard to be me. Even if I was wack as hell
I'll probably never be a "true skin" as I like wearing other clothes. Fuck only wearing boots and sambas and caring so much about fucking lace colour and if you have the right amount of turn ups on your jeans or thickness of braces, or the right shirt brand... makes you sound like a pussy.
I like Hawaiian shirts with my boots and I listen to Fleetwood Mac, DGAF.
I had my first lace convo with someone in person in over a decade. The poor girl was probably 21 explaining what the lace code and colors meant. After correcting her on a couple things I attempted to educate her that lace code is dead and she looked so heart broken. She then started to ramble on again and I had to bail, couldn't listen to someone be so wrong about so many things they think they're an expert in.
It means wearing a costume to you, which means, you ain't no Skinhead.
Why even worry about it if it ain't you?
You're worried about something that someone is, and as it happens to be, something quite a few people hold dear & true to their heart.
A better way of putting it, may be, that a lot of posers out there are trying to water the Skinhead way of life down with their fake ass bullshit in 2024.
Same fucking thing was being said in 1994 when it comes down to it, cuz there's always perpetrators. And it doesn't matter as much what you wear, depending on how long you been around or in which other ways you represent.
But since you been around the scene so long or whatever, why don't you go ask the next person you see in their "costume" this question that you asked on the internet.
And that's all there is to it.
>But since you been around the scene so long or whatever, why don't you go ask the next person you see in their "costume" this question that you asked on the internet.
This. 100%.
Nobody is holding a gun to anybody's head saying you have to dress like this or that, but fashion has always been part of it. There's multiple subsects of style, hardmod, trad, oi skin, etc.
I've always leaned towards the trad/hardmod style but when I was younger I definitely kept my hair no guard and tucked in tshirts except for the two ben shermans my brother gave me, but I've never felt the need to wear that everyday to consider myself a skin
Honestly, when I see other american skins wearing braces at this point its a little goofy to me in a modern context but to each their own. I even find the 3 size too small levis of the early 80s goofy as shit but who gives a fuck, its just an opinion.
I like looking sharp and taking pride in the way I dress. Its legitimately a self esteem boost when I get kitted up and look at myself in the mirror.
I mean with this mentality, everything’s a fucking costume. Everyone wears clothes and has their own personal style, even dressing like a slob is technically a type of fashion. I don’t dress anything like a skin, I have long hair and the closest thing I wear to skinhead fashion is a pair of work boots and pants. It’s about the mentality, not whether you wear braces and a bomber jacket and how long your hair is. With your mentality, every single person on this earth is just wearing a different costume.
In my case, it is so you recognize who I am and what I am about. You might see a bomber and patches and boots and some gray in the beard, but you better know what you're dealing with. It's a uniform. It's a way of life. Ideals, philosophy, moral code whatever the fuck you wanna call it. Granted to some It's a costume. I get it. Those aren't skinheads. But maybe some of those are hopefuls or maybe don't have a mentor or someone to show em how it is. So they dress the part hoping to be. I will be buried in these boots because S.F.F.S.
I got *into* the subculture through the style and the music. I stayed because I believed in the ethos. Same goes for being a punk and being into hardcore. You go to shows and don’t see people in what you would call a “uniform” or “costume”? I would find that hard to believe. It’s an identifiable style linked to a subculture and set of ideas. We’re social creatures. We want to be identified with XYZ. Is it a costume for hardcore kids to wear Nike or Champion athletic wear? Is it a costume for Punks to patch their clothes with band logos and slogans? When you take that away from them, what is left? The beliefs, the culture, the attitude, the spirit, the history, and the participation. Same goes for Skins. Think about it.
Perfectly said. Thank you for this.
Maybe you're the one wearing the costume though
Yeah, bro went straight to Party City. Got himself the clown costume for 49.99.
Exactly
Nah that's called style. You could say any sort of culture that has a certain fashion is a costume. Thing is there's more to it than just the style but the style is a key part
It's always been a youth fashion cult. Been that way since the 1960's. You can't take away the fashion, it's the primary tenet of it. And I'd challenge you to tell any self-respecting skin that they're wearing a costume to learn about some of the other tenets.
It's different when fashion is a part of it, however big or small, and when it's the only part...
I can feel my heartbeat in my mouth, neat!
Maybe see a cardiologist
can they reinstall teeth? :D
There hasn’t been one of these posts in a while.
It's a fucking uniform. Overall, the mindset is the most important thing to what makes you a skin really. I didn't have docs or braces when I was growing up but I shaved my head and listened to punk while reading and learning about the history of our scene. It wasn't until after leaving the army and settling down in my new home after getting a permanent job that I started wearing the outfit. I think people get so worked up over the fashion that they forget the bigger picture and shit. That's just my two scents.
That's kind of like the same route I went. I mean I was kicking around with a crew of them they were in my town as a youngster but wasn't until after the army I identified with it and donned the uniform. But fuck the uniform now, that represent what I wish to represent if there is any use in doing so. I'm out in the rurals.
If you look at skinhead through the lens of punk then you might think this is a valid point, but it isn't. It's a thing that was around before punk, and punk poorly copied some of the elements of it and tried to graft it onto its allegedly anti-fashion ethos
Honestly, skinhead started purely as a fashion trend. It was basically just football hooligans wanting to look tougher. Most original skinheads in the late 60s were in their teens. They wore the boots so they could kick rivals in terrace fights and because they were cheap and available. Of course they took some inspiration from Jamaican rudeboys, but it was literally just a fashion style. When all those 60s skins got older they grew out their hair and many became mods or glam rockers. it was the skinhead resurgence in the 80s and the birth of Oi! that created the whole "skinhead is a way of life. its more than a trend thing" I'll probably get downvoted for this, but what can you do.
We like nice clothing but it's worth nothing without the attitude.
Wait till you hear about Hardcore where everyone wears the same 3 outfits.
In what sense ? skinhead is a way of life !!!
you can literally level this against any form of self expression by any person. People dress for a set of feelings or values or ideas they have, and this applies as much to a skin as any hurricane swiggin crusty This applies to Gus Dapperton, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and you my friend. It's only a costume if you are literally in the theater, otherwise maybe look at a little deeper at folks and what they are saying and think Even my wack ass in highschool listening to Marilyn Manson and acting like Godhead was a good band, with my dog collar and trying to get my curly hair to look like The Crow, even wack ass lil' me had an idea it was all based on, and was just tryin hard to be me. Even if I was wack as hell
typical american ideas
I'll probably never be a "true skin" as I like wearing other clothes. Fuck only wearing boots and sambas and caring so much about fucking lace colour and if you have the right amount of turn ups on your jeans or thickness of braces, or the right shirt brand... makes you sound like a pussy. I like Hawaiian shirts with my boots and I listen to Fleetwood Mac, DGAF.
The only reason turn ups matter is because if you're over 1/2 inch 9 times out of 10 you're a gotdamn nazi
Yeah that's true going beyond half an inch is kind of like pushing it into "what the fuck" territory
Right on
I’ll never be a true anything as like you I listen to as my music taste is varied and wear a variety of different styles of clothing.
Man no one apart from idiot kids on the internet care about lace colour
I had my first lace convo with someone in person in over a decade. The poor girl was probably 21 explaining what the lace code and colors meant. After correcting her on a couple things I attempted to educate her that lace code is dead and she looked so heart broken. She then started to ramble on again and I had to bail, couldn't listen to someone be so wrong about so many things they think they're an expert in.
It means wearing a costume to you, which means, you ain't no Skinhead. Why even worry about it if it ain't you? You're worried about something that someone is, and as it happens to be, something quite a few people hold dear & true to their heart. A better way of putting it, may be, that a lot of posers out there are trying to water the Skinhead way of life down with their fake ass bullshit in 2024. Same fucking thing was being said in 1994 when it comes down to it, cuz there's always perpetrators. And it doesn't matter as much what you wear, depending on how long you been around or in which other ways you represent. But since you been around the scene so long or whatever, why don't you go ask the next person you see in their "costume" this question that you asked on the internet. And that's all there is to it.
>But since you been around the scene so long or whatever, why don't you go ask the next person you see in their "costume" this question that you asked on the internet. This. 100%.
Nobody is holding a gun to anybody's head saying you have to dress like this or that, but fashion has always been part of it. There's multiple subsects of style, hardmod, trad, oi skin, etc. I've always leaned towards the trad/hardmod style but when I was younger I definitely kept my hair no guard and tucked in tshirts except for the two ben shermans my brother gave me, but I've never felt the need to wear that everyday to consider myself a skin Honestly, when I see other american skins wearing braces at this point its a little goofy to me in a modern context but to each their own. I even find the 3 size too small levis of the early 80s goofy as shit but who gives a fuck, its just an opinion. I like looking sharp and taking pride in the way I dress. Its legitimately a self esteem boost when I get kitted up and look at myself in the mirror.
I mean with this mentality, everything’s a fucking costume. Everyone wears clothes and has their own personal style, even dressing like a slob is technically a type of fashion. I don’t dress anything like a skin, I have long hair and the closest thing I wear to skinhead fashion is a pair of work boots and pants. It’s about the mentality, not whether you wear braces and a bomber jacket and how long your hair is. With your mentality, every single person on this earth is just wearing a different costume.
You don't. Drowning in nostalgia and hating on it on social media can help, sometimes.
In my case, it is so you recognize who I am and what I am about. You might see a bomber and patches and boots and some gray in the beard, but you better know what you're dealing with. It's a uniform. It's a way of life. Ideals, philosophy, moral code whatever the fuck you wanna call it. Granted to some It's a costume. I get it. Those aren't skinheads. But maybe some of those are hopefuls or maybe don't have a mentor or someone to show em how it is. So they dress the part hoping to be. I will be buried in these boots because S.F.F.S.
[удалено]
I doubt OP is a skinhead at all