Subculture: Types

Types of Subcultures
(Examples)

GOTHIC

“The music (dark, depressing), the look – lots of black, white faces, black eyeliner, crucifixes, churches, graveyards.”

The central to their definition is "free-thinking and rejection of dogma". The goth style draws on horror imagery, and both sexes often favour a 'feminine' style."

 Most obvious and important, was an overwhelming and consistent emphasis on the colour black, whether in terms of clothing, hair, lipstick, household decoration or even pet cats. In terms of personal appearance, the theme was also implicit in a tendency for many goths to wear white foundation on their faces to offset thick, usually extended black eyeliner, cheekbone accentuating blusher and dark lipstick,

Most notably, although black remained predominant, brighter colours had clearly become more acceptable in terms of hair, clothing and make-up.

PUNKS

Punks used some features from Rastafarian styles: dreadlocks, Ethiopian colours, and some Rastafarian rhetoric and even a hybrid ‘Punk dub’ appeared in Punk Rock. Punk bands play a part in the anti-National Front, Rock against Racism campaign. But at the same time Reggae and Punk Rock were different, and developed in separate directions.

GRAFFITI WRITERS

The graffiti subculture has its own status structure, its own criteria for placing individuals on this and its own symbolic, but highly valued, rewards. What differentiates it from many other youth groups or subcultures is its explicitness, its open recognition of its own point and purpose

Graffiti writers, subcultural graffiti or graffiti subculture is just over 30 years old. Originally from New York, it has evolved synergistically with hip hop’s dance and music cultures and now enjoys status as a global phenomenon.

Choosing a name to not being identified

Having developed an interest, graffiti writers must now decide upon the name or ‘tag’ they plan to use. The name is the basis of graffiti culture. It is the most important
aspect of a graffiti writer’s work and the source of their fame and respect. Graffiti is illegal so writers do not usually use their real-life name

RIVETHEAD STYLE AND FASHION

Male Rivetheads are a less androgynous Goth with factory day job. A militaristic or industrial macho look, camo or leather pants, heavy boots, plus goggles or even a gas mask;
Female Rivetheads are something like Goth chick with less makeup and less of a death vibe: Black leather, stiletto heels, military accoutrements, sort of a junior dominatrix.
The Rivethead preoccupation with fashion is inescapably related to their anxiety over being confused for subcultures they profess to hate: Goths, Punks, Metalheads, Death Rockers… The fact that so many subcultures claim black as their color of choice contributes to the confusion. Hence, Rivetheads emphasize a military or mechanical look.
Footwear: Combat boots, tanker boots, Jungle boots, knee-high military dress boots;
Pants: Cargo pants or Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) pants;
Tops: Industrial Band T-shirts, black wifebeaters, flight jackets, leather jackets, bulletproof vests and trenchcoats;
Hair: Cyber dreads, shaved bald, partially shaved (undercut), crewcut, Mohawk, Bihawk, Trihawk or deadhawk;
Makeup: Eyeliner, Face painting and sometimes neck painting is common in some subgenres;
Headgear and facegear: Sometimes masks, such as respirators or gasmasks; helmets and welding or flight/military-style goggles;
Body MODs: piercings, tattoos, medical implants & biosensors
Heroes of Rivetheads movement are mainly underground artists, more recognizable names are Kraftwerk and Frank Zappa.

GANGSTA

Some icons belonging to this group are the singers 50 Cent and Jay-Z and mostly of reggaeton singers. They wear baggy t-shirts, wide pants, caps or handkerchiefs, dark glasses and large and heavy gold chains.

GEEK CHIC

People from this youth culture look intelligent yet interesting, and they wear thick-framed glasses (it doesn't matter if you need them or not), linen trousers with sneakers, and a tucked-in t-shirt.

EMO

The Oxford English Dictionary definition of emo is purely musical: "derived from hardcore punk music and characterized by emotional, usually introspective lyrics". The emo fashion for spiky, coloured hair and studded clothing seems to show punk influences.

Emos are sometimes seen as a younger offshoot of the Goth scene, though emo also has connections to hardcore punk.

For more information:

http://subcultureslist.com/subculture-definition/

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22026044