Punk was the style that was rebellious, political and crossed gender stereotypes changed more than what people put on in the morning. Punk fashion was as much about style as it was a critique of society and what was considered as the norm to be ‘attractive’. The would be fashion powerhouse Vivienne Westwood was at the forefront of the punk revolution with her partnership to Malcolm McLaren and her dressing of the Sex Pistols. Westwood’s designs focussed on tartan, ripped clothing and fetish fabrics such as latex and leather. The finished looks were often very political and highly sexualised with exposed areas of the female form. Westwood’s designs were also very influential in bringing Punk to the masses when she made her clothes politicised with stitched and scrawled protests all over the fabric.

Punk fashion was also popular in the 70s when music icons such as Debbie Harry or ‘Blondie’ adopted the style as a rebellion against conformative fashion and social ideals. The pairing of fashion and music caused punk to become a hugely iconic look of the 70s, and gave it a cult-like status. Punk fashion was especially popular with students due to the low cost of the fashion which primarily involved ripping up, customising and a home-made quality. Crude construction of garments was also popular and the pieces often varied between baggy and very tightly fitted so as to be as abstract as possible. Dresses and skirts were often paired with ripped or fish net tights and exposed suspenders. Recreate the punk look today with leather biker jackets, tartan and heavy jewellery, or give it a modern twist by using a mixture of feminine pieces and classic punk fashion. Key punk style pieces include lace bralets, leather skirts and bulky boots, with both Topshop and Urban Outfitters showcasing 70s inspired collections this season.

Lydia Norris