Hip Hop vs Punk
The fashion aspect in Hip Hop and Punk is very distinctive. Throughout Hips Hop’s history, the fashion trends have evolved, but the concept of Hip Hop fashion has always remained conceptually unchanged. This has given birth to a few varieties among Hip Hop fashion according to their respective generations and choice of self-expression through the four pillars of Hip Hop which are Bboying (dance), MC/Rap (music), DJ (music) and Graffiti Art (visual art). The varieties of fashion within the Punk culture differ from Hip Hop in a different aspect. While Hip Hop’s fashion alternatives were born from historical factors within the cultural aspects, Punk’s sense of fashion stems from the different mentalities that exist within the Punk subculture. Among the subcultures are Street Punk, Glam Punk, Hardcore, Anarcho punk, Oi and Ska Punk, Crust Punk, Gothic Rock, Cow Punk, Dance Punk, Skate Punk and Pop Punk. Hip Hop favours a colourful approach to clothe fashion usually experimenting with sportswear and urban street wear brands, while Punks in general favour a more aggressive look ranging from biker styles, army boots and bondage clothing. Accessories are also an essential part of fashion in both cultures, for instance, Punks prefer to use spiked bracelets and jewelry, but Hip Hop followers on the other hand prefer wearing gold and silver jewelry, colloquially referred to as Blings or Bling-Blings and the usage of grills are also common where Hip Hop artists’ would place gold over their teeth. Another trait that many of the Punk subcultures share amongst each other is the usage of tight pants, leather vests and ripped clothing, contrast to Hip Hop followers who have more tendency of wearing baggy pants and large clothes. Punks also involve themselves with body modifications which include extreme piercings and tattooing, make-up is also a part of Punk culture, such as the use of eye-liner in both men and women. Hip Hop is quite neutral towards body modifications; rather the