Maddy Searle and Mairi Bruce outline some of the subcultures identified by Caroline Young in her book Style Tribes

Mods and rockers

In 1964, the British public was shocked by an outbreak of violence across English seaside towns. There were two tribes behind it: mods and rockers. Mods prided themselves on their sharp suits and Italian shoes, whereas rockers preferred jeans and leather jackets. The rocker look evolved from 1940s motorcycle gangs in the US and was spurred on by the rockabilly music of Elvis Presley. Early mods took jazz legend Miles Davis as their hero, but it was bands such as The Who who defined the mod sound. The greasy motorbikes which the rockers favoured were not to the mods’ taste, so they chose scooters instead, such as the chrome Lambretta or the Vespa. Girls got in on the act too: rock'n’ roll chicks donned poodle skirts and neck scarves; mod ladies cropped their hair and shopped on London’s stylish Carnaby Street. Mod fashion went by the wayside when the Beatles looked to drug-fuelled psychedelia for inspiration. But, a decade later, there was a massive mod revival when the film Quadrophenia was released in 1979. Based on The Who’s rock opera, the film followed the fortunes of a young 1960s mod, and started a trend which would continue to grow. Britpop, the UK-based pop/rock music of the 1990s, owes a lot to the style of the 1960s.

Skinheads

Beginning as a more violent, working-class break-off from traditional mods in the 1960s, early skinheads gravitated towards the basic style ideas of the mod: vibrant button-downs and Harrington jackets. The Jamaican rudeboy style, as seen on many of the black youth, greatly influenced the white mods. Quickly their typical look became jeans pulled up above the ankle by braces to highlight their well-polished bovver boots (the bigger the better, steel-toe caps preferred). Despite their name, haircuts didn't define the skinheads subculture. Some favoured sideburns, but haircuts varied and female skinheads often had fringes along with their shaved heads. The rise of football violence influenced the look: in 1969, steel-toes were classed as offensive weapons, leading to the popularisation of Doc Martens. By 1970 skinheads had moderated their look and lengthened their hair a little, but by 1977 their exaggerated style had returned with completely-shaven heads and fully exposed boots once more.

New Romantics

A reaction against Margaret Thatcher’s "yuppies and power suits" culture, the flamboyant and foppish New Romantic look was pioneered in 1978 by young Soho arty types, who gathered each week for a Bowie night at Billy’s basement club. The following year, the Blitz in Covent Garden was the place to be, pulsing with the beats of Kraftwerk and Giorgio Moroder. Caroline Young describes some of the daring feats of fashion, with people dressed as “futuristic teds with winklepickers, quiffs and false eyelashes, as gangsters or Robin Hoods with whitened faces and frilled collars”. Culture Club's Boy George made appearances at the club, as did Gary Kemp from the electro-pop band Spandau Ballet and in 198-, Sounds magazine christened the movement the “New Romantics”, likening it to the charismatic Romantic poets such as Byron and Shelley. Though this vibrant subculture was dead by 1981, its influence permeated 1980s music and fashion, with synth-pop bands and flouncy clothes all the rage.

Goths

An offshoot of the punk movement, the goth subculture was rooted in Victorian macabre and the supernatural. Siouxsie Sioux, lead singer of Siouxsie And The Banshees, was an initial inspiration, with her heavy black eyeliner, red lips and white face. The gothic look drew some inspiration from glam, punk and the new romantics; literary works such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Anne Radcliffe’s Gothic novels also helped bring kids to the dark side. The Victorian mourning gown was an inspirational garment, reflecting the movement's preoccupation with death, but individual tastes could also be displayed, as dresses were accessorised and made more revealing. In the musical melting-pot of goth, post-punk bands such as the Cure and Bauhaus combined punk, glam and horror into a distinctive look, matching their gloomy sound. One of the first goth clubs was founded in 1980 in London’s Covent Garden, and was called Hell. The back door led out into the St Paul’s Church graveyard, where club patrons would gather. The goth subculture has never really faded, with Whitby Goth Weekend in Yorkshire and the M’Era Luna Festival in Germany continuing to draw big crowds.

Steampunk

The steampunk style is an artistic movement and tribute to how Victorians imagined the future to be, and is heavily influenced by the steam-powered technology which revolutionised the 19th century. With many of its contributors and fans aged over 30, this isn't exclusively a youth subculture and its influences include science fiction literature and movies such as the 1960 film The Time Machine to the 1979 hit Mad Max, and literature popular sci fi literature from the 1980s. The movement grew with the internet, ideas and designs were shared and encouraged across blogs and forums and conventions and festivals were arranged to share designs. Steampunk fashions mix Victorian and Edwardian styles with mechanical-looking adornments: metallic goggles, stopwatches and intricate designs of cogs, bolts and piping. Dr Watson-style tweed coats and extravagant top hats are favoured by steampunk men, while women wear prodigious gowns with corsets and bustles but incorporate the adventurous sci-fi style with modern hair fashions and combat boots.