Everyone wants to have their individual look, but is this unique look viewed as being too extreme? Over the past decade, the ‘punk’ look has been more dominant in current fashion than ever before. This look was a way of rebelling against the accepted rules of society, but today it is considered a way of expressing your own individuality. The question is does this individual look carry a hidden consequence in the modernized world of today. Does today’s society look at the punk persona differently, even atypical?
The classic punk fashion and style has had quite a long history throughout time. This look was shocking, rebellious and considered almost dangerously different. The punk scene was the opposite of being traditional, and was at the extreme end of the conventional norm. Once it gained the media’s attention for being shocking, it quickly gained popularity which in turn made it the ‘it fashion’ for a long period of time. The classic punk look generally consists of multiple tattoos, piercings, edgy clothing, and unnatural hair colours and styles, such as the mohawk. Dressing in the punk style not only made heads turn, it was a powerful way to get your message across. For example, many girls who dress this way mix masculine pieces, such as combat boots or chunky jewelry, with a feminine dress or skirt, which rebels against the stereotypical image of how a woman should dress. Thus, this look was quite liberating for most females.
It is very strange to see how punk fashion has been portrayed in the latest fashion trends and magazines. What started out as an underground fashion movement has gradually become part of the mainstream. An important part of the punk look has consistently been a do-it-yourself (DIY) attitude. One of the first inventors of the punk fashion was from a local New York band called “Neon Boys”. The lead singer/bassist, Richard Hell, was one of the first persons to spike his hair, wear a leather jacket and a studded dog collar. This was as far away from the norm as you could get back in that time. Richard Hell’s look became inspiring to many people including Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood who started to design clothing of what they dubbed the “new” punk style. Their clothing store, SEX, was located in London, England and was extremely successful due to the uniqueness of the shop. Today many designers take elements of the classic punk fashion and merge it with their own interpretation of style.
Nevertheless, the punk look still has a negative stereotype in today’s society. It seems that some people still view this image as being violent, or relate the person wearing the fashion as behaving in a destructive manor. This could be due to the edgy attire such as the extreme hair or the safety pins, another trademark of the punk look. The image, by many, is still being interpreted as an act of pure rebellion, and not simply as a way of expressing your individuality.
Context has a huge effect on how the punk look is interpreted by others. Many people who live in the city may be used to this intense form of fashion more so than people living in small towns, whose experience may be more contained and limited. Furthermore, when applying for a job, the manager may be more likely to hire someone who is dressed in a conservative manner as opposed to someone with numerous piercings and maybe a purple mohawk, who may not be taken as seriously. This is of course depending on the job you are applying for. You are able to see this type of discrimination in almost any work situation. For example, it is highly unlikely to find a lawyer or a doctor dressed in the classic punk trend. Although this is unfair and biased, it is just how the style is viewed by the majority of people. By nature, human beings analyze someone and start making assumptions at first glance, based on appearance alone. This is instinctive and is human nature, regardless of what that individual’s values and beliefs may be.
I have had a personal experience that can be applied to this subject. A couple years back, I had pink hair and was looking for a job. I was eager to begin work and thus handed out my resume everywhere that I could, including stores inside local malls, small mom & pop stores, you name it. Time passed and I didn’t even get one call from any place that I applied to. My frustration grew and I finally dyed my hair to a colour that I thought would be more accepted by society. A mere weeks following my hair colour change, I applied to a few more stores once again and got a call back immediately.
Unfortunately, people are quick to judge anyone that does not fit into what society accepts as being the norm. After all, appearance is the first thing that is noticed and therefore judged about a person. Your physical exterior, like it or not, creates an impression directly on your personality, and this is left for others’ to critique. Given that our society dictates how we should perceive people and the ‘punk’ look has been labeled negatively by society, most people as a result view this type of fashion to be unnecessary and disobedient, even if that assumption is false.
The punk look has been around for a tremendous amount of time and many believe that this stage is almost at an end. Even if the classic punk look fades away, remnants of the style will indeed live on forever. It may even grow more and more popular over time and become part of the accepted look specified by society, no one exactly knows the outcome in the end. Who knows, perhaps sometime in the near future we will come to see dentists and doctors sporting green mohawks or maybe a sleeve of tattoos.
No comments:
Post a Comment