Punk fashion:

elements of influence

Trends that marry all the qualities of an appealing lifestyle, that marry together quality craftsmanship, elegance and an an attitude towards a life that indulges the senses and you know roughly where our tastes lie. Hence there is many a trend we opt to simply not push – stand for everything and you stand for nothing. Despite this there are some fashion trends in 2011 which, despite being unlikely to indulge in ourselves, we simply can’t ignore. And that’s because they have an impact on other trends that are important to us.

One such trend is punk – a trend that last emerged in 2010 and one that will continue to influence the fashion aesthetic of 2011 and potentially beyond. Partially filling the vacuum left behind by done and dusted trends, such as the likes of military, gothic and grunge, it’s punk’s ability to impact on other trends, such as 2011′s motorcycle chic trend (the stronger and more versatile of the two trends), that makes it worth watching and noting.

the full blown trend

Punk over the years has incorporated many subcultures and substyles. Regardless of these, the core is always a sense of rebellion and controversy; something meant to shock. In today’s fast world, sock is something that is much harder to do.

Which is one of the things that weakens punk fashion as a full blown fashion trend. Wear punk in the same way that Sid Vicious did and you risk looking like you’re playing dress ups as opposed to being something of a rebel.

That’s the first problem with punk fashion as a full blown fashion trend. The second is that many of the common elements of punk have already had plenty of exposure over recent seasons as a part of other trends: leather, military / combat, bondage / fetish, ripped stockings, and tattoos (which are now completely commonplace) are some examples. There’s so much cross over that, while punk certainly warrants a mention for spring / summer 2011, it by no means stands in isolation.

Punk details: what to wear

If dressing akin to the Sex Pistols doesn’t quite appeal then there are still punk details that you can indulge in.

Studs

Wear as a dominant, though not over the top detail.

There is, of course, a danger with studs that involves more than accidentally inflicting their piercing potential upon others – it’s very easy for them to be worn in an over-the-top way. There is a fine line between fashion forward details and chav-like overindulgence.

Heavy boots

Combat boots (dovetailing with the military fashion trend), Doc Martens, or biker boots can punk up an outfit – particularly when paired with skinny jeans or skinny leather pants.

Safely pins

More than just a handy gem for getting you out of a fashion disaster, the safety pin is iconic to punk. That doesn’t mean you need to wear one as a nose piercing; but do look at safety pins and indeed kilt pins as an accessory that can work in dozens of different ways. Think brooches and other bits of makeshift jewellery, or to haphazardly pin scarves, cardigans or other bits of clothing.