From the Beginning, Punk Rock has been all About the Fashion

From those infamous safety pinned bondage trousers, to the brash and openly offensive slogan T-shirts that made punk instantly iconic, punk rock became as much of a style icon as it did for it's loud and carefree approach to music.

Punk may be well known for being strongly anti-fashion, but it's become a style all of it's own. It may have made waves across the music scene for it's brash, in your face attitude and loud, ear drum shattering tones, but with that attitude came a unique, DIY approach to style, that would come to shape alternative fashion as we know it today.

Punk rock fashion was in part helped along by the iconic figures heralding the punk scene, and with stylish figures like Jordan and Siouxsie Sioux making DIY chic look instantly glamourous, punk rock clothing soon followed, thanks to entrepreneurial figures like Malcolm McLaren, who teamed up with Vivienne Westwood to open their iconic fashion boutique, Sex.

Their shop was at the heart of the punk scene in London, and everyone who was anyone was sure to be seen there, wearing their iconic punk rock outfits, from deliberately offensive slogan tops, to bondage trousers. Punk may have had an attitude, but it certainly had a fashionable wardrobe, thanks to these two figureheads who came to shape the punk look as we know it today.

Punk was and still is all about expressing yourself, no outfit was out of bounds, and every look imaginable was explored. If you liked it, you wore it, and you didn't care what anyone thought about it. It's this brash, carefree attitude that makes punk so iconic as a style.

It may have been all about the attitude and the music at first, but punk was certainly all about the fashion, and the freedom to express yourself as you pleased!

Heavy Metal Style : How It Crossed Into the Mainstream

Metal has been at the forefront of the alternative scene for decades, a style that's heavily influenced by the very music that we adore, taking a very DIY approach to this incredibly unique, alternative look, that's managed to cross over into mainstream fashion.

Metal fashion makes alternative style look incredibly cool, with it's wardrobe of spikes, studs, leathers and shredded denim, making any outfit look effortlessly stylish. But it's more than just being about the look, metal is as much about the music as it is about the layers of clothing and studded attire, and it's this approach to the style that makes it such a strong alternative and cultural look.

True metal style is all about mixing and matching pieces for your look, bringing in inspiration from the very music that you adore to piece together an outfit that's incredibly unique. Whether it's with an oversized band t-shirt turned into a DIY style dress, or embellishing your favourite leather jacket with plenty of studs and killer spikes, each and every element of the look is carefully thought through, resulting in an incredibly stylish ensemble.

With it's raucous and carefree approach, it's no wonder than mainstream fashion has been picking up a few styling tips from the metal community, taking a few pinches of inspiration to piece together a very metal inspired outfit. From designers embellishing jackets with band patches, to stylish leather outfits that just ooze alternative style, but what they're missing out on is the true heart of the style, metal clothing isn't just about looking cool, although we can't argue with the end results, it's also about the attitude and the music.

Mainstream fashion labels may have sunk their claws into this alternative look, but it always goes back to the original punk rock fashion and it's incredibly unique style. Metal is all about the music, as well as the fashion, and whilst high fashion designers may be wanting to get a piece of the action, they're certainly far from the killer attitude of metal.

Alternative Fashion Magazines that Every Goth or Emo Should Read

Whether your looking for style inspiration, or a killer new look, one of the first places that you can turn to is a magazine. But most alternative styles won't be found gracing the pages of a mainstream fashion magazine, and that's where something a little more independent and alternative steps in.

Setting themselves apart from the hum drum world of mainstream fashion, alternative magazines are all about celebrating and embracing the alternative, often run by creative teams who live and breath alternative style, so you can be sure of some first hand advice as well as some amazing outfits!

These stylish publications are home to a world of alternative fashion, with a great selection of style and culture to be found inside. With such a great selection of magazines to choose from today, just where do you start? We've hand picked a few of our favourite publications to read for plenty of killer style and inspiration.

If it's dramatic gothic fashion that your after, you can't go wrong by picking up a copy of Sanctuary Magazine, this publication lives and breathes gothic style, and if it's something that you should seen in, then you'll certainly find it amongst their pages!

But if you prefer your gothic style to be more slinky and seductive, then you'll want to pick up some copies of Kultur Magazine and Azaria Magazine, they both know their corsetry from their latex, and they certainly can't get enough of it.

For more of an emo meets metal and alternative twist to your look, then look no further than long running publication, Devolution Magazine. They know their fashion, and if it's independent and alternative, then they'll certainly be adorning it.

Take some styling notes in from the amazing models featured in Twisted Edge Magazine and Gorgeous Freaks Magazine, with plenty of inspirational and stylish features in each edition that will certainly leave you with some amazing new outfit ideas!

You'll be spoilt for choice with the alternative styles featured inside each magazine, now all you'll have to worry about is finding the room for all those new outfits!