@endofacentury100.bsky.social
Looking at Post War British youth culture through objects.
The significance of the Teds mainly rests on them being the first major British youth culture that distinguished itself from the adult world, using clothing and hair to symbolise membership and setting the boundaries of what membership of a youth culture looks like.
February 28, 2025 at 9:53 AM
The significance of the Teds mainly rests on them being the first major British youth culture that distinguished itself from the adult world, using clothing and hair to symbolise membership and setting the boundaries of what membership of a youth culture looks like.
The look still has devoted followers, although the passage of time means they are getting fewer and fewer.
February 28, 2025 at 9:53 AM
The look still has devoted followers, although the passage of time means they are getting fewer and fewer.
Ironically one of Sex Pistols manager and punk PR man Malcolm McLaren's first ventures was a Teddy Boy themed shop, Let It Rock.
February 28, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Ironically one of Sex Pistols manager and punk PR man Malcolm McLaren's first ventures was a Teddy Boy themed shop, Let It Rock.
Dressing to differentiate from one’s elders became more commonplace, and fashions for young men began to be stocked in high street stores such as John Collier, which expanded across the country.
February 28, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Dressing to differentiate from one’s elders became more commonplace, and fashions for young men began to be stocked in high street stores such as John Collier, which expanded across the country.
In common with many youth cultures, it is easy to overstate the number of actual teddy boys. Very few young people wore the full regalia. But what teds did was move fashion onwards and made young men in particular more aware of what they wore.
February 28, 2025 at 9:53 AM
In common with many youth cultures, it is easy to overstate the number of actual teddy boys. Very few young people wore the full regalia. But what teds did was move fashion onwards and made young men in particular more aware of what they wore.
And two well-reported incidents at dances in Bromley in 1954 (St Mary Cray) and 1956 (Orpington), saw Teddy Boys arrested carrying a range of weapons including carving knives, stilletos, wooden stakes and socks filled with sand. The Teds’ reputation for violence continued to grow.
February 28, 2025 at 9:53 AM
And two well-reported incidents at dances in Bromley in 1954 (St Mary Cray) and 1956 (Orpington), saw Teddy Boys arrested carrying a range of weapons including carving knives, stilletos, wooden stakes and socks filled with sand. The Teds’ reputation for violence continued to grow.
Photographer Don McCullin caught his first break photographing the criminal gang the Guvnors who lived in his area of Islington in North London and dressed in the Teddy Boy style. The Guvnors were implicated in the murder of another police officer.
February 28, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Photographer Don McCullin caught his first break photographing the criminal gang the Guvnors who lived in his area of Islington in North London and dressed in the Teddy Boy style. The Guvnors were implicated in the murder of another police officer.
In fact, the fear of Violence was closely associated with Teddy Boys throughout the 1950s – the infamous Derek Bentley and Chris Craig murder of a police officer in Croydon saw the pair painted as troublemaking Teddy Boys.
February 28, 2025 at 9:53 AM
In fact, the fear of Violence was closely associated with Teddy Boys throughout the 1950s – the infamous Derek Bentley and Chris Craig murder of a police officer in Croydon saw the pair painted as troublemaking Teddy Boys.
A screening of the film, which featured the single ‘Rock around the Clock’, at the 3,000 seat Trocadero cinema in South London, led to dancing in the aisles, seats ripped out and mayhem in the street. This was presented as a ‘Teddy Boy Riot’ and their position as folk devils further secured.
February 28, 2025 at 9:53 AM
A screening of the film, which featured the single ‘Rock around the Clock’, at the 3,000 seat Trocadero cinema in South London, led to dancing in the aisles, seats ripped out and mayhem in the street. This was presented as a ‘Teddy Boy Riot’ and their position as folk devils further secured.
In subsequent reporting of events, the Daily Express in October 1953 published an article about Teddy Boys, sparking the first of many moral panics about young people in the post war years, and bringing Teds to national awareness.
February 28, 2025 at 9:53 AM
In subsequent reporting of events, the Daily Express in October 1953 published an article about Teddy Boys, sparking the first of many moral panics about young people in the post war years, and bringing Teds to national awareness.
There is evidence of the style existing around 1950, particularly the Savile Row version of the New Edwardian look. But Teddy Boys first really came to national attention in 1953, when a clash between two groups of young people on Clapham Common led to a stabbing and the death of a 17 year old.
February 28, 2025 at 9:53 AM
There is evidence of the style existing around 1950, particularly the Savile Row version of the New Edwardian look. But Teddy Boys first really came to national attention in 1953, when a clash between two groups of young people on Clapham Common led to a stabbing and the death of a 17 year old.
They were readily identified by the aforementioned suits – long jackets, embroidered waistcoats, bootlace ties, skinny trousers – worn with thick soled ‘brothel creepers’. Topping the look off was longer hair than was the norm, brushed up in a quiff and swept back into a ‘D.A.’ or Duck’s Arse.
February 28, 2025 at 9:53 AM
They were readily identified by the aforementioned suits – long jackets, embroidered waistcoats, bootlace ties, skinny trousers – worn with thick soled ‘brothel creepers’. Topping the look off was longer hair than was the norm, brushed up in a quiff and swept back into a ‘D.A.’ or Duck’s Arse.
At this point virtually every high street would have a Burtons or a Five Shilling Tailor where suits could be made to a customer’s specification.
February 28, 2025 at 9:53 AM
At this point virtually every high street would have a Burtons or a Five Shilling Tailor where suits could be made to a customer’s specification.
Another theory has the same origins, that of the New Edwardian look being pushed by Savile Row tailors, but posits Soho as the meeting point of classes, where the well-to-do’s look was identified and appropriated by the young and taken back to their local tailors.
February 28, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Another theory has the same origins, that of the New Edwardian look being pushed by Savile Row tailors, but posits Soho as the meeting point of classes, where the well-to-do’s look was identified and appropriated by the young and taken back to their local tailors.
But, as the theory goes, it did not really catch on and the suits that had been created as examples ended up in South and East London tailors where they were spotted and adopted by working class youngsters.
February 28, 2025 at 9:53 AM
But, as the theory goes, it did not really catch on and the suits that had been created as examples ended up in South and East London tailors where they were spotted and adopted by working class youngsters.
One story has Savile Row tailors trying to recreate the Edwardian look of long jackets and elaborate waistcoats in an attempt to get their clients spending more after the restrictions of the war years. The ‘New Edwardian’ look was primarily aimed at the young professionals and guardsmen of Mayfair.
February 28, 2025 at 9:53 AM
One story has Savile Row tailors trying to recreate the Edwardian look of long jackets and elaborate waistcoats in an attempt to get their clients spending more after the restrictions of the war years. The ‘New Edwardian’ look was primarily aimed at the young professionals and guardsmen of Mayfair.
There are two competing narratives as to how the Teddy Boy culture started. Both of them unusually see the subculture originate with clothes, rather than music as was to become the norm later in the 20th century.
February 28, 2025 at 9:53 AM
There are two competing narratives as to how the Teddy Boy culture started. Both of them unusually see the subculture originate with clothes, rather than music as was to become the norm later in the 20th century.
Youth cultures arise from wider social issues and pressures, as well as reactions against or subversions of the tastes of ‘elders and betters’. Mods, Rockers, Punks, New Romantics, Casuals, Acid House and others – all have these elements, and Teddy Boys of the early to mid 1950s were no different.
February 28, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Youth cultures arise from wider social issues and pressures, as well as reactions against or subversions of the tastes of ‘elders and betters’. Mods, Rockers, Punks, New Romantics, Casuals, Acid House and others – all have these elements, and Teddy Boys of the early to mid 1950s were no different.
Over the course of a year, everybody had enough coupons for one new set of clothes; there were strict limits on what those clothes could look like – few pleats, no excess ornamentation. This gave rise to a make-do-and-mend culture, as well as a black market in cloth organised by so-called ‘spivs’.
February 28, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Over the course of a year, everybody had enough coupons for one new set of clothes; there were strict limits on what those clothes could look like – few pleats, no excess ornamentation. This gave rise to a make-do-and-mend culture, as well as a black market in cloth organised by so-called ‘spivs’.
Object 3: Clothes coupons and Teddy Boys
In June 1941, clothes rationing was introduced in the UK due to preserve cloth for the armed forces and because of fewer cloth workers. Clothing coupons were created that restricted how many items of clothing an individual could buy at one time.
In June 1941, clothes rationing was introduced in the UK due to preserve cloth for the armed forces and because of fewer cloth workers. Clothing coupons were created that restricted how many items of clothing an individual could buy at one time.
February 28, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Object 3: Clothes coupons and Teddy Boys
In June 1941, clothes rationing was introduced in the UK due to preserve cloth for the armed forces and because of fewer cloth workers. Clothing coupons were created that restricted how many items of clothing an individual could buy at one time.
In June 1941, clothes rationing was introduced in the UK due to preserve cloth for the armed forces and because of fewer cloth workers. Clothing coupons were created that restricted how many items of clothing an individual could buy at one time.
The biker has lost both its initial purpose and its ability to shock. Today it is mainstream and widespread, another item for fashion pages to advise on. But the ability to wear it well depends on the wearer's understanding of its heritage, and its pivotal role in British youth culture.
February 23, 2025 at 5:09 PM
The biker has lost both its initial purpose and its ability to shock. Today it is mainstream and widespread, another item for fashion pages to advise on. But the ability to wear it well depends on the wearer's understanding of its heritage, and its pivotal role in British youth culture.
The biker continued to be a symbol of rebellion beyond punk, adopted by gay subcultures and used by gay pop stars - Freddie Mercury, George Michael - to play with its associations and tease the public, and by tamer pop stars to inject a sense of danger into their image.
February 23, 2025 at 5:09 PM
The biker continued to be a symbol of rebellion beyond punk, adopted by gay subcultures and used by gay pop stars - Freddie Mercury, George Michael - to play with its associations and tease the public, and by tamer pop stars to inject a sense of danger into their image.
The biker stayed popular with young punks well into the 1980s – images of gangs of punks with outrageous mohawks wearing worn out biker jackets and hanging around Trafalgar Square eventually ended up on London postcards.
February 23, 2025 at 5:09 PM
The biker stayed popular with young punks well into the 1980s – images of gangs of punks with outrageous mohawks wearing worn out biker jackets and hanging around Trafalgar Square eventually ended up on London postcards.
Following Vicious’s lead, the biker jacket became synonymous with punk. The leather and buckles were reminiscent of the bondage gear associated with early punk through Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood’s shop Sex, carrying a frisson of danger and the promise of upsetting the older generation.
February 23, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Following Vicious’s lead, the biker jacket became synonymous with punk. The leather and buckles were reminiscent of the bondage gear associated with early punk through Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood’s shop Sex, carrying a frisson of danger and the promise of upsetting the older generation.
Just as 20 years previously, UK youngsters picked up on the imagery and the biker jacket was back. Punk in the UK built on not just the music of the Ramones, but also the image. Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols wore his biker jacket almost constantly. He even wanted to be buried in it.
February 23, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Just as 20 years previously, UK youngsters picked up on the imagery and the biker jacket was back. Punk in the UK built on not just the music of the Ramones, but also the image. Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols wore his biker jacket almost constantly. He even wanted to be buried in it.