Punk & the Swastika - Fashion 1

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"How much longer will people wear: Nazi armbands and dye their hair?"
How Much Longer - ATV 1977
The wearing of Nazi regalia was not a new thing. Originally US veterans from the second world war lacking excitement decided to add captured Nazi regalia to their leather jackets when they formed motorcycle gangs. This fashion passed over the Atlantic and soon every rocker had some kind of Nazi symbol on his leather jacket. The difference being these boys hadn't fought in no war: it was a way of saying 'them and us' and a way of antagonising the authorities and their parents generation. To further emphasise their separateness these boys also liked dirty rock'n'roll.  The biker following, films like 'Easy Rider', became the rock'n'roll outlaw. Look at the Stones in Hyde Park with their Hells Angels guard all wearing Nazi helmets ands regalia. The swastika had entered rock mythology via the bad boy outlaw image.

As a bridge to the Sex Pistols its worth while pausing to note that McLaren and Westwood were at that time (1972) involved in their shop 'Let It Rock' which catered to this style. The image left shows some of their clothing evolving to the fetish side as well. A further link as the photo shows is the NYD and Thunders wearing a swastika armband. More use of the swastika came with the Electric Eels who used it all over their records. As both artists at the time sold jack all it was hardly a large influence. Ina addition to that Arturo Veag was by 1974 decorating the Ramones loft in dayglo swastikas.
 In early 1976 The Sex Pistols sound was still developing. Dressed in Malcolm's and Vivienne's clothes a look we come to know as punk was also developing. In that look the pair was developing their use of confrontational symbols to provoke and shock. Shirts would feature Marx, anarchist slogans and Nazi regalia in equal amounts. They would also feature rapists and porn, rubber wear and fetish wear. In short anything to elicit a response.

Perhaps the single most famous/controversial t-shirt is the Destroy one featuring the word Destroy a massive swastika, an upside down Jesus on a cross and a postage stamp with the queen on it. From afar you can just make out the word and swastika. You have to look closely to see the other motifs - A typically ambiguous and deliberately provocative t shirt. If there was a political agenda here it was a situationist/anarchist one to confront, subvert and confuse. The important thing to note here is the swastika was just one of many motifs used and a powerful one.

Its no surprise that 'Sex' assistants like Debbie and Jordan began to wear the shop clothes out to Pistols gigs and events. (Trouble had already come in their filming of their 'So It Goes' appearance in late 1976 when Jordan had been forced to wear gaffa tape over a swastika armband she was wearing.)

I was really a bit bemused by it all...He (Clive James) was really so seriously affronted and yet, it was just commonplace to us." Jordan - 'I Swear I Was There'. David Nolan

After all it was good publicity and sound commercial sense. This included swastika and destroy t shirts. At that time the amount of people who knew the Sex Pistols could be counted on two hands.

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