Chelsea Girls

The term "Skinhead" is often associated with worldwide neo-nazi and racist groups- however, in it's purest sense, it describes a subculture movement rooted in music, fashion and rebellion that began in 1960's Britain and grew from there. Musically, tastes ranged from ska to reggae to soul to punk rock, and wardrobes drew inspiration from many Skinhead's Mod roots, adopting a more working class-friendly aesthetic. Some of the trademark looks include brogues, suspenders (or braces), loafers, steel toe boots and straight-leg jeans. These "Hard Mods" became known as skinheads because of their close-cropped or shaved hairstyles, which were quite contrary to the longer hippie and mod styles of the day.





Female skinheads were often called Chelsea Girls, in reference to their version of the boys' look. The Chelsea Girl hairstyle (also called a Feather Cut) is usually shaved or cropped everywhere, except for fringes on the front, side and back. This is one of my favorite hairstyles, and as you can see, I'm sporting a modified version in my profile picture. They had a sharp, modern fashion sense, often referenced by many designers today.


Here's a great example of the Chelsea or Feather Cut:





A few examples of style, dress and culture: