The s was a time of extremes. High unemployment, power cuts, strikes and terrorism made for a bleak social context in which to celebrate the silver jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. Extreme times created extreme looks, and punk was the most extreme of all. Whilst the nation reeled in disgust, the Pistols, and those who quickly formed bands in their wake, emerged as a renegade movement that reaffirmed the generation gap and went on to profoundly change the music, media and fashion industries. Punk was quick to appear in other major cities such as Manchester and Liverpool.
However, the radical Seditionaries clothing of McLaren and Westwood was regarded as a London style, and with its high price tag, considered by many at the time to be elitist.
It also illustrates the lengths to which McLaren and Westwood were prepared to go in creating clothing that shocked.
Punk style aimed to shock. Materials that were regarded as cheap, vulgar or disposable were valued by punks as an inversion of mainstream consumer values. Synthetic and industrial fabrics like PVC, rubber and plastic were teamed with metal zips, clips and d-rings, giving clothing connotations of disposability and latent sexuality, a particularly provocative element when worn on the high street in day time.
.jpg/900px-Brighton_Pier_(Unsplash).jpg "Anal Girl in Brighton")
Bondage trousers designed by Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren for their Seditionaries label were a famous part of the punk look. They were straight legged, getting as far away from the flared hippy look as possible, with leg straps from one knee to the other, and zips that could tighten the trouser legs, giving the trousers the sexual overtones of fetish wear.
