The Subcultures That Changed The Way We Dress

Menswear has long made icons out of outsiders. From beatniks to goths, it’s subcultures – those underground coteries outside the confines of everything mainstream – that have given so many current wardrobe staples their style cachet. Music, language and rituals all help define a subculture but it’s a gang’s visual signifiers that give it away – the tipped shirt collar or bowl haircut, the studded leather biker jacket or the black nail polish, those style cues that instantly lay bare interests and affiliations. Not only that, but subcultures have often looked to their appearance as one of their main means of rebellion – which is perhaps why subcultures are such ripe sources of inspiration for menswear designers, even long after the underground pioneers have reached for the slippers and elastic waistbands. Check them all out at FashionBeans.