Traditional Skinheads vs. Non-Traditional Skinheads
There is a lot of opinion here, as well as just things I have observed. Let me know what you
think.
In the United States there seems to be a significant increase in skinheads. In practically any city in
the US it seems that you can find at least one token skin. This increase has also resulted in a
splitting of the dress and ideology of the American Skinhead.
The first major increase of American skinheads occured in the very early eighties when hardcore
began to rise out of punk rock. Generally harder and more aggressive than punk rock, hardcore
displayed more individual frustration than the standard punk rock song. Several of the first
American skinhead bands were: Iron Cross (DC), Agnostic Front (NY), Negative Approach
(MI), and I believe the Fuckgees (??). These bands gathered large skinhead followings which had
there own style of dress and ideology. Most were still working class kids, but most dressed in
T-shirts and jeans and looking nice was more of a hassle than an expression of status. The white
ribbed tank-top t-shirt (the "Wife Beater") became a common fixture among hardcore skins. As
trans-Atlantic communication increased, there was a move toward the fashion of the traditional
British skins. This movement has picked up even more momentum in the last few years, but
another trend, the move towards baggy, hip-hop style clothes has also been on the rise. The latter
style as well as the hardcore skinhead are usually considered non-traditional skinheads simply
because of there choice of dress, but the differences of dress also reflect different ideas about what
being a skinhead is all about.
The increasing numbers on both the traditional and non-traditional sides have lead to conflict
between the sides. Often, traditionals won't consider a non-traditional skinhead as a skinhead.
Non-traditionals see the traditionals as a group of people following skinhead trends. Another case
of skins fighting skins instead of, as the Business put it, the real enemy.
I am a trad, but I can respect a hardcore skin. I personally have
no reason to pass judgment on them.
Email: thirteen8four@hotmail.com
