By Emily Lopez
The 1970’s was a decade known to be the birth of many eras and styles. Commonly thought of as the time to take out the disco ball, crowds of people were picking up leather, ripped clothes, and Knox gelatin. With the agenda to break social norms and rebel mainstream rock, punks emerged and joined together to make history. With the scandalous clothing and elaborate makeup, it only made sense to have memorable haircuts. I have a deep appreciation for the style of the artists and fans, so I wanted to take the time to rate some of the common hairstyles punks in the late 70s to early 80s wore proudly.
The classic mohawk is a staple for punks. This singular hairstyle has become one of the main images when people think about original punk. The mohawk actually dates back much farther than the 1970’s. According to Ancient Origins, Herotodus reported in the 5th century BC in northern Libya the Macai tribe wore their hair in such a manner. The term “mohawk” originates from Native Americans residing in what is now New York and Canada. Their warriors would pluck all their hair out except a small section on their crown, then they would braid and decorate it. Overall, I think this style is a 8/10 because it has proven to be iconic and relays their message of standing out. I take away two points because I can imagine it looks weird when it’s not standing up.
Punk grew more in the 80’s and gained variety from the original style. Glam-punk became popular, incorporating brighter colors and a new hairstyle. This “big hair” was popular among the men and women and the higher, the better. This style has a more free-flowing look and prioritizes getting as much volume as possible. It was inspired by heavy metal or nicknamed, “Hair Bands”. I rate this look a 10/10 because it is bold, rough, and curly hair friendly.
This style is the definition of anti-gravity. These are liberty spikes, named after the similar appearance to the crown that rests on the head of the statue of liberty. These spikes date back to the Celtic Britons around 1,000 BC on the shores of Britain. Wikiwand reports warriors would wash their hair in lime water, which would naturally bleach it. They were not allowed to spike their hair until they had killed an enemy and their hair was worn as a symbol of honor. Punk-styled liberty spikes can be small or they can be as long as you can get it to stand. I rate these spikes 8/10 for uniqueness and putting in so much effort to get them to stand, but I can’t imagine the arm cramps from taking over an hour to do my hair. Also I can see constantly getting your hair crushed from being too close to people if you’re short or an average height.
I personally enjoy punk music and like how it has created an environment safe for people to be different and speak against unfair societal norms. The music matches the outfits and hair of this genre: bold, loud, and unapologetic. We cannot deny the punk movement has had numerous lasting effects and we should appreciate the change they embraced, even if it’s just changing your hairstyle.
