MEGA SALE

Check our our mega sale on ASOSMarketplace with items of up to 50% off! https://marketplace.asos.com/seller/thegrungemonkey

Fashion Inspiration: 'The Home of the Rising Punk' - Debbie Harry

Hi guys

I know i promised you the next blog post on 'The Home of the Rising Punk' about 3 week ago but I have been busy busy busy going to vintage fairs and opening up our store in Becnicks Wonder Emporium shop in Brook Street, Chester which is amazing - I shall post another blog about that later. So yes time to go back in time to July, 1st 1945 when the punk sex god Deborah Ann Harry, previously playboy bunny was born out of her mothers whatever you like to call it...Fairy?

Anyway Debbie quickly become a punk icon when things kicked off with Blondie in the mid 1970's. Her distinctive photographic cheekbones and two tone bleached blonde hair soon gathered the attention from Rolling Stone magazine.

From this day forward Debbie Harry become the most favored female fashion icon of the 1970's, devoted by young teens. Debbie favored thrift store finds and alternated between an edgy punk look and a more feminine style but her two-tone hair and loud lipstick were a constant.

Here are a few of my favorite snaps.

Damn that woman can pull off anything...

Including stripes and florals....

Zebra print.....

Stripes and spots...

AND DOUBLE DENIM!

Have a pop at this, something I put together.

Items featured within this image (those pictured on mannequins) are available by TheGrungeMonkey online at:

https://marketplace.asos.com/seller/thegrungemonkey or http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TheGrungeMonkey

So get 'thrifting' and join the Harry Club x

Fashion Topic of the day: The Teddy Girl - 'Judies'

Having spent many hours of my day listening to BBC Radio 2 'The people's songs', which is (if you are not aware) a series about the significance of music and song within the Modern history of Britain. After listening to a few of these fantastic episodes not only have I learnt a lot about the significance of music within the endless lists of sub cultural movements within our history but the significance of fashion is clearly unmissable within each episode.

I have learnt a lot about subcultures and fashion over the years as a sociologist and therefore I aim to make room to share my love of fashion and subculture with you guys.

Starting with 'Judies' - Female Teddy girls - after being inspired by BBC Radio 2's Episode 'Move It - The British Take on Rock n Roll.

So who are the 'Teddy Girls'?

Teddy girls grew out of the desire to reject post-war austerity which was expressed through their clothes, appearance and attitude.The girls were often school drop outs that came from working class backgrounds.They spent most of their free-time buying and making their own clothes.

What did they wear?

The dress code of the teddy girls much reflected that of the teddy boys. 'Teddy' fashion was inspired by 'dandies' of the Edwardian period.

Here is your very own Dandy: 

This Edwardian style was originally adopted by wealthy young men and post-war tailors attempted to reintroduce them on the market in the 1950's.The Teddy Boy/Girl style was not at all cheap to maintain, often tailor made and were costs were paid via weekly installments.But this was the first time these post war-torn youths were able to express themselves through dress as affluence began to increase.

So here is what they wore.....

* Drape Jackets *Pencil Skirts *Hobble Skirts *Long Plaits * Rolled Up Jeans *Flat shoes *Straw Boater hats *Coolie Hats *Espadrilles *Elegant Clutch Bag

Heres a few tips on how you can become your very own 'Judie' straight off the High Street or if you enjoy a good old bargain hunt,  root Ebay, Vintage shops and Carboots!

The Drape Jacket

1: Notch Neck Throw on Coat - Grey - £85.00

2: Wool Stripe Coat by Boutique - Navy - Topshop - £120.00

The Hobble/Pencil Skirt

1. ASOS Pencil Skirt with Flippy Hem - Red - £30.00

2. ASOS Wrap Pencil Skirt in Crepe - Pink - £32.00

3 New Look Bi-Stretch Tailored Pencil Skirt - Black - £12.99

The Hat:

1. ASOS Straw Boater Hat £15.00

The Shoes:

1. Black Canvas Espadrille Plimsolls – New Look – £7.99

2. ASOS Jessie Espadrille – £8.00

3. New Look Luna Black Patent Loafer Shoes – £17.99

AND TA DA BE YOUR VERY OWN JUDIE

bye bye for now x

Are we ready for the emergence of Club-kid style?

So Club Kid style seems to be creeping back into the scene…. its no wonder, the society we live in today (sorry had to stick in that cheesy old moan from a 25 year old 90′s kid – so cliché) anyhow less of the politics. yawn yawn.

I’m a Sociology graduate, so I am a youth subculture obsessed geek.

So the club-kid movement originated from New York City in the late 80s, early 90s, heavily induced by drugs…..STOP. Im not really going to bore you on the social historical development of this particular movement.

I just want to talk FASHION.

Basically, think Punk, Glam-rock, Clowns, Andy Warhol, Marilyn Manson or Marilyn Monroe (take your pick ladies or gents – mix it up) Lady Gaga… USE YOUR BODY TO SELF EXPRESS IN ANYWAY POSSIBLE and there you go you’ve got your very own pot of ‘CLUB-KID’.

Remember the TV Series ‘The Tribe’ – Post apocalyptic rebellious 90′s kids scraping their minimal resources for fashion from the debris that remained. Well yes they used the scraps they had scrummaged from the mall as there only means of individual self-expression.

Face Paint
Rags for clothes
Bindi’s (how they managed to find these in debris I don’t know)
Bright multi-colour hair-dye
Chains
Choker Necklaces
Lots of latex
Mad contact lenses
Tartan
Fur….

...you see whatever you can manage to find.

I love this trend - it allows you to just whatever the feck you want with your clothes and when you have a wardrobe like mine full of outrageous patterns that never match this style could be the answer.

Here is some of our Club-kid inspired pieces available at https://marketplace.asos.com/seller/thegrungemonkey

Now go embrace /// and take it to the PHATTEST party in town.

Check out Asos Marketplace’s Trend Guide for ‘Club- Kid' here: http://fashionfinder.asos.com/fashion-trends/womens-aw13/trend-guide/club-kid-832

Check out our own pinterest board dedicated to 'Club-Kid' style: http://www.pinterest.com/thegrungemonkey/club-kids/