Raver Style

"Raver" it's a term that defines a “party animal”.It appeared in London in late 50's as describing the Soho bohemian parties with a strange underground beat sound. By the beginning of the 60's it was used to make reference to young people who were attending to wild parties with extreme regularity. From the 80's the word " rave" describes particulary dance parties ( often all-night events). It was predominantly a London-based phenomenon, but definitely have became a UK-main underground youth movement.

It's cultural connotation have been adapted to the circumstances of each decade, varying the music style, social clothes, principles, etc. Recently Electronic, Trance or Techno are considered as "rave music".

Generally these individuals are turned for the party itself without great social or political supports. They usually get an adapted position in fashion, hairstyle and even in behaviour terms for each of those parties.

By the 90th decade there were several organizations such as "Fantazia", "Universe", "Raindance" or "Amnesia House" which were holding amaizing massive legal raves in open field or country warehouses.

The main reazon for the increase of government prevents in order to discourage this kind of mass movement, was the use of drugs very close to acid, hallucinogens or physical performance stimulators such as MDMA, LSD, cocaine, ketamine or ecstasy. In May 1992 this free parties were completely forbidden in U.K.

As the musical principles and also the light effects were suffering a great evolution ( laser light shows, projected images and artificial fog ), as well the parties were getting longer than one night and the clothes have become more coloured and exuberant. In our days this sub cultural style is having a straight rapprochement to a modernized hippie movement.

Speaking about portuguese youth subculture and the "Raver's" there is a straight approach to this british mass movement. This kind of open-field parties is being part of portuguese festivals, particulary during the Summer, as the "BOOM FESTIVAL" in Fundão. However the impact of this movement in Portugal wasn't as stronger as in the U.K.

The rave parties that started playing techno, break beat rave, drum and bass, also include the hardcore techno music, as “happy hardcore” and “bouncy techno”. In Portugal this kind of rave appeared by the end of 90’s with several little concerts basically in the north of the country. One of the biggest and popular electronic big bit band are the Prodigy from Essex, England. They still joining million of people in their concerts and have recently a new album called "Invaders must die".

Information Sources: The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 1993 Edition; Wikipédia, the free encyclopedia; Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, the 7th Edition.

Punk Style

It’s associated to the Punk Rock movement that had appeared in 70th decade. The main events are based on concerts and garage musical improvements, violent and antisocial noise.

The individualism had got a very stronger position in a culture of such social rebellion that it is very close to the Nihilism and the Anarchy.Heavy drugs (as heroine), tattooing, auto-mutilation and primordial piercing are very common.

The fashion takes ground in shocking principles getting adapted to their style of life, as pants jousts, clothes ripped in some parts which are fixed with pins or other metallic objects, leather’s coats, bracelets, earrings and wires with an aggressive aspect. Also the troop boots, Converse tennis and skate shoes are usual.

About the hairstyle is famous the “crest” that is raised with soap and diversely coloured. The hair with peaks and any other form of aggressive and dramatically aspects also proliferate.

Information Sources: The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 1993 Edition; Wikipédia, the free encyclopedia; Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, the 7th Edition.

Skinheads

Highly influenced by Mods' principles and Jamaicans' cultures (Rude Boys), this sub cultural style had also appeared in the 60’s. The politics’ connotations had got structure afterwards in the middle of the 80’s.

The skinheads’ style was getting force in the workers’ low classes whose economic potential wasn’t the same as the Mod, limiting their choice of expensive tailor-made suits and clubs. They were lined up in the Ska, the primitive Reggae and Rocksteady, before the Reggae get itself the spirit of the Rastafarian.

The short hair or skin-head hairstyle probably come from pragmatism, given that quiff and long hair could be a risk in their industrial jobs, remarking a social and economic class. In clothes terms, the geographic areas had got an enormous influence by having a great variety of styles. From 70th decade, it has an approach to the Punk movement that defined aviator coats and high boots of combat out of pants.

Information Sources: The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 1993 Edition; Wikipédia, the free encyclopedia; Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, the 7th Edition.

The Mod's Style

They were called Mod or Modernists, came naturally after Teds and adopted the Royal Air Force’s symbol with a concentric circle in blue, red and white colours.

They appeared refusing the traditional values of British society and disconnecting of love songs. Instead of that it began to appear the nocturne clubs, dance music, Brit Pop, R&B, etc.

The Mods' groups were directed toward long nocturne hours. They adopted the scooter to keep moving around the city once the public transport services were closing too early at night and also the vehicles’ prices were extremely expensive.

However when the new law established that motorbike would have to have at least a mirror, the Mod’s had finished for placing 4, 10, 20 and more mirrors in their scooters in order to keep parodying the law. In fact that became their group’s symbol.

Speaking about fashion, they were adopting a smooth, sophisticated look with their tailor-made Italian suits (sometimes white) with narrow lapels, mohair clothes, thin ties, button-down collar shirts, wool or cashmere sweaters and hairstyles that imitated the French Nouvelle Vague's look of cinema actors, such as Jean-Paul Belmondo. The use of scooters influenced the appearance of military wide parkas and also coats in order to protect the expensive tailor-made suits.

Information Sources: The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 1993 Edition; Wikipédia, the free encyclopedia; Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, the 7th Edition.

Ted Subcultural Style

From “Teddy Boy”. They had appeared in England in the middle of the 50th decade, dressed with clothes based on the period of the beginning of the century, which were reintroduced after the Second Great War. Basically they were inspired in Edwardian period style.

Typically, they exhibited three-quarter coats, habitual use of collars in velvet, fine pants jousts and neckties of strait knot, or also other elements of closing in the collar, and boots or shoes of high soles with colourful stockings at sight.

Hairdos include previous gel’s products, as grease, in order to get, as we call, a greased up-hair with a quiff at the front.

They had been the first group to have a masculine interest in fashion; till that time the masculine fashion was associated exclusively to homosexual’s movements. Teddy Boy’s style intended to cause an impact on public opinion by introduce a new dressing style.

Highly associated to American Rock & Roll, they intended to define a sole style of dressing always looking the same aspect in counterpoint to habitual work clothes versus Sunday’s tailor-made suits.

They are the primordial of 60’s Rockers which we can include Elvis, James Dean or 70’s Rock abilities. John Lennon was one of the famous followers of this style.

Some of these groups were following violent racist white mobs that were attacking black people and their properties.

Information Sources: The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 1993 Edition; Wikipédia, the free encyclopedia; Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, the 7th Edition.

Starting anew

Hi there!

This is my new blog and here I will be writing about English Culture. This will be probably the place where I will share with all of you my ideias about music, literature, cinema and course, the classes 'cultural purposes.

Thank's Paul!!

So let's start working!! :)