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Skinheads

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Skinheads are a very British cult but now adopted worldwide. They are generally accepted as having originated in London and at its peak 1969-1970 but there were skinheads before this and also some stayed true for many years after. Skinheads are no angels but they should not be mistaken for racists as they will have as mixed a view on politics as any member of the public. True skinheads will be very smart dressers, neat, tidy, clean and usually hard working.

Skinheads came back on the scene in a big way in the late 70's and have stayed around since in smaller numbers, most in the UK are older and hopefully wiser (ha ha!). Skinheads are famous for wearing manyof the following items of clothing: Dr Marten boots, brogues, loafers, spit 'n' polish, Kiwi oxblood, silk hankies, tie tacks, Ben Shermans, Levis, clip on braces, Fred Perrys, sheepskin coats, Crombies, Harringtons, monkey jackets, Staprest, made to measure suits, Prince of Wales check, mohair, tonic... the list goes on.

We are not clones but actually very much individuals within a certain code. Lambrettas, Vespas are also popular but not essential. Most skinheads also like football (soccer), reggae , soul music ,possibly a bit of glam rock and punk or OI! music but this is not a definitive list.

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Do You Remember Skinheads?

Do You Remember Skinheads?

  • Chaobaby7
    on
    they were cool before they were linked with Neo Fascism, all those Ska type bands and music like the Specials, the selector, even madness, sort of mix of Jamaican and working class white kids.
  • Anonymous user
    on
    I was a Skinhead late 70's early 80's and belonged to a unit called The Sham Army after Sham 69. This was in Newcastle Tyne and Wear... we were not Racists!!! just like drinking, fighting, girls and looking smart!! Great days they were, oh aye I am of mixed race :-) Oi Oi!!
  • Anonymous user
    on
    yes skins were tidy and well dressed. They used to help old ladys across the street not beat them up. great days.
  • Anonymous user
    on
    A friend of my husband was pushing her toddler along a street, in his buggy, when she saw a large group of scarey looking skinheads coming towards her. She tightened her grip on the buggy and avoided eye contact. But as they passed, her little one called out ', Hello,boys!' - causing all the scarey skinheads to stop and smile and make a fuss over her son. Ah, bless!
  • Anonymous user
    on
    I'm an old Skin , (58)and was around in the glory days , we were origanliy called bootboys / rude boys..nice site takes me right back OI OI OI
  • VANHELSING
    on
    I remember seeing gangs of them walking around but you don't see them as much these days but has anybody seen Made In Britain?
  • Anonymous user
    on
    The first Skinheads i can remember were around the 68 69 era. wearing coming generaly from the docks areas and north Pompey. wearing army 6hole boots.1/4 inch turn up jeans. fred perry and1/2 inch braces. the 1/4 inch ones came later. Going out dress was tonic suit/generaly petrol green)button down Ben Sherman. Braces to hold the trousers up, polished brogues or loafers. and the Crombie. The had different hankie colours for different areas/gang. and tie pin to hold it in the breast pocket. Dancing to Symarip skinhead moonstomp down the club. and all other types of ska. reggae came later as it wasnt developed yet in its true reggae form. although a lot of the old SKA tunes from jamacia were covered in the late 70s early 80s. the label of the time was trojan. and later island records got on the wagon too.i have an enormous collection of white label SKA from jamacia that just didnt get played over in Europe. bands like Mighty sparrow. robert marleys one cup of coffee.and so on.... i can only say as has already been said, skins and sueds were not racist as the music they heard was from the rudeboy cult of the mid 60s, but simply a tool used because of the 70 depression and the background of the movement being mainly working class.
  • skinheadawayoflife.c
    on
    I became a skinhead in 1979, when the two-tone era was just exploding onto the scene. Tonic trousers and sta press, levi red tag's, bracers, short crop, the lot, crombie with red hankie.14 hole docs loakes loafers, the works. Exciting music from The Specials and Madness and mods also roaming the town.Great days.
  • mintyfc
    on
    skinheads came out of the mod movement in the mid 60's and use to be called suedeheads then in the late 70's they all unfairly got labelled as neo nazis as the re-mergence of the national front used them as its flagship!this new movement became the oi/punk scene devised by garry bushell of sun infamy.nowadays skins still around but have mutated into a ska/punk crossover and like a lot of sub cultures are an undergound movement.

Do you remember these?