Alternative Clothing from Its Inception in the 70's to the Contemporary Style of Today

· I have a long history of trying out alternative clothing, not content to follow
the fashion police tribe, and their denim jeans and cargo pants. It’s not hard to
understand then, how this once rebellious fashion trend, popularised by "hard core"
punk bands of the 70’s and early 80’s, has grown in popularity.

· Alternative punk fashion was the dress code of a music influenced urban punk
subculture and was then considered rebellious and confrontational, a far cry
from contemporary brands such as Addict an Iron Fist. A far cry from the days
when punks and later Goths, bought their clothes from charity shops and thrift
stores and wrote their slogans with a marker pen.

· Vivienne Westwood, inspired by the punk phenomena, and using the influence
to this day, of controversial images, patches, studded or plain leather jackets
and tartan designs in her runway shows.
These were traditional of the punk style and remain prevalent today, although
the torn t-shirt and safety pin has taken a backseat. Bondage clothing, tapered
jeans, and well worn, almost destroyed, leather trousers dominated the punk
clothing scene as well.

· Footwear for the alternative clothing scene embraced a selection of styles
ranging from motorcycle boots (complete with buckles and steel toe caps) to
combat boots and Doc. Martens.

· With the advent of contemporary punk fashion there are various contemporary
elements of style watered down from hardcore punk clothing, this type of fashion
consists of jeans, ripped and customised, usually from top designers at top prices,
or camos a hoodie, and a simple, screen printed, t-shirt with a flavour of rebellious anarchy.

· The punk fashion scene since the advent of the original look in the 1970's,
has evolved into the mainstream, for better or worse, and since then clothing
stores and even fashion designers have taken punk fashion to an entirely new level.
It's easy to see that this once controversial, rebellious fashion has now grown
into a very popular style of dress.

Steve White runs the London based online store Urban Male Clothing retailing street clothing for the urban man searching for a unique style. From casual menswear and army surplus clothing, to skate shoes and alternative fashion.