ee
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Style
      Report:
      Another
      Nail
      in
      the
      Coffin
      of
     
     
      Accessible
      Discourse
      or:
      Quick,
      Where’s
      My
     
     
      ~
      Jargon?
      |
      Have
      a
      Public
      to
      Alienate
      —
      Part
      |
     
     
      by
      Jonah
      CAMPBELL
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      writing
      this
      “style”
      column,
     
     
      it
      was
      merely
      a
      matter
      of
      time
      before
      I
     
     
      got
      onto
      the
      topic
      of
      elitism
      (as
      an
     
     
      extension
      or
      determinant
      of
      attire),
      for
     
     
      anyone
      who
      pretends
      to
      know
      any-
     
     
      thing
      about
      fashion
      must
      inevitably
      do
     
     
      so
      in
      some
      form
      or
      another,
      lest,
      in
     
     
      neglecting
      to
      do
      so,
      they
      fall
      prey
      to
     
     
      some
      form
      of
      amende
      honorable
      at
      the
     
     
      hands
      of
      the
      poorly-dressed
      masses.
      In
     
     
      this
      week’s
      installment
      (and
      next
     
     
      week’s
      as
      well)
      I’d
      like
      to
      address
      elit-
     
     
      ism
      in
      the
      context
      of
      counter-cultural
     
     
      fashion
      trends,
      and
      contrast
      this
      to
      the
     
     
      debatably
      more
      insipid
      form
      of
      elitism
     
     
      which
      inheres
      in
      the
      mainstream.
     
     
      More
      specifically,
      I’d
      like
      to
      localize
     
     
      this
      discussion
      around
      punk
      and
      hard-
     
     
      core,
      which,
      owing
      to
      the
      unfamiliari-
     
     
      ty
      of
      the
      average
      reader
      with
      this
     
     
      social
      arena,
      allows
      me
      to
      make
      all
     
     
      sorts
      of
      exaggerated
      claims,
      the
      valid-
     
     
      ity
      of
      which
      would
      be
      quite
      difficult
      to
     
     
      discern.
      So
      suffer,
      little
      children,
     
     
      because
      it’s
      spoutin’
      time.
     
    

    
     
      Before
      proceeding,
      it’s
      only
     
     
      fair
      to
      acknowledge
      that
      this
      discus-
     
     
      sion
      will
      be
      rife
      with
      over-generaliza-
     
     
      tions,
      owing
      simply
      to
      the
      incredibly
     
     
      diversity,
      even
      fissiparity
      (fissiparous
     
     
      is
      a
      word
      -
      And
      fissiparity
      damn
      well
     
     
      is
      too,
      I
      don’t
      care
      what
      spell
      check
     
     
      says.)
      of
      the
      punk
      and
      hardcore
     
     
      scene(s).
     
    

    
     
      My
      basic
      concern
      in
      this
      arti-
     
     
      cle
      is
      how
      the
      fashion
      associated
      with
     
     
      the
      hardcore
      scene
      has
      become
      all
      but
     
     
      indistinguishable
      from
      the
      fashion
     
     
      trends
      in
      society
      as
      a_
      whole.
     
     
      “Hardcore
      chic,”
      as
      I
      like
      to
      refer
      to
      it,
     
     
      is
      actually
      a
      sort
      of
      integrated
      style
     
     
      which
      incorporates
      hardcore,
      emo
      and
     
     
      indie
      rock.
      The
      commonalities
      in
      dress
     
     
      are
      most
      likely
      due
      to
      the
      interchange
     
     
      and
      overlap
      between
      these
      three
      sub-
     
     
      genres
      (both
      in
      terms
      of
      band
      mem-
     
     
      bers
      and
      audiences);
      simply-
      emo
      kids
     
     
      listen
      to
      indie
      rock,
      indie
      rockers
      play
     
     
      in
      hardcore
      bands,
      hardcore
      incorpo-
     
     
      rates
      elements
      of
      emo,
      etc.
      etc.,
      in
      the
     
     
      end
      it
      all
      manages
      to
      be
      a
      big
      mish-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      mash
      that
      somehow
      retains
      its
      ridicu-
     
     
      lously
      particular
      labelling
      distinctions.
     
    

    
     
      Most
      people
      who
      have
      spent
     
     
      much
      of
      any
      time
      not
      eating
      bugs
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘under
      a
      rock
      are
      most
      likely
      more
     
    
   
   
    
     
      familiar
      with
      this
      “hardcore
      chic”
      than
     
     
      they
      know,
      and
      this
      is
      due
      to
      its
     
     
      marked
      similarity
      to
      “chic”
      fashion
      in
     
     
      general
      these
      days.
      The
      most
      typical
     
     
      uniform
      consists
      of
      skinny
      pants,
     
     
      especially
      black
      dress
      pants
      or
      dark
     
     
      blue
      jeans,
      with
      the
      cuffs
      rolled
      up,
     
     
      often
      to
      a
      ridiculous
      degree
      (in
      many
     
     
      cases
      well
      above
      the
      ankle,
      evoking
     
     
      the
      cut
      of
      Capri
      or
      shirt
      pants).
     
     
      Particularly
      in
      the
      case
      of
      dress
      pants,
     
     
      they
      are
      small
      enough
      (ie,
      too
      short)
      as
     
     
      to
      enhance
      the
      overall
      appearance
      of
     
     
      skinniness
      of
      the
      wearer
      which,
     
     
      despite
      the
      heralded
      demise
      of
      heroin
     
     
      chic,
      is
      still
      quite
      fashionable,
      espe-
     
     
      cially
      among
      emo
      and
      indie
      rock
      kids
     
     
      (hence
      the
      term
      “skinny
      core”).
      The
     
     
      belt
      is
      an
      integral
      part
      of
      the
      outfit,
     
     
      and
      most
      popularly
      takes
      the
      form
      of
     
     
      the
      studded
      belt
      (one
      of
      the
      few
     
     
      remaining
      vestiges
      of
      hardcore’s
      punk
     
     
      roots),
      although
      the
      white
      belt,
      or
      any-
     
     
      thing
      with
      a
      sizable,
      snazzy
      belt
      buck-
     
     
      le
      is
      becoming
      increasingly
      common.
     
     
      Short
      sleeved
      t-shirts
      are
      the
      top
     
     
      choice
      and
      are
      almost
      invariably
     
     
      extremely
      tight.
      Perhaps
      most
      charac-
     
     
      teristic
      is
      the
      accompanying
      hairstyle
     
     
      (which
      I
      have
      been
      recently
      informed
     
     
      is
      known
      as
      a
      “turkey
      cut,”
      but
      which
     
     
      I
      refer
      to
      simply
      as
      “hardcore
      hair”),
     
     
      which
      usually
      involves
      a
      black
      dye
     
     
      job,
      neatly
      trimmed
      bangs
      (cut
      straight
     
     
      across,
      or
      left
      longer,
      so
      as
      to
      be
      swept
     
     
      to
      one
      side),
      and
      “wisps”
      of
      hair
     
     
      which,
      left
      long,
      come
      down
      in
      front
     
     
      of
      either
      ear
      (not
      unlike
      the
      “Chelsea”
     
     
      haircut
      popular
      among
      female
      skin-
     
     
      heads).
      At
      this
      point,
      we
      have
      what
      is
     
     
      commonly
      known
      as
      a
      “pixie
      cut”
      (it’s
     
     
      very
      pixie-esque,
      trust
      me),
      but
      the
     
     
      final
      touch,
      which
      makes
      it
      quintes-
     
     
      sential
      hardcore
      hair,
      is
      the
      spiking
     
     
      out,
      up,
      or
      generally
      orchestrated
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      messiness
      of
      the
      hair
      at
      the
      back
      of
     
     
      one’s
      head.
     
    

    
     
      Voila.
      Of
      course,
      this
      is
      not
      to
     
     
      say
      that
      all
      hardcore
      kids
      sport
      such
      a
     
     
      hairstyle,
      but
      for
      those
      who
      partake
     
     
      fully
      in
      the
      fashion
      aspect
      of
      the
      cul-
     
     
      ture,
      this
      serves
      as
      the
      basic
      template
     
     
      for
      hairstyles,
      with
      a
      certain
      degree
      of
     
     
      variation.
      Another
      popular
      haircut,
     
     
      more
      so
      among
      men
      than
      women,
      is
     
     
      the
      pompadour,
      a
      hair-do
      which
      previ-
     
     
      ously
      found
      its.
      greatest
      outlet
     
     
      (Morrissey
      notwithstanding)
      in
      the
     
     
      rockabilly
      scene.
     
    

    
     
      As
      far
      as
      accessories
      are
      con-
     
     
      cerned,
      equally
      popular
      within
      hard-
     
     
      core
      and
      the
      mainstream
      is
      the
      ban-
     
     
      dana
      (which
      I
      will
      give
      fuller
      treat-
     
     
      ment
      in
      a
      future
      installment,
      oh,
      you
     
     
      just
      wait),
      employed
      by
      both
      sexes
      as
     
     
      either
      a
      headband,
      to
      keep
      their
      hair
     
     
      back,
      or
      wrapped
      around
      their
      wrist.
     
    

    
     
      The
      above
      description
      bears
     
     
      ‘many
      commonalities
      with
      emergent
     
     
      trends
      in
      mainstream
      fashion,
      from
     
     
      haircuts
      to
      studded
      belts
      to
      big
      cuffs
     
     
      and
      tight
      pants,
      however,
      there
      are
      a
     
     
      number
      of
      elements
      common
      in
      the
     
     
      hardcore
      ensemble
      which
      differentiate
     
     
      it
      from
      the
      mainstream,
      but
      it
      would
     
     
      seem
      only
      a
      matter
      of
      time
      before
     
    
   
   
    
     
      these
      too
      are
      either
      subsumed
      or
      aban-
      .
     
    
   
   
    
     
      doned,
      further
      blurring
      the
      line
     
     
      between
      “hardcore
      chic”
      and
      just
      plain
     
     
      fashionable:
      Such
      _
      characteristics
     
     
      include
      the
      larger
      number
      of
      tattoos
     
     
      often
      sported
      by
      hardcore
      kids,
      usual-
     
     
      ly
      in
      old-school
      style
      and
      favouring
     
     
      such
      mainstays
      of
      tattoo
      culture
      as
     
     
      rockers,
      banners,
      sparrows,
      brass
     
     
      knuckles,
      straight
      razors
      or
      other
      tuff
     
     
      iconography,
      and
      of
      course,
      skulls.
      In
     
     
      fact,
      throughout
      the
      outfit
      as
      a
      whole,
     
     
      there
      tends
      to
      be
      a
      great
      preponder-
     
     
      ance
      of
      skulls,
      be
      they
      tattoos,
      key-
     
     
      chains,
      logos
      on
      shoes
      (the
      shoe
      of
     
     
      choice
      having
      made
      the
      transition
     
     
      from
      a
      more
      functional
      adidas
      shell-
     
     
      toe
      stylem
      to
      the
      infinitely
      more
      fash-
     
     
      ionable
      Creeper)
      or
      shirts,
      jewelry,
      or
     
     
      what-have-you.
      Moreover,
      the
      hooded
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Style.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      sweatshirt
      is
      the
      probably
      the
      most
     
     
      common
      second
      layer
      among
      hardcore
     
     
      kids,
      although
      of
      late
      one
      can
      witness
     
     
      the
      increasing
      encroachment
      of
      the
     
     
      crisp
      little
      denim
      jacket
      into
      hardcore
     
     
      chic
      (it
      is
      especially
      with
      this
      addition
     
     
      that
      hardcore
      fashion
      blends
      into
      indie
     
     
      rock
      and
      emo
      fashion,
      which
      them-
     
     
      selves
      are
      closer
      to
      mainstream
     
     
      styles).
      There
      is
      also
      the
      tendency
      to
     
     
      accessorize
      outfits
      with
      metal
      spikes
     
     
      and
      studs,
      and
      the
      spiked
      or
      studded
     
     
      bracelet
      is
      still
      a
      big
      favourite,
      anoth-
     
     
      er
      article
      reminiscent
      of
      punk
      stylings.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (Tune
      in
      next
      week
      for
      the
      conclusion
     
     
      of
      Campbells
      discussion
      on
      hardcore
     
     
      fashion
      and
      its
      relationship
      to
      main-
     
     
      stream
      fashion.
      -
      Ed.)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      7)