Skinhead clothing, symbols, hairstyles. Youth subculture

Lately we have been hearing more and more often about skinheads. They are talked about on TV screens and described on the pages of newspapers and magazines. And in such a huge amount of information it is very difficult to understand, to find a real answer to the question “skinheads - who are they?” Are they dangerous to society? What are their main ones? Let’s try to answer these questions together today.

What is a subculture

Representatives of a certain youth subculture are teenagers who dress in their own way, listen to certain music, and have their own jargon. They have their own pattern of behavior. They always arise spontaneously and, most often, try to oppose themselves to the older generation.

Representatives of subcultures are not always aggressive, cruel, etc. The fact is that upon closer acquaintance with serious publications and books telling about skinheads, an understanding arises that the picture painted in our imagination by media representatives is very far from reality.

Skinheads are a subculture that arose spontaneously

The word “skinhead” itself came to us from the English language. Translated, it means “bald head” (“skin head”). At first, Western youth became interested in this trend. Over time, teenagers from other countries also joined the movement, and eventually it spread throughout the world. Already in the sixties of the last century, everyone knew the subculture continues to exist to this day. It is worth noting that a subculture, as such, is neither an ideological nor a political organization. Only in rare cases can it be associated with any movement or party.

Russian skinheads

Today this subculture is very popular in our country. Skinheads first appeared in Russia in 1991. They became students of Moscow technical schools and vocational schools, teenagers living in the capital and Leningrad.

Are Russian skinheads different from Western skinheads? Who is this? Ordinary youth united spontaneously? Not really. Despite the fact that in our country the economic crisis was even worse than in England after the war, the skinhead movement did not appear in Russia naturally. Our teenagers are greatly influenced by Western mass culture. This precisely explains the fact that the offspring of ordinary mechanics and electricians sported suspenders and dockers’ boots from England.

Russian skinheads differ in some other ways. The subculture, which arose under the influence of the West, makes them shout about their people and country on foreign languages, waving American Confederate and German flags. True, this is done by representatives of one of the subspecies of this subculture - boneheads.

Skin directions

Like any other, this youth subculture has several directions. Skinheads are different. There are red skins that have their own website and even publish their own magazine, called “Blown Up Sky”. A separate direction is anti-fascist skins. Representatives of this movement even guarded concerts of rap artists, whom neo-Nazis consider their sworn enemies. This event is called skin security.

However, very little is said about the various directions of this subculture to almost anyone. Television announcers, journalists, publicists, everyone who likes to discuss the topic of fascism, neo-Nazism and racism, prefer not to mention the fact that there are anti-fascist skins. Therefore, in Russia (and in the West too) the most famous are boneheads.

Boneheads in Russia

So, everyone knows skinheads. Who is this and why are they being talked about in all the media? Their entire behavior and lifestyle are copied from Western models. They dress and look at life in the same way as their Western “brothers”, listen to the same music and give the same priorities life values. However, there is still a difference. Skinheads (boneheads) in Russia include not only the American Anglo-Saxon white-skinned people and European peoples as Aryan nations, but also Slavic peoples(primarily Russians).

It is worth noting that Russian skinheads are seriously mistaken. The subculture in Europe is different from ours. In other countries, skinheads completely disagree with the idea that Russians can be classified as an Aryan nation. After all, for them we are “racially inferior.”

However, both Western and Russian boneheads are under the care of other, “adult” organizations. They are skillfully managed by representatives of the far-right and neo-Nazi movements.

Appearance

Every subculture has its own external differences. Skinheads, who are sometimes intimidated, are simply following certain traditions. This is what, by their standards, a real skin should look like:

1. A real Aryan with blond hair, a straight thin nose and gray eyes. Of course, there may be slight deviations from the main type. For example, the eyes may be light brown or blue, or the hair may be slightly darker than light brown. However, the general background must be preserved.
2. The head should be completely shaved or cut very short. Their hairstyles are not like the hairstyles of bandits or policemen. A skinhead's hair is the same length all over his head. Bangs, strands, etc. are not allowed. The main purpose of this hairstyle is to prevent the enemy from grabbing your hair in a fight.
3. Almost 100% of skinheads have a thin build. It is simply impossible to meet a representative of this subculture who is obese.
4. Wear only functional clothing. First of all, skinheads are recognized by their high military boots. Preference is given to the famous "Grinders". These shoes serve as a kind of weapon. Sometimes they wear, but more often they prefer, black skinny jeans, rolled up to their boots. The belts have heavy buckles. Some guys wear suspenders. The jackets are black, made of slippery fabric, without a collar.
5. On a skinhead you will never see baubles, neck chains, or piercings. Even if a guy puts on a pendant in the form of a swastika, you should know that this is not a real representative of the skinhead subculture. In this form, he is no longer a fighter. Not to mention that it's hard to get into a fight when you have pierced ears, lips, nose, etc.
6. A real skinhead does not drink, does not smoke and will never use drugs. Meanwhile, skins often decorate bare skulls and temples with aggressive tattoos

These are the main signs of a representative of this subculture. Something may vary, but in small, insignificant details.

• 1 Origin
• 2 Culture
  • 2.1 Appearance
  • 2.2 Music
• 3 Further development
  • 3.1 1970/80s England
• 4 Russian skinheads
  • 4.1 History of the movement
  • 4.2 Number
  • 4.3 Gender and social composition
  • 4.4 Appearance of Russian skinheads
  • 4.5 Types of Russian skinheads
  • 4.6 Slang
• 5 Various directions movement
• 6 See also
• 7 Notes

Emergence

The first mentions of skinheads in the press and music were found in England in the late 60s of the 20th century. One of the first names of the subculture was "Hard Mods". Skinheads of the 60s had common features style with the mod subculture, as well as with the Jamaican rudboys.

Modern musical styles such as Oi! and punk didn’t exist then. The most preferred music of the first mods and skinheads was ska and soul, later - rocksteady and reggae.

The subculture was completely apolitical from the very beginning. Neither left nor right politics prevailed.

Culture

Appearance

The appearance of skinheads largely replicates the appearance of mods: Fred Perry and Ben Sherman polos and sweaters, Levi's jeans, a classic Crombie coat and Dr. Martens boots, but besides this it also has its own characteristics. To the basic appearance were added: plaid shirts, denim jackets, thin suspenders and rolled-up jeans (the latter became a kind of “calling card” of the style). Long jackets of the mods disappeared.

This style was called "boots and braces": "boots and braces." This appearance is mentioned in several 60s songs recorded by Jamaican ska and reggae artist Laurel Aitken. The main components of the style (boots, jeans, shirt, suspenders, short hair, etc.) are mentioned in the songs "Skinhead Jamboree" and "Skinhead Girl" by the reggae group Symarip, recorded in 1969.

Slade adopted the first wave skinhead look in 1969 (Slade subsequently changed their look).

This appearance appeared more and more often in the football stands. Reporter Ian Walker describes a group of skinheads at a football match in 1968:

They were all wearing bleached Levi's jeans, Dr. Martens, short scarves tied like a tie; everyone had short hair. Original text (English)

They all wore bleached Levi's, Dr. Martens, a short scarf tied cravat style, cropped hair.

In the 70s, the style did not undergo significant changes. Elements of the appearance were featured in the book Skinhead by Nick Knight, published in 1982.

In 1991, George Marshall published the book Spirit of "69 - A Skinhead Bible with a more detailed description of the appearance and a selection of photographs. In 1994, Gavin Watson published the photo album Skins with photographs of the life of a small community of skinheads from Gavin's circle and himself.

Music

Jamaican music arrived in England with the first immigrants from Jamaica in the early 1960s. Subsequently, some of them founded their own labels (Island Records, Pama Records, etc.), publishing music from their homeland, which contributed to the spread of Jamaican music in the early 1960s (officially published music could get into the charts). New music from the former British colony gave preference to fashion, which was later adopted by skinheads.

Following their own labels, Jamaican emigrants began to record and publish songs in England. The most popular Jamaican performers and producers among skinheads were Laurel Aitken, Lloyd Terrell, Rico Rodriguez, Joe Manzano (a native of Trinidad), Robert Thompson and others. In the late 1960s, their names were often found on records, as performers and/or producers.

The most famous natives from Jamaica were the group Symarip, who recorded reggae tracks that are popular among skinheads to this day. At the beginning of their career, the group was supported by Laurel Aitken, who helped them sign a contract with EMI. For the song "Skinhead Moonstomp", Montgomery Naismith, who played organ in the band, copied the intro from the Sam and Dave hit "I Thank You", changing only a few words.

Further evidence of the connection between Jamaican music and skinheads is the film "Reggae" by Horace Ove, containing short interviews with skinheads and immigrant youth who came to the 1970 Wembley reggae festival, as well as club footage of skinheads dancing with their black peers and older generation.

Further development

1970/80s England

In the late 70s and early 80s, Oi music became popular! - further development punk rock.

In the 1980s, the subculture was closely associated with the 2-Tone ska movement.

The first amateur magazines appeared - fanzines.

Russian skinheads

History of the movement

Skinheads probably appeared in Russia in the early 1990s. in the early 1990s, groups emerged primarily in major cities- in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Rostov, Volgograd and Nizhny Novgorod. In 1995, the first printed skinhead media appeared in Moscow - the magazine “Under Zero”. In 1995-1996, the musical “metal” magazine “Iron March” acted as skinhead media. In the 1990s, several new skin publications appeared in Moscow alone: ​​the magazines “Stop”, “Udar”, “Street Fighter”, “Screwdriver” and others. In the late 1990s, since numerous fights and beatings occurred after almost every skinhead concert, they began to be banned, canceled or shortened. In 2002 - 2003, several “demonstration” trials took place.

Number

According to S. V. Belikov, the subculture was relatively small: in 1995 - 1996 there were more than 1000 people in Russia.

Gender and social composition

As of the early 2000s, the subculture was dominated by boys; girls in the skin company were usually friends of one of the company members and often had nothing to do with the movement. Women's skin groups in the 2000s, according to S. V. Belikov, were small in number and completely under the control of male companies. The social composition of skinheads, according to S.V. Belikov, changed: in the early 1990s, teenagers aged 14-18 from disadvantaged families in “dormitory areas” predominated among them; in the second half of the decade, they were already children of representatives of the Soviet middle class (skilled workers, scientific workers -research institutes, engineers), who lost their jobs due to liberal reforms, as well as people from families associated with small and medium-sized businesses.

Appearance of Russian skinheads

In the early 2000s, the appearance of Russian skinheads, as described by S. V. Belikov, was as follows: more often short-cropped hair than a “polished head”, a jacket (“bomber”, “scooter” or denim - mostly from Lee, Levi's , Wrangler), a T-shirt (with scenes of violence, on a military theme, etc.), popular green camouflage T-shirts with sewn signs and symbols or with pinned badges, camouflage or black vest, suspenders, a belt with a large and attractive buckle (it is sometimes sharpened or filled with lead), jeans (preferably from Lee, Lewi's, Wrangier) or camouflage pants of dark colors, tucked in or rolled up, stripes (football symbols, military, etc.), heavy boots (for example, Dok. Martens, but in Russia often ordinary military). The attribute of Russian skinheads was a chrome-plated metal chain weighing about 100–150 grams, about 60–80 cm long, which was attached in two places on the side of the jeans for decoration and close combat. By the color of a skinhead's laces, one could determine the views to which the owner of the skin considered himself an adherent: black - neutral, white - racist, brown - neo-Nazi, red - communist or left-wing radical.

After a wave of arrests of teenagers dressed as skinheads took place in the early 2000s, the appearance of the skins changed: first, the stripes and symbols disappeared, then the chrome chains and camouflage trousers, and many stopped shaving their heads. Between 2003 and 2006, the most radical symbols disappeared, replaced by images of various flags (Russian tricolor, imperial standard, etc.). Skins also had common tattoos (up to 60 - 70% of the body surface), and of any theme.

Types of Russian skinheads

S. V. Belikov described several types in the 2000s: fighters (soldiers), music lovers and musicians, politicians, “fashionistas.”

Slang

S. V. Belikov identified the following four expressions unique to Russian skinheads: shaved (to completely shave the head), grinder (a person who perceives the image and subculture of skinheads with hypertrophied seriousness), party member (a skinhead who maintains close cooperation with an ultra-right political association), etc.

Different driving directions

Currently, there are several groups of youth who call themselves “skinheads”:

• Traditional Skinheads - arose as a reaction to the emergence of pro-political offshoots from the original subculture. They follow the image of the first skinheads - devotion to the subculture, memory of roots (family, working class), apoliticality. The unofficial slogan is "Remember the Spirit of 69", as it is believed that in 1969 the skinhead movement was at its peak. Closely associated with ska and reggae music, as well as modern music Oi!.

• Hardcore Skinheads are an offshoot of skinheads that are primarily associated with the hardcore punk scene rather than Oi! and ska. Hardcore skinheads became common at the end of the first wave of hardcore. They preserved the ideas of their predecessors and had no racial prejudices.

• NS-Skinheads - appeared in England in the first half of the 70s. They adhere to right-wing ideologies, nationalists or racists, some advocate the idea of ​​​​racial separatism and white supremacy.

• S.H.A.R.P. (eng. Skinheads Against Racial Prejudices) - “Skinheads against racial prejudices.” They appeared in America in the 1980s as a reaction to the stereotype that arose in the media that all skinheads were Nazis. They gave television and radio interviews where they talked about the true values ​​and ideas of the skinhead movement. They used force against NS skinheads.

• R.A.S.H. (eng. Red & Anarchist Skinheads) - “Reds” and anarchist skinheads who inherited the ideas of socialism, communism, and anarchism from the “native” working class. Pro-political movement.

See also

• Punks, Mods, Ore-boys
• Oi!, Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae
• Football hooligans, Hooliganism

Notes

1. Description on the website oioioi.ru
2. Ian Walker // New Society Magazine. - 1980.
3. Nick Knight - Skinhead, ISBN 0-7119-0052-3
4. ISBN 1-898927-10-3
5. ISBN 0-9552822-9-2, ISBN 978-0-9552822-9-4
6. Carl Gale This Is Reggae Music... // Black Music Magazine. - 1976. - No. 3(28). - P. 40.
7. Mikhail Piskunov - “Reggae for the working class.”
8. Oi!-band The Oppressed recorded the song “Skinhead Girl” on one of their albums
9. Michael de Koening, Mark Griffiths. Tighten up! The history of reggae in the UK. - Sanctuary Publishing Limited, 2003. - P. 39. - ISBN 1-86074-559-8.
10. http://static.iea.ras.ru/books/Molodezhnie_subkultury_Moskvy.pdf P. 225
11. 1 2 3 4 http://static.iea.ras.ru/books/Molodezhnie_subkultury_Moskvy.pdf P. 226
12. http://static.iea.ras.ru/books/Molodezhnie_subkultury_Moskvy.pdf P. 227
13. http://static.iea.ras.ru/books/Molodezhnie_subkultury_Moskvy.pdf P. 228
14. http://static.iea.ras.ru/books/Molodezhnie_subkultury_Moskvy.pdf P. 229
15. 1 2 3 http://static.iea.ras.ru/books/Molodezhnie_subkultury_Moskvy.pdf P. 232
16. http://static.iea.ras.ru/books/Molodezhnie_subkultury_Moskvy.pdf pp. 234 - 235
17. http://static.iea.ras.ru/books/Molodezhnie_subkultury_Moskvy.pdf pp. 235 - 236
18. http://static.iea.ras.ru/books/Molodezhnie_subkultury_Moskvy.pdf P. 235
19. http://static.iea.ras.ru/books/Molodezhnie_subkultury_Moskvy.pdf P. 236
20. http://static.iea.ras.ru/books/Molodezhnie_subkultury_Moskvy.pdf P. 243
21. http://static.iea.ras.ru/books/Molodezhnie_subkultury_Moskvy.pdf P. 244
22. http://static.iea.ras.ru/books/Molodezhnie_subkultury_Moskvy.pdf pp. 237 - 239
23. http://static.iea.ras.ru/books/Molodezhnie_subkultury_Moskvy.pdf P. 247

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The author continues a series of publications designed to highlight some of the problems associated with the study of the phenomenon of consciousness control. In his latest article, “Psychological characteristics of members of destructive and terrorist (radical) groups,” the author came to the conclusion that for a deeper scientific analysis of the phenomenon of consciousness control, it is worth classifying the activities of “destructive organizations” as the activities of groups (mini-societies), such as anti-globalists, radical ecologists, terrorists, criminals, some “gaming” communities, etc. Studying the collective activities of these subjects will help to better understand the nature of radicalism and the increase in the use of thinking reform techniques (mind control) in society.

Activities of “destructive organizations” in Russian society and the world has not yet been sufficiently considered in the context of radical asocial groups. Radicalism in all its forms and manifestations, in its scale and intensity, in its cruelty, has turned into one of the most acute and pressing problems of states today. One aspect of this problem, according to the author, is undoubtedly “misconceptions” about the role of youth groups in destabilizing modern society. The author will try to consider the activities of radical representatives of “youth subcultures” from different angles.

In contrast to the opinion of most ordinary people, modern subcultures, especially youth ones, are not amorphous and monotonous phenomena, but represent active “foci of resistance” modern society with his Christian morality. These “foci” represent various options for escaping the “imposed” culture and in themselves are neither bad nor good. The peculiarity of subcultures in Russia is expressed in the fact that the majority of “youth subcultures”, and in this article we are mainly considering them, are borrowed from Western culture and are not historically established “foci” of the subculture in our country.

The paradox is that the more we try to resist globalization, the more we integrate into it. We do not want to become part of the global and lose our “national” advantages, but at the same time we are actively introducing into society an international (international) system of subcultures, whose true vocation (“in its pure form”) is to serve as a counterweight or slower to globalization. “Skinheads”, “neo-Nazis”, “reds”, “anarchists”, “anti-globalists”, “rappers” - all of them are representatives of European and American culture.

Welcome to globalization.

Main misconceptions associated with the skinhead culture movement

1. Skinheads are a movement associated with fascism
2. Skinheads are a criminal group and there is no culture there
3. The problem of skinhead “rage” is impossible to solve

In our article we will try to refute these misconceptions, for which we will consider the current state of “hotbeds of radicalism.”

Evidence that there is nothing in common between the classic skinhead movement and the “neo-fascist” organizations imitating it, except for some elements of clothing, we will consider below (“three waves of classic skinhead culture”).

History: three waves of classic skinhead culture

First wave. The “skinheads” of the late 60s were a product of “mod culture”, which was cultivated under the influence of Jamaican culture brought to England by immigrant rude boys. "Mods" (mods) is not only a musical style, but also a certain movement, lifestyle and manner of dressing, generated by the teenage culture of Britain in the early 60s. The eternal confrontation between “fathers and sons” flared up with renewed vigor with the advent of rock and roll (mid-50s): the younger generation of Americans, who received their own music, their own idols and their own fashion, began to recognize themselves as an independent social class that did not want to obey laws of adults and trying to self-determinate. English teenagers also wanted to listen and play rhythm and blues and rock and roll. This is how the fashion movement was born. Britain in the 60s was particularly affected by the economic problems caused by the post-war crisis: it was necessary to restore industry and destroyed houses, workers and employees were needed, but there were not enough people. This forced teenagers, even from good families, to get a job, often in offices (clerks, typists, etc.). Receiving their personal income, young Britons could buy clothes and spend money on entertainment. The “mods” dressed very neatly and usually wore expensive suits. “Fred Perry”, “Ben Sherman”, “Lonsdale” - these companies producing clothes and shoes were very popular among the “mods”.

This is how the “Teddy Boys” style of fashion appeared. The boys wear corduroy jackets with large lapels, leather ties, trousers with cuffs, and boots with grooved soles; hairstyles - elongated, with hair framing the face. Girls wore skirts above the knees and sweaters with closed necks, long and straight hair. Because of this hobby (dressing well), they were often accused of betraying the working class, because... The “mods” were not much different socially from working-class youth, but they spent a large amount of money on clothes. “Fashion” girls loved heavy makeup and dull lipstick. Scooters (motor scooters) became a favorite pastime. At the same time, the Teddy Boys were distinguished by a very hooligan disposition: they formed gangs that rode around on motor scooters, fought with rockers (who drove motorcycles), smashed store windows and frightened ordinary people.

By the way, unlike rockers, a popular youth culture at that time, the “mods” had representatives of both sexes in their ranks. In addition to civilian clothing, “fashion” could be recognized by a scooter (Scooter). Many who rode them called themselves "Scooterists". Scooters can also be considered a kind of product of “mod culture”. They usually decorated the scooters with mirrors and other flashy things. Football fans (“hooligans”), who also came out of the “mods,” were also into scooters. To be a “mod” meant to have everything new and original that existed at the moment, to stand out from the rest. All of London was flooded with scooters.

Music was a less important part of the movement than fashion and demeanor. Basically, “mod groups” started by copying American rhythm and blues standards and creating their own musical material in the same spirit. The Mods played rhythm and blues and rock and roll faster, heavier and dirtier than their predecessors. By 1968, the “mod” movement had practically died out, degenerating into other movements.

Already in the early 60s, the so-called Rudies appeared - young immigrants from Jamaica who worked in low-paid jobs (shops, bars, docks, factories). They had their own fashion. And most importantly, it has its own music - “ska”, which the British also liked. At the same time, the “mod” movement started.

At the same time, the first “hard-mods” or “skinheads” appeared. Every Saturday, these new representatives of progressive youth went to the stadiums to support their favorite teams. Lethal support of football teams often led to brawls between opposing fans, leading to the legendary British "football violence". Since representatives of the “hard-mod” often took part in fights, they began to shave their heads so that in a fight the enemy could not use a hair grab. It is worth noting that the “skinheads” did not immediately separate from the “mods”: everything happened gradually.

Not everyone called themselves “skinheads.” There were names like “herberts” (from Herbert Street in Glasgow (Great Britain)), “street kids” (that is, “street children”), “spy kids” (approximate translation - “hunters”), “peanuts” (that is, there are “nut crushers”; they got this name for the rumble of their scooters) and others.

Contrary to popular belief, the majority of “skinheads” around the world have never been “shaved” or “skinheads”. Those who worked on the river docks wore a short buzz cut on their heads, and cut their hair this way only to protect themselves from dust, dirt and lice. For this reason, “skinhead” in the mid-sixties was a derogatory nickname, something like “winghorn.” They didn't call themselves that. They were so scolded.

When night fell, skinheads dressed in the best they could afford (usually a cheap men's suit) and went to the dance halls. Here they danced to the sounds of new music that Jamaican immigrants brought to England. This music has been given many names, including "ska" (later called "first wave ska"), "Jamaican blues", "blue beat", "rocksteady", and "reggae".

By the way, about “ryudise skins”. Once upon a time, before he joined the reggae movement, a very young Bob Marley was a skinhead. Bob Marley wore high combat boots, camouflage and a buzz cut.

The first “skinheads” later began to prefer American clothing “Levi Jeans” and “Alpha Flight Jackets” and narrow braces with Doc Marten boots. With the rise of football hooliganism, dark green "Alpha Flight Jackets" (also called "MA1", "Flight Jacket" or "Bomber Jacket") came into use, allowing them to easily slip out of the hands of opponents. This is how they dressed on football days, but at concerts and on the street they wore ordinary jackets, often jeans, black suspenders and black laces. This tightening of clothing styles had a noticeable effect on working-class interest in “skinheads.”

“Skinheads” loved beer, unlike “mods” who used amphetamines and “rudeboys” who smoked marijuana. “Skinhead girls” dressed like guys, had short hair and also had a lot of troubles and problems with the police and other youth groups. Rudigirls, skinhead girls and mod girls wore miniskirts, which were very popular at the time and were seen as shocking to conservative parents.

In the early 70s, “skinheads” were gaining strength compared to other youth subcultural movements. The “skinheads” of the first wave were growing up: they appeared on the streets less and less, started families, settled down, raised children, but still remained faithful to their roots.

The second wave of the skin movement marked the rise of punk rock in the UK. “Punk rock” blew up prim and cold England. “Punk rock” looked wild, rough, aggressive. He frightened housewives, respectable citizens and other gentlemen. But working youth were looking for and wanted a harder and faster sound for their culture. In addition, “punk rock” became simply student rebellious music, music for college. And the resulting synthesis of bright, fast and rough sound became “streetpunk” (street punk), later called “Oi!” by Sun journalist Gary Bushell. It was “punk”, but it was “punk” aimed at the working class. Due to the fact that the roots of “Oi!” music were in the working class, the media had a negative attitude towards this musical branch, calling “punk rock” itself as the music of the middle class, they welcomed it. The sound of "Oi!" differs from punk: simple guitar melodies are superimposed on a clearly audible line of bass guitar and drums and are accompanied by choruses similar to screams from the stands of football stands. Along with “street punk,” the “skinhead” movement was revived. Traits such as toughness and working-class pride began to be instilled into “punk.” Basically, the second wave of “skinheads” knew nothing about the heritage and their roots, “mods”, “ska”, “rudeboys”.

The old “skinheads” constantly criticized and scolded the new shoots for their innovations. For example, the '69 skins still wore Ben Sherman and Fred Perry clothes, while the new '79 skins wore mostly blue Levi jeans, work boots, suspenders and American pilot jackets. They called themselves "Bald Punks". During the 70s there were many changes to the classic "skinheads". Fashion moved from a blurred style to better clothing than what workers could afford - “blue collars”. In the 70s, a “military” style of clothing appeared among skinheads. Other "skins" were heavily influenced by the disco of the seventies: they wore their hair up and wore frilly pants and boots in the style of the 70s.

With the formation of our own musical groups Among the “skinheads,” their political ideas began to lean towards the struggle between right and left parties, and even apoliticality. Politically right-wing groups tended to relate to the National Front (neo-fascists in England) and had similar ideas. Left groups focused on the struggle of the working class and used communist politics. Apolitical groups often avoided both sides as they wanted to choose their own subcultural politics.

A group of representatives of the punk movement formed the group “Skrewdriver” (“Screwdriver”), which significantly influenced “street punk” and after some time transformed into a “skinhead group”. Skrewdriver became the first group to declare their neo-Nazi views in skinhead culture, holding a concert under the slogan “Rock Against Communism.” Having sympathized with the National Front, they adopted a racist position and began to create the right wing of the “skinhead movement” subculture.

“Skinheads” of the 1969 model, on the contrary, remained on anti-racist positions, like most “skins” of those years, they were fond of “reggae” and “ska”. They visited “colored discos”, but still called the “blacks” - “darkies”. They supported the ideals of the working class and leftist politicians. England still remembered the second world war, and therefore it was considered an honor for every patriotic citizen to remain anti-racist.

By the end of the 70s, the National Front and the British National Socialist Party had infiltrated the skinhead movement. By that time, the “skinheads” were already a strong generation. The National Front decided that skinheads would be an excellent source of new members and would enhance its reputation and image. Youth were recruited as street soldiers" National Front" At the “Donahuue” show” (a popular show in England), a “racist skinhead” appeared. This was a shock and a blow to the entire “skinhead movement.” Together with the media, the myth of “racist skinheads” was inflated by the National Front and Skrewdriver "("screwdriver") Due to erroneous propaganda, society saw every “skinhead” as a racist. In our country, these consequences are especially evident. Most journalists, officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and ordinary people reinforce the misconception that “skinheads” are neo-Nazis. racists.

A bad reputation only played into the hands of right-wing parties. Many young neo-Nazis, who had always been far from the working class and “skinhead culture,” began to call themselves “skinheads.” This is how “Nazism” began to penetrate the skinhead culture.

In the US, skins were even further removed from their roots and gravitated towards the emerging hard-core wave that originated in New York. “Street punk” for England was akin to “hard core” in the USA. For example, the “skins” of the early 80s knew practically nothing and had not heard of “ska” or “Oh!” But like their colleagues in England, they wore work boots and jeans, borrowing this style of clothing from the punks. The Hardcore Skins were stronger and more violent than their Punk Skins contemporaries in England. They appeared in crime reports more often than in 1969. Parties, like the National Front, created the image of “footsoldiers” (storm troopers) from “skinheads”.

In the 80s, no one liked “skinheads” for their aggressiveness; society considered them radicals and hooligans. But no one called them racists until that disastrous interview on the popular show.

The “skinhead” subculture has spread to all countries of the world. Each of them maintains an independent history of the skinheads' goals, their values, and the history of their emergence. The definition of "skinhead" varies from country to country.

In the mid-80s, Europe was rocked by a severe crisis, which can be considered a consequence of the “crisis of the 70s” that had previously erupted in America. Governments played the Cold War; businesses were closing; there was no money, and the standard of living fell further and further. This was reflected in the music: bands of 1984 began to write more angry songs than those that had sounded before. The musical subculture reflected the mood in society - tension and distrust of governments and their policies.

Politicians from various countries conducted a successful campaign to “advertise” the “atrocities of skinheads” among the population of Europe, about their fascist “essence”, etc. As a result, society’s attitude towards the “skinhead” movement changed to a very negative one, and the movement began to decline. In the eyes of ordinary people, “neo-Nazi” organizations increasingly began to be associated with the “skinhead” movement. This continued until the end of the 80s.

In the late 80s and to this day, a new major manifestation of the "traditional" values ​​of the skinheads of the 60s began. This happened in England, America and most of Europe. It entailed a new confrontation between classical (traditional) and non-traditional (neo-fascist, anarchist and communist) skins.

The third wave was the skinheads of the mid-90s. A sign of “Civil War” appeared in the “skinhead movement”. Many of those who became “skinheads” more than 15 years ago began to appear on the streets and participate in the development of “skinhead culture.” 17-18 year old “punks” began to shave their heads, getting rid of their “Iroquois” and “dumpsters”.

Modern “skinheads” of Europe and the West are a mixture of “hard-mod/rudeboys” (hard mods/rudeboys) of the late 60s, and “punk/hard-core” skins of the early 80s . Their musical tastes range from “reggae” to modern “hard core”, as well as “ska”, “rocksteady”, “rockabilly”, “punk”, “Oi!” Some people only listen to “reggae”, some only “Oh!” or "punk". Of course, they are interested in their roots, the culture of “mods”, “scooters”, etc., but still for most skinheads of the late 90s this is an example from history.

In our country, the situation at the moment is as follows: we have few “red skins” (communist), SHARP skins, classic (traditional) skins. In Russia, the word “bonehead” is almost never used. "Bonehead" is a term used by classic and other skinheads to refer to any "skinhead werewolves" who hold racist or neo-fascist views. The concept of “skinhead” in 99 cases out of 100 in Russia is associated with neo-Nazism and racism
.
For reference:

1. SHARP skins are “skinheads against racial prejudice” (SkinHeads Against Racial Prejudice), they appeared in New York (USA) in the late 80s. Movements that share the ideology of “skinheads against racial prejudice” are SCAR, SPAR, RASH, HARP and others. There are Chinese, Hawaiian, Japanese movements from other countries whose ideology is similar to SHARP skins. They wore "S.H.A.R.P." patches. with a Trojan helmet - the same orange icon that Trojan Records put on their records thirty years ago. The Sharps were proud that the fire lit by the skinheads back in 1969 burned in their hearts.

2. “Redskins” or “RASH” - “Skinheads against Nazism and the power of capital” or “Red and Anarchist Skinheads”. They appeared independently of the Sharps a few years after them. RASH have leftist beliefs, they have no nationality, they are against racial purity and support everyone who needs their support. Their very name suggests that they are anarchists - they want freedom of action for everyone and strive to eliminate any pressure on people.

If we look at the history of the “skinhead movement” schematically, we can come to the conclusion that neo-fascist organizations that use elements of the culture of the “skinhead movement”, by definition, are not them.

Developing through the three stages we discussed above, the modern "skinhead culture" movement was forced to remain a non-political (apolitical) and non-racist movement. However, this position has led to the emergence of two “twin movements” that use elements of classical (traditional) “skinhead culture”, but are not them.

The red skinhead movement is a group of organizations representing different political and social groups, with different goals, but having one common and important goal - the destruction of the bonehead movement. Just 15 years ago, the “red skinhead” movement could be characterized as the radical wing of the classic “skinhead movement.” But during this time, the “red movement” has gone too far from apoliticality and every year is merging more and more with youth organizations of a communist and anarchist nature. Representatives of the “reds” criticize representatives of the classic (traditional) “skinhead movement” for their apoliticality.

The Bonehead movement is an artificially created neo-fascist organization of the late 60s. Over the past decades, this movement, with elements of the skinhead movement, has transformed into an active radical wing of neo-Nazi and racist organizations. At the moment, apart from the common elements of fashion, “boneheads” and “skinheads” have practically nothing in common.

It is worth noting that the movement of classic (traditional) skinheads promotes apoliticality, is not a racist organization and is more transformed into its initial stage - into a musical informal movement with its own attributes, culture of behavior and consumption. However, “classic skinheads” continue to remain adherents of certain values:

You must be a patriot of your country;
- you have to work;
- you must study;
- you can't be racist;

Misconception No. 1: “Skinheads are a movement associated with fascism”

As we have established, having examined the history of the emergence and development of the “skinhead” subculture, the “skinhead movement” has nothing in common with neo-Nazi movements and neo-fascist organizations.

It is safe to say that “skinheads” became victims of political intrigue in the late 70s, where neo-fascist parties successfully used the movement’s popularity among young people to increase the number of their adherents. The “traditionalists” became victims of their absolute apoliticality and were unable to promptly respond to a political provocation properly at the right time. This situation repeated itself in the late 80s, when government politicians in European countries began a campaign against the “skinhead movement” as the culprit of all the problems. It is worth noting that these are standard political tools that are very often used in politics in order to distract voters from the question “Where do our taxes go?” with the question “Who is to blame for all the problems?”

Continuing to be an apolitical and youth subculture, the “skinhead movement” will constantly be considered by the media and ordinary people as part of neo-fascism.

In order to refute the misconception that “skinheads are a criminal group and there is no culture there,” let’s look at music, fashion and tattooing in all the movements discussed in this article.

Music

We will not consider this direction in depth, because... We talked about it in the previous part of our article. Let us present the differences in the musical preferences of “boneheads” and “skinheads”.

The table shows that there are no common preferences in music for these two movements. Specifically consider musical culture“skinhead movement” does not make sense, because our work pursues other goals.

Fashion

“Suspenders” are an integral part of skinhead clothing. Suspenders were already worn by “Hard mods” in the mid-60s, along with tall boots and cropped jeans, before the nickname “skinhead” was even a thing. This type of clothing was called “working class style”. Wearing braces has always meant being working class.

Laborers and laborers on the river docks dressed this way back in the early 20th century. The suspenders were needed to prevent the shirt from getting caught on anything. The word “braces” is translated from English as “fasteners”, and in relation to clothing it can be translated as “construction fasteners”.

Most of the “skinheads” of the first wave were engaged in heavy manual labor. The further they went, the more they moved away from the “always new and sophisticated clothes” worn by their predecessors - “fashion”. Those who operated hand winches on the docks needed durable, comfortable clothing that would ensure their safety above all else. Boots with strong steel toes could protect feet from falling boxes or other heavy objects, and suspenders held clothing close to the body and prevented it from catching on anything or getting caught in the screw assemblies of winches. Jeans or simple canvas trousers made of strong fabric had strong double seams, and, finally, the shirt and jacket had pads on the shoulders, protecting workers from rain and damp sea wind.

The names for the clothes are notable, for example, a coat or jacket with padding on the shoulders was called a “donkey jacket”. The word “donkey” translates as “winch”, and the combination of these words means “winchman’s jacket”. Thin suspenders were not called “suspenders”, as usual, but “braces” - this word had the additional meaning of “brackets” and “construction fasteners”. Boots were called "boots", not "shoes", and so on. Skinheads wear monochrome suspenders, without patterns, usually black or dark red; brightly colored suspenders are less common. They are always thin, no more than two fingers wide, folded together. It’s good if they have shiny locks and “crocodiles”.

Based on the way the braces are secured to the back, there are two types - X and Y. The braces of the 60s looked like “X”, today “Y” are more common. But it doesn't matter: someone wears X and someone wears Y. Sometimes they make X turn into Y by fastening ribbons on the back next to each other.

For the first time, a detailed description of the clothing of traditional skinheads was given by the magazines “Hard as Nails” and “Zoot” in Scotland. They drew readers' attention to the fact that skinheads at all times dressed differently. They had different clothes for the street and on weekends. When they met each other, they sometimes could not understand who they were dealing with, the differences were so strong. But there was nothing strange - no two people are alike. And no two skinheads are alike.

Other skinhead clothing, which dates back to the mod era, is intended for going to a concert or making a good impression. This is an English suit, with which you can wear the same boots and braces, and with which you can wear a long coat in cold weather. Sometimes a hat like the ones worn by the Rudie Boys is placed on the head.

IN different times skinheads laughed at themselves, drawing monkeys in Ben Sherman shirts and Doctor Martens, blue work jeans and dockers' suspenders. Thus, they tried to show that it’s not just about clothes. There must be something else in my head.

Skinheads love tattoos, but there are a limited number of images on this topic. Here are the most common ones.

A flying swallow tattoo means freedom. Often there are laurel wreaths of glory and illuminated inscriptions "Oi!" - such designs mean a lot to those who wear them. Sometimes drawings well known to other skinheads or record covers are reproduced.

Here is another example: this is the legend of the crucifixion of Christ, depicted in this way. It means suffering, its original meaning is “crucified by capitalism”. This drawing reflects the beliefs of the first wave of skinheads.

Its continuation is the “skin” rising from the grave, on the stone above which is carved the inscription “Oi!” or laurel wreath glory. This drawing means that there is no death, and that the tradition will never be stopped.

The birthplace of these two drawings is Scotland, the city of Edinburgh. In the Middle Ages, Catholic “myths” about ghosts and spirits were widespread there, as they are now about skinheads. The inhabitants were so sure of their existence that they even covered the graves with stone slabs. In the twentieth century, when hypocrisy became apparent, these drawings appeared.

Quote: “Killed by modernity, he will return” is a protest against Catholic morality, where everything is controlled by external forces: the good God, the carrot and stick and money. Against a world in which initially no one owes you anything. And where no one cares about you. This only applies to traditional skinheads and only matters to some of us. As a rule, we don't like to talk about it. And we won’t discuss it now.” .

Most “skinheads” have a negative attitude towards stripes. It is considered indecent to demonstrate one's membership in the movement with stripes. Quote: “Most of us don't need stripes - if you realize you belong to us and know how to dress, your appearance will be more than enough. Sparkling boots, rolled up jeans, a checkered shirt and suspenders - what could be better than such clothes? Why also the stripes?

The bonehead movement adopted some of the fashion elements of the skinhead movement, such as shoes, jeans, suspenders, hairstyles and jackets (usually leather). In addition, various stripes with Nazi swastikas, etc. are welcomed in the “bonehead” movement. (rice.)

“Boneheads” have a very obsessive attitude towards tattoos; as a rule, they try to get a lot of them and have an aggressive fascist character. Neo-Nazis have a definition of an “enemy” based on fashion (clothing and style), which must be destroyed. According to this scheme, it is necessary to search for and destroy the “enemy of the race.” The traditional “skinhead” movement has never had such a “portrait” and, most likely, never will. For “red skinheads” such an “enemy” is the “bonehead”.

The traditional drink of “skinhead culture” is “beer” (“ale”), the consumption of strong drinks is not encouraged.

В движении «бонхэд» не существует какой-либо культуры употребления напитков, кроме запрета употребления «ниггерских» напитков. The Russian "bonehead" prefers to drink the true Slavic drink - vodka.

Misconception No. 2 “Skinheads are a criminal group and there is no culture there”

Let's consider the concepts of culture and subculture. Subculture- a system of values, behavior patterns, life style of any kind social group, which is an independent holistic formation within dominant culture.

Culture- a set of material and spiritual values, life ideas, patterns of behavior, norms, methods and techniques of human activity:

Reflecting a certain level historical development society and man;
embodied in objective, material media and transmitted to subsequent generations

Note that the skinhead movement has all the necessary subcultural elements. You cannot call a subculture a criminal group, just as you cannot call the activities of a criminal group a manifestation of a subculture. The “bonehead” movement is also a youth subculture, but it has nothing in common, other than suspenders, boots and hairstyles, with the “skinhead” movement.

The situation is frightening when hundreds of crimes are committed by “boneheads”, and for them there are all the necessary articles in the administrative and criminal code of the Russian Federation, and law enforcement agencies throw up their hands and say: “So these are skinheads - what can we do?!”

One can argue about the responsibility of the state to citizens for a very long time, but only the state has the monopoly right to use force (violence) to protect citizens. When officials refuse to fulfill their duties and invite citizens to deal with their problems themselves (without breaking the laws), this fuels a wave of myths and fears about the impossibility of solving the problem of “skin violence.” After all, if the state cannot do what can a citizen do? Everyone has the right to be afraid... And it's scary. After some time, common myths and fears increase the problem and complicate it.

Let's try to look at misconception No. 3: “The problem of skinhead violence cannot be solved.”

Misconception No. 3 “The problem of skinhead violence cannot be solved”

We agree that the problem of growing radicalism and illegal behavior cannot be solved. Moreover, it is impossible to solve if you do nothing and do not understand what you are faced with. Let's try to analyze what we are faced with and what can be done.

Let's try to look at the problem from different points of view. Let us quote officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (//News.ru, February 4, 2003). “The tactics and methods of their [the boneheads’] actions have undergone changes. The skinheads switched to the tactics of what we call “target strikes.” According to a representative of the GUUR, skinheads do not have a single organization. “There are many varieties in the movement itself - Nazi skins, privateer skins and others. The only thing that unites them is inciting national hatred by calling for violence.”

“There are from 15 to 20 thousand skinheads in Russia. The movement includes disparate groups whose numbers fluctuate. Thus, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in the capital region there are about 5 thousand active participants in this movement and about 100 leaders at various levels. In St. Petersburg, about 3 thousand skinheads and 17 neo-fascist organizations are registered as preventive measures. ...According to him, various media provide them with considerable support in this. Moreover, as a rule, propaganda affects 13-17 year old teenagers. That is why, according to Komarov, the Ministry of Internal Affairs concentrates its work “not on bringing the maximum number of extremists to criminal responsibility,” but on operational and preventive activities. In particular, in November last year, an attempt by neo-fascists to hold a congress was stopped, dedicated to the day the birth of the organizer of the skinhead movement, Ian Stewart, in which about 400 people wanted to take part.

According to RIA Novosti, in total in 2002, under Art. 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (incitement of national, racial or religious hatred) 71 criminal cases were initiated, 31 of them were sent to court, 16 people have already been punished.”

Let's look at some facts. Here are the titles of books and manuals: “Hooligan style of hand-to-hand combat”, “Use what is at hand”, “Fight as it is”, etc. All these are detailed guides on how to conduct street fights, how to use improvised means, how to inflict maximum injuries and much more. These reference books are studied and intensively studied. These guides are openly sold. Let's give some examples: “You should wear a razor in such a way as not to injure yourself... ...it is better if the blade is secured with tightly fitting clothing... ...removing the weapon should not take much time...”.

“...Blows delivered by a razor along their trajectory resemble glancing blows with a fist.... ...eyes, skin of the forehead (bleeds heavily - blinds), neck, large arteries of the arms and legs, stomach.... ...the muscles of the peritoneum, often covered with a thick layer of fat, are pierced by a powerful circular blow... ...there are no invulnerable places for a razor... ...and it heals slowly, unlike wounds inflicted by a blunt weapon...".

“A head blow to the face is much more dangerous than previous blows - delivered quickly and at close range, it is almost irresistible. ...throw with your foot in the stomach... ...do not let the enemy get to a distance convenient for such an attack...".

Neo-fascist groups study and constantly practice these tips. If we generalize the experience of creating radical groups, for example, the Blackshirts in Germany, the Brownshirts in Italy in the 30s, and modern youth groups, you can find a lot of the same signs. The process of turning ordinary people into “storm troopers” in the 30s and currently turning young people into members of organized criminal gangs have a lot in common.

According to Lifton's concept of “doubling,” the best way to consolidate a new role model of behavior is its practical application and recruitment of new members. Based on this, we can assume with great confidence that every year the neo-fascist movement is becoming more united and coordinated, and the number of attacks and crimes against “racial enemies” is also growing. Statistics from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and human rights organizations prove this.

It is worth noting that “boneheads” and “red skinheads” are actively fighting for an important resource to replenish their ranks. Football fans, mainly young people, are the best source for recruiting members of their group. At almost all major football matches, well-planned and prepared actions take place - beatings and attacks on fans of the other team. Perhaps someone will say that the author exaggerates the problem of football fights, but then how can one explain that every year the number of law enforcement forces at football matches increases (including riot police)?! How to explain the fact that fans of another team are taken out on special buses, accompanied by heavy police security?! “Security measures,” you will say, and you will be right.

I can argue that only by protecting and allowing the activities of criminal youth groups under the guise of certain subcultures does the state deepen the problem of the growth of radicalism in youth subcultures.

Football massacres are a phenomenon of recent years, and this problem did not exist before. What are officials doing wrong? What allows the problem to grow in scale? Misunderstanding and struggle not with the source of the problem, but with the consequences. At the moment, methods are being used to mislead the public. They offer us a new brand of evil - “skinheads”, equating it to an incurable disease, for example “AIDS”.

In this article, the author set the goal of explaining the “skinheads” brand not from the position from which officials and many media offer it to us, but from the position of a youth subculture that does not have direct relationship to the lawlessness that is happening. “Skinheads” are a youth subculture that arose as a protest against public morality and is focused on its values. Let me note - on civil values, among which there will never be a place for racial intolerance.

There is a problem of uncontrollability of the existence of illegal radical, often criminal groups that call themselves “Aryan skinheads”, but, in fact, are neo-Nazi groups. Perhaps officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation should pay attention to the principle of “justice and irreversibility of punishment,” and perhaps in the near future our country will stop beating people of a different, dissimilar culture.

Hoping for the best,

Vershinin Mikhail Valerievich
Psychologist, “exit consultant”
[email protected]
09.01.2004

By publishing this article, the Author does not pursue commercial goals, but acts exclusively within the framework of scientific research, expressing a subjective opinion without the purpose of discrediting the mentioned legal entities (individuals), and reporting deliberately false results. The author does not pursue the goal of popularizing his ideas in light of the consequences of terrorist attacks that occurred in Russia and the world.

Note Author: J. Lifton is an American psychologist who developed the concept of personality duplication in his book “Nazi Doctors: Medical Murder and the Psychology of Genocide.” This research has led to a more accurate understanding of how people who are mentally and physically healthy, educated and idealistic can quickly become fanatics of movements whose entire ideology and activities directly contradict their original views on the world. Such a sharp and deep resocialization of the individual is the result of a specific adaptive reaction under conditions of extreme group pressure and manipulation of basic human needs. Lifton called it "doubling." Doubling consists of dividing the self-system into two independently functioning entities. Division occurs because at a certain point the group member is confronted with the fact that his new behavior is incompatible with the pre-group self. The behavior required and rewarded by a totalitarian group is so different from the "old self" that the usual psychological protection(rationalization, repression, etc.) is not enough for life functioning. All thoughts, beliefs, actions, feelings and roles associated with being in a destructive cult are organized into an independent system, a partial “I”, which is fully consistent with the requirements of this group, but this does not happen by the free choice of the individual, but as an instinctive reaction of self-preservation in almost unbearable - psychologically - conditions. The new partial self acts as the whole self, eliminating internal psychological conflicts.

Skinhead (from English skinhead - shaved head) - a special trend in fashion that arose thanks to the emergence of a subculture of the same name among working-class London youth in the 60s of the twentieth century and then spread throughout the world. Closely related to musical styles, such as ska, reggae and street punk (aka Oi!). Some of the representatives of this subculture grew up from the environment, others experienced the significant influence of the West Indian ore-boys.

Initially, this movement was famous for its apolitical nature and was focused only on fashion, music and a certain lifestyle. However, over time, some of the skinheads became involved in politics and joined various extreme movements, both left and right, as a result of which neo-Nazi and anarchist movements separated from the traditional skinheads who remained true to their ideals.

Story

At the end of the 50s of the twentieth century, Great Britain was gripped by a real economic boom, which, despite all the existing restrictions, significantly increased the level of income of young people from the working class. Some of the young people preferred to spend all their money on new clothes, for which they received the nickname - mods. Their subculture was characterized by a special affinity for fashion, music and scooters. It was the mods, or rather their offshoot, the so-called hard mods, who were the first to wear work or army boots, straight or sta-prest, with buttons and suspenders. Unlike their more “refined” counterparts, these mods took particular pride in emphasizing their working-class affiliation, cutting their hair much shorter and not averse to fighting. Hard fashion finally developed into a separate movement around 1968 and around the same time they received a new nickname - skinheads.

Skinheads still retained some features of the previous mods, but they were greatly influenced by the style of the rud boys - immigrants from Jamaica who settled in England. Along with their behavior and some style features, skinheads borrowed from them a love for ska, rocksteady and early reggae. The latter was so popular in this environment that sellers even began to add the prefix “skinhead” to the word reggae in order to increase record sales.

The skinhead subculture was finally formed by 1969. By this time, skinheads had become so popular that the band Slade even used their appearance as an example for their stage image. Skinheads were given even greater popularity by Richard Allen's novels "Skinhead" and "Skinhead Escapes", which contained a sufficient amount of sex scenes and fights.

However, by the beginning of the 70s, the former popularity of skinheads began to decline. Many of the representatives of this trend moved to other groups and began to call themselves in a new way: suedeheads, smoothies or bootboys. Previous trends that were once characteristic of mods, such as brogues, suits, slacks and sweaters, have returned to fashion.

At the end of the 70s, the skinhead subculture was resurrected again, thanks to the emerging punk movement. Around the same time, for the first time in the history of this subculture, some skinhead groups became involved in politics, and began to adhere to far-right movements such as the National Front and the British Movement.

Since 1979, the number of skinheads has increased significantly. One of the most favorite pastimes of these young people was fighting at football matches. However, despite this, among them there were still those who were guided by the previous style. One way or another, such behavior attracted widespread attention from the press. Skinheads, like fashion once upon a time, have become a new threat to society.

Ultimately, the skinhead subculture went far beyond the borders of Britain and continental Europe, appearing in Australia and the USA, but with its own local specifics.

Style

Traditional skinheads take as a basis the style of the original subculture that arose in the 60s of the twentieth century.

The Oi! skinhead movement was heavily influenced by 70s punk culture, so their appearance is somewhat different. They usually have shorter hair, taller shoes and tighter jeans. Tattoos have become popular among skinheads at least since the “revival” of the movement in the 70s. In the 1980s in the UK you might even find skinheads with tattoos on their foreheads or faces, although this practice is no longer as common. American skinheads preferred to adhere to the hardcore style, and this is one of their territorial features.

• Hair

Most skinheads cut their hair with a razor with a No. 2 (sometimes No. 3) attachment. Thus, the hairstyle was short and neat, but the head did not appear completely bald. However, over time, hair length became shorter and shorter, and by the 80s, some representatives shaved their hair “clean up”. Among skinheads, it is usually not customary to wear a mustache and beard, but sideburns are extremely popular, and they have always been carefully maintained.

As for girls, in the 60s most of them continued to adhere to the mod style, however, starting from the 80s, the Chelsea haircut became especially popular, when the hair on the top of the head was shaved very short, leaving the back, temples and bangs long. Some girls preferred a more punk version, leaving only their bangs and temples long.

• Clothing and accessories

First of all, skinheads have always been famous for their button-down shirts, short or long sleeves, and polo shirts. Favorite brands include Ben Sherman, Fred Perry, Brutus, Warrior or Jaytex. Also popular are shirts or Everlast, shirts with button-down collars, V-neck sweaters or similar sleeveless vests, as well as cardigans and T-shirts. Some skinheads targeting Oi! or the hardcore scene wore plain white shirts. This style was especially common in North America. The most popular jackets were harringtons, bombers, denim jackets (usually blue, sometimes decorated with light spots using bleach), dunk jackets, crombie coats, parkas and much more. Traditional skinheads sometimes wore costumes made from a special fabric (a shiny material resembling terrycloth, the color of which shimmered depending on the angle and light).

Many of the skinheads preferred Sta-Prest trousers or jeans, mostly brands , or . Typically, the trouser legs were rolled up to emphasize the beauty of high boots or open if the legs were wearing moccasins or brogues at the time. Sometimes the jeans were also decorated with bleach stains. This style was especially popular among Oi! skinheads.

The girls wore almost everything the same, and in addition mini-, fishnet stockings or short skirt suits with ¾-length sleeves.

Most skinheads wore suspenders that were no more than one inch wide. Wider suspenders may be associated with the far-right neo-fascist wing of White Power skinheads. Traditionally, suspenders are crossed at the back, however some Oi! oriented skinheads don't do this. Traditional skinheads wear black or white suspenders, sometimes decorated with vertical stripes. Often, due to the color of this accessory, skinheads determine the group to which its owner belongs.

The most common headdresses among skinheads were: pork-pie hat, felt hats, caps, woolen winter hats (without a tassel). A less common option were bowler hats. They were mainly preferred by seaheads and fans of the cult film A Clockwork Orange.

Traditional skinheads also often wore silk in the breast pocket of their crombie coat or in the pocket of a suit made of their favorite iridescent material. Often a given piece of fabric was chosen in a contrasting color. Sometimes it was wrapped around a small cardboard so that it looked like a neatly folded handkerchief from the outside. Among skinheads, it was customary to choose colors that corresponded to their favorite football club. Sometimes wool or silk scarves with the symbols of their favorite team were wrapped around the neck, wrist or belt loop.

Some iceheads carried canes, which is why they received another nickname: brolly boys (from the English brolly - umbrella).

• Shoes

Initially, skinheads wore simple military boots from army supplies. Later, Dr. brand work boots became popular in this environment. Martens, especially cherry colored ones. Them skinheads they polished them to a shine and always made sure that their favorite shoes looked neat. In addition, skinheads wore brogues, moccasins and low Dr. boots. Martens. During the 60s of the twentieth century, Dr. high boots became especially popular. Martens with steel toes hidden under the leather, which turned out to be quite appropriate in street fights. In recent years, skinheads have switched to other brands of shoes, such as Solovair or Tredair, as Dr. Martens are no longer produced in England. Gradually, sports shoes of the brands or Gola became fashionable among skinheads, in which they were comfortable to attend football matches.

Girls usually wore the same shoes as boys, and in addition, the so-called monkey boots. The brand of choice for this model has long been Grafters, but today the same boots are made by Dr. Martens and Solovair.

For a time, skinheads preferred to wear boots painted in the colors of their favorite club, but over time, the color of the shoes, like the suspenders, began to carry symbolic meaning.

Very often on the streets you can meet young people calling themselves skinheads. The word “skinhead” can be divided into two English “skin head” and is translated as “shaved head”. Compared to other informal movements, representatives of this subculture have the most complex and developed ideology.

Unfortunately, modern young people have lost the true purpose that the founders of this culture had. And nowadays, most skinheads adhere to rigid racist views, often focusing on fascism and nationalism. Although, there are also groups that adhere to a more peaceful, anti-fascist ideology.

Here is a list of existing directions of this movement:

• traditional skinheads - appeared in response to deviations from the original skin culture; they take the founders of this movement as an example. Traditional skinheads listen to music in the style of ska, reggae, rocksteady (all other styles prefer rock and patriotic music);
• S.H.A.R.P. - Skinhead Against Racial Prejudices - this direction is against racial prejudice;
• R.A.S.H. - Red & Anarchist Skinheads – these representatives support the ideas of socialism, communism and anarchism;
• NS-skinheads - Nazi-skinheads / Boneheads - Boneheads (also called right-wing skinheads) - preach National Socialist ideas, right-wing and far-right views on politics and other values;
• Straight edge skinheads - sXe Skinheads - people who believe that they are bad habits Just like drinking alcohol, smoking and drug addiction are bad. This group for healthy image life.

What do skinheads look like?

1. Distinguishing marks skinheads:

• “Celtic cross” (an image of a cross placed in a circle);
• classical German swastika;
• skull and crossbones.

2. Skinhead clothing. Preference is given to the military style - everything to make it comfortable to move. Boots are also usually military boots with thick soles. Since we started talking about shoes, I’ll note that the color of the laces is of no small importance. By the laces you can determine whether you belong to one direction or another.

3. Skinhead hairstyles. As you probably already guessed, this is a clean-shaven head, but simply a very short haircut is also allowed.

4. Skinhead tattoos. The themes of tattoos are very diverse. These can be inscriptions and abbreviations, as well as ordinary patterns. Some people put tattoos on their body in the form fascist swastika or any other drawings with a racist-Nazi theme.

Skinhead ideology

Most skinheads are racists and nationalists, and everything that follows from this is their main ideology: love for representatives of their nation, their culture and hatred for others.

Well, in the end I will answer the question “how to become a skinhead?” If you are close in spirit to the ideology of skins, then feel free to change your image and look for similar friends. Just never forget that all your actions must be legal.