There is no denying that fashion is a valuable factor in self-expression from head to toe. How we choose to present ourselves has just as much to do with personal preference as it does social relations. This is especially the case for many subcultures that are defined by their unorthodox choices in fashion and aesthetics.
From Mohawks to mullets, hair is our very own raw material to reflect who we are and where we stand in society, according to Kobena Mercer’s essay “Black Hair/Style Politics”. Though Mercer’s essay focuses on the cultural significance of African-American hairstyles, his theories can also be applied to subcultural patterns. He writes: “caught on the cusp between self and society, nature and culture, the malleability of hair makes it a sensitive area of expression” (300). Hair can be appropriated to reflect a number of social and political statements.
In the world of hair today, all kinds of gadgets and potions can be found to distort or enhance one’s natural hair texture, structure and colour. The possibilities are endless – as long as one has a full head of hair. The accessibility of these gadgets and potions, however, has made cultural appropriation even easier for hairstyling. For some, cultural appropriation is seen as beneficial, as it allows different cultures to explore and appreciate one another. Unfortunately, for others, it is seen as a threat to the authentic culture. Mercer analyzes the cultural appropriation of the popular Afro hairstyle: “once commercialized in the marketplace the Afro lost its specific signification as ‘black’ cultural-political statement. Cut off from its original political contexts, it becomes just another fashion: with an Afro wig anyone could wear the style” (304). As previously mentioned in this blog, once something exclusive to a subculture becomes a part of the mainstream market, it loses its subcultural value and no longer renders the intended statement.
When it comes to hair, the perceived statement is key. Mercer discusses how certain hairstyles, like the conk, are meant to turn heads and exaggerate beyond society’s expectation of normality (308). Dying one’s hair an unnatural colour suggests the same attention-seeking mentality. Mercer believes that hair dye is a “means of defying the ‘natural’ color codes of conventionality in order to highlight artifice, and hence exaggerate a sense of difference” (309).
Though hair is our own raw material for conspicuous self-expression, clothes are equally as telling. T.R. Fyvel’s essay “Fashion and Revolt” tells us that England’s Teddy boys were known “to swagger along their drab streets in their exaggerated costume” (285) of old-fashioned coats, bowler hats and tight pants. They “looked at first like music-hall caricatures – and at the same time somewhat ominous” (284). As we learn from subcultures like the Teddy boys and the Black Panthers (as mentioned in Mercer’s essay), brightly coloured clothing is not necessary to stand out in a crowd. Black seems to be the shade of choice for many subcultural fashion statements. Mercer explains: “dark, somber colors… suggest mystery, ‘cool’, outsider status, anything to alienate the normative values of ‘square society’” (304). When a subcultural group wearing dark, exaggerated clothing appears in public, an excess of negative attention is often expected and, in many cases, intended.
Image courtesy of: 91peachykeen.blogspot.com
Of course, there are other subcultures that take the opposite approach to colour choices and still receive a similar critical reaction from the conservative public. Many of these flamboyant subcultures are highlighted in the documentary Bill Cunningham New York. The film follows the day-to-day life of Bill Cunningham, an elderly street fashion photographer for the New York Times, and features an exuberant cast of characters who Cunningham has met throughout his career.
Though the mundane society may frown at the everyday attire of a dandy like Patrick McDonald, or snicker at the unusual suits worn by Shail Upadhya, it is clear that these fashion statements are appreciated within a subcultural context.
Images courtesy of: fashionwindows.net & caviardujour.com
Evidently, subcultures are not looking to be accepted in the everyday realm of hair and fashion. This is especially clear with the constant coming and going of subcultures as they fight to keep their styles shocking and extraordinary to the public eye. Unlike the cycling mainstream fashion that is tailored to remain invisible in a crowd, subcultural fashion actively seeks to disturb the norm. These are the hairstyles and fashion statements people will remember.
Works Cited
Fyvel, T.R. “Fashion and Revolt.” The Subcultures Reader. 2nd ed. Ken Gelder.
London: Routledge, 2005. 284-287. Print.
Mercer, Kobena. “Black Hair/Style Politics.” The Subcultures Reader. 2nd ed.
Ken Gelder. London: Routledge, 2005. 420-435. Print.
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