Punk Fashion

Yesterday it was all about the hair; today it is all about the clothes.

These three punk rock and Hollywood "It" Girls don't look like your average punk rock chicks. They're not your average girls either. In one of the many books on the LA Punk scene, scenester Hal Negro commented on how the punk girls of LA were not good looking. Well, he got his attitude kicked for that all over the place. Look at Belinda, Pleasant, and Wyline. I dare you to find three more attractive women in one rock club, now or then!

Notice if you will that none of these ladies is decked out in the leather or ripped and safety-pinned garb that might be considered iconic punk. They're all in thrift store clothes.

Thrifting was our sport. Pleasant had introduced Debbie Harry to the Beverly Hills All Saints Church Rummage Sale fairly early on, and it was a place that we routinely visited. I picked up a fantastic fuschia and chartreuse mini dress for 25 cents, as well as some bright green Schiaparelli pumps. I ended up giving the dress to Debbie who looked way better in it than I ever could. It wasn't really a color that worked for a brunette. Alas, I don't have a photo of Debbie in it scanned for you - but in a couple weeks, you just might see it. I'll wager that Stephen Sprouse saw that dress. The stuff he's been designing for the past few years bears a remarkable resemblance to the vintage mini Debbie wore in 1978.



This is one of our favorite Debbie Harry stage outfits. Its all white except for the bright orange crossing guard vest.



Billy Idol, our other favorite blond, led a trend of the customised t-shirt. He's wearing a self-made Generation X t-shirt. Pleasant and I spray-painted our own versions of same. I hope I still have mine stashed away somewhere in the garage.



Both Dee Dee and Stiv always had fun t-shirts.

YES... the leather jacket was ubiquitous and I think deserving of its own separate entry and fashion photo spread. So I'll save it for another time.

Bubbling under was the clean cut, art school thing. Talking Heads, Modern Lovers and other bands just wore button down shirts...

Neo new-wavers, Detroit's Pizzazz remind me of that look. They weren't even born in 1977... their 2005 look is all their own, whilst so reminiscent of my own college days



Safety pins and leather - another day.