SkinHead are more than those bastards with swastika sewed on their bummers... Actually, the nazi skins are a few bunch, fewer than the actually mass of skinheads walking in the streets. Here for those wishing to put a label on the skinhead neighbor around the block.
History
With a large migration of immigrant workers from Jamaica to
Great Britain in the 1960's, the white working class youth began adopting the style of their Jamaican counterparts - short, cropped hair, straight-leg denim jeans with the cuffs rolled up, black military style boots, braces (suspenders) - and embraced the musical genre of
ska. Skinheads are a product of
Mod's, a subculture of youth noted for their consumerism and affection for style, music and scooters. Around 1965 a group of "hard" or "gang" mods, who could be identified by their shorter hair and working-class image, emerged from the larger mod scene. This resulted in a schism that produced "peacock mods" (
The Who,
The Kinks) and skinheads, commonly known by that name by around 1968 (other early nicknames include "lemons" and "suits" among others). Early followers were mainly interested in and influenced by Jamaican
Reggae and
Ska music (aka, The Spirit of 69), Jamaican
Rude Boy culture and a dislike of those perceived as the 'ruling classes'. They had an extreme dislike for the government and many larger businesses as both appeared to misrepresent the working class and their wishes.
Skinhead culture exploded in the year 1969, after which the original skinheads slowly dropped into new categories, including the self-explanatory "Suede-head" (defined by the ability to manipulate one's hair with a comb) and the next-stage group, the "Smoothies" (often up to shoulder-length hairstyles). Both groups existed as lapse versions of skinheads, whose fashions regressed to their mod roots, introducing the more common wearing of brogues (originally an identifier once boots became too conspicuous) as well and the slacks-with-a-sweater look. Here was a far cry from the singly blue-jeaned and typically boot-toed skins of the past.
During the mid-1970's in the UK, the skinhead movement was reborn in an unexpected way. With the introduction of
Punk Rock to the public, kids were looking for the next great shock-rockers. Skinheads with shorter hair, less emphasis on style and cleanliness, and a new sound grew and grabbed the attention of the media as a result of repeated incidents of
hooliganism during
football (soccer), often to the point of rioting, between skinheads and members of the so-called ruling class. So-called "Punk skins" also gained a great deal of media attention after they were recruited by the anti-immigration political group, the
National Front who used the skinheads' reputation for violence to intimidate opposition. Most skinheads deny that their group was recruited to engage in racist and criminal activity by this organization, claiming that the National Front recruited street youth, shaved their heads to give them the appearance of skinheads, and paid them to bully, threaten and even enact violence upon immigrant workers.
The negative press generated concerning skinheads caused a demise in their numbers.
American skinheads received the same spin as their British counterparts. Fueled by sensationalist television, skinheads were inaccurately stereotyped a mindless, violent, and racist. As a response to this negative stereotype, the 1980's saw the birth of the
SHARP movement in New York. The group claims to be opposed all forms of bigotry.
The Third Wave of ska brought a resurgence in skinhead subculture in the early 1990's, and the popularity of the group continues to grow. Today, skinheads can be found in all of North America and Europe as well as in places such as
Japan and
Mexico.
Sects
There are a number of different "types" of skinhead, who divide themselves and their allegiances across political and racial lines.
Traditional (or Trads) or Originals - This group closely identifies itself with the original skinhead movement ("Spirit of 69"), maintaining working class pride and a dislike for the "ruling class". Non-racist and largely apolitical. This group is the largest sect of the subculture.
SHARP (Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice) - Political, and aggressively anti-racist. Considered to be the response to mass media's racial stereotyping of skinheads.
Neo-Nazi Skins (sometimes called White Power and derogatorily referred to as "Boneheads" by Trads and SHARPs) - The most vocal and well recognized sect of the subculture. Racist and highly political.
There are a number of other sects of skin worth mentioning, the Reds (communists), Anarchists, Mods, white pride, and gay skins among them.
In-fighting and Hostilities Each sect of skinhead may be considered to be hostile to a number of other groups, though violence is the exception to a rule of name-calling, harrassment and defamation behind closed doors. Some traditional enmities include:
Traditionalists - Punk-Skins (sometimes including SHARPs and racist/racialist groups), Punks, Bikers, Greasers, Red Skins, Metalheads, Hippies
Punk-Skins (old school) - Mods, Trads, Bikers, Greasers, Teddy Boys, Red Skins, Hippies
SHARPs - Red Skins, Hippies, Fence-Walkers (non-racist skins who will associate with racist skinheads), and of course, anything resembling a racist
Racist/Racialist/White Pride/White Power/Neo-Nazi - Everyone else, particularly SHARPs and punks
Red Skins - Racists (mainly racist skins) and sometimes also fencewalkers. You may be both red and SHARP.
Style
Skinheads are highly visible in public to both allies and enemies, due to their style. In terms of clothing:
Tops:
Men: Ben Sherman, Fred Perry, Brutus, Jaytex or
Arnold Palmer; Flight Jacket (popular brands include Warrior and Alpha) , "wife beater" shirts, cardigan sweaters and t-shirts; button-ups are worn with top unbuttoned, hopefully with no tie and blazer is narrow and with as many ticket pockets as possible)
Women: Same as men with addition of dress suits comprising a matching short skirt and ? length jacket with button-up and hose
Bottoms:
Men:
Levis or Wrangler, straight leg and rolled (to show off the boots) and "properly" fitted (the oft heard skinhead cry, "Get some jeans that fit, wanker!") and combat trousers
Women: Same as men, but also mini-skirts and fishnet stockings as well
Footwear:
Men: Boots, originally
Dr Martens (Docs) preferably "steelies" (steel-toed) with 3 to 14 holes, later brogues and loafers and recently Grinders brand boots
Women: Docs or black penny loafers
Hats: Bowlers, pork pie, and scullies
Braces: No more than ? inch in width
Hair:
Men: originally between a "2" and "4" grade clipguard (short, but not bald!); beginning in 70's, typically shaved close with no greater than a "Number 2" guard
Women: although hair can be worn in the same fashion as men, skinhead girls commonly wear a "Chelsea" shaved on top with fringes grown out in the back and front. (Female skins are also referred to as Chelsea's although it is unclear whether the hairstyle was named after the girl or the girl after the hair style).
Laces & Braces
While the majority of skinheads ignore markings by lace, brace and less commonly flight jacket colors, some do consider them useful labels. These identifiers were largely regional and often have different and even opposite meanings in different areas. The list below should be considered "generic". While there was significance placed upon this once upon a time, the "braces and laces game" has fallen largely into disuse ("laces and braces don't make you racist").
White - White power, white pride, neo-Nazi
Red - White power, white pride, neo-Nazi, National Front, communist; sometimes a badge for completed racist violence
Yellow/black/blue - SHARP; sometimes a badge for completed violence against a racist
Blue - cop killer
Yellow - Asian basher
Pink - gay skin or gay basher
Green - gay skin or
Vegan skin
Black - you just bought new boots or traditionalist
Black and White - Racial unity, traditionalist or ska fan
Music
Music plays an important role in any youth subculture and skinheads are no exception. Originally, the group was closely associated with the ska and reggae music of Desmond Dekker and Laurel Aiken before forming their own flavors of the style with bands like Simaryp, Joe the Boss, and Judge Dread.
In the 70's and early 80's, a variant on streetpunk,
Oi became accepted enthusiastically by skinheads and punks, and Oi! continues to be one of the most popular genres among skinheads.
Aside from the main two, other types of music are popular among skinheads, namely Northern Soul,
Rocksteady, streetpunk, mod rock and, in America expecially,
Hardcore.
Glossary of Terms
External links
Cathal Smythe of the band Madness on Ska and Skinhead culture (Source: about.com)
http://dmoz.org/Society/Subcultures/Skinhead/
