Ten Timeless Punk Fashion Trends According to Stud Count

Style and swagger are fundamental components of rock n’ roll, and some acts can do it better than others. Stud Count is abrasive, charismatic, and alluring in so many different ways, as evidenced by, not just their off-the-wall, supercharged energy, but also their look, fashion, and saunter. The band released their new self-titled album on July 22nd via Smartpunk Records, a bunch of appealing tunes that range in scope from bright pop melodies to intense punk rock displays of power and ferocity. The group first formed towards the end of 2019, an assemblage of talent and experience, with the quintet composed of current and former members of Drill Sergeant, The Dividing Line, Academy Order, Fluoride, Leashes, and Fixation.

Some of the songs on their new record have been hanging around in some form for a couple of years now. In early 2020, they began demoing songs for a full-length record, but then the pandemic hit and uncertainty clouded over everything. Lead singer Norelle Green and guitarist Matthew Green (husband and wife as well), retreated to the mountains to work on songs for an LP. With the album mostly done, they sat on the songs until the summer of 2021 when they were finally recorded and produced, and the band found their home with Smartpunk Records.

With look and fashion such a part of what they do and who they are, Norelle and Matthew today join us for their very own Top 10 list of timeless punk fashion trends that promise to stand the test of time.

1. Dangly Earwear

Norelle Green: “Danglies simply look cool, always have. Shoutout to the ’77 crowd for teaching the world how sick they look with dangly earrings.”

2. Doc Martens

Matthew Green: “Though the lines can be traced back before punk rock, Doc Marten boots have always had an application to youth and subculture. Whether it was the early two-tone ska wave of the ’60s/’70s, Oi and street rock movement of the early ’80s, or New York hardcore bringing that style to the U.S., the look has had a long run belonging to a subculture.”

3. Dyed Hair

Matthew: “I feel the ’77 UK punk bands really co-opted the whole hair dye industry. For decades, there was an obvious subcultural connection for anyone who dyed their hair. Even when I was growing up, people were shocked by the look. Obviously, the world has run with the aesthetic and hair dye is common and accessible as it gets now.”

4. Expressive Makeup

Norelle: “Expressive/garish makeup has marked punk culture and fashion for decades. Women like Siouxsie Sioux, Jordan Mooney, etc set the tone for what punk was going to look like for women. Decades later, the look has stuck and found its way into mainstream fashion.”

5. Leather Jackets

Matthew: “Classic cool guy look. Everyone looks cooler in a leather jacket. Funny to imagine early punk bands wore them to appear dangerous, they’ve been as common as it gets since like 1980. Thankful for the companies that make vegan leather.”

6. Fishnets

Norelle: “Another shock value trope from the early punk culture that has stuck around; fishnet has been a staple for punks/goths, etc. From shirts to tights and even gloves, I still see all three actively at shows and rock some of them from time to time.”

7. Skinny Jeans

Matthew: “When I was coming up in the early 2000s, it was impossible to find skinny jeans for men. I had seen how cool the Ramones, Buzzcocks, etc looked in them and I was a preteen so I went after the look. At the time, I had to travel all the way into Manhattan (roughly an hour) to get them at a place called Trash & Vaudeville in the Lower East Side. Not long after, the trend caught on and I could just go to Walmart by like 2011.”

8. Veganism/Vegan-Wear

Matthew: “Veganism is nothing new, but the way late ’80s, New York hardcore ran with the lifestyle has had an effect on the way the world eats, dresses, and thinks about corporate animal distribution. To this day you can find vegan clothing, makeup, and hair care products with ease in a way I’m not sure would be the case if it wasn’t for hardcore/punk’s involvement and activism.”

9. Chokers

Norelle: “The Sex Pistols really seemed to harp on bondage tropes in fashion, mostly for shock value. Though that’s not really my speed, the fashion world latched on to more palatable pieces of that look in ways that haven’t gone out of style since. Chokers, studded belts, etc are all things I use often in my wardrobe.”

10. Band Merch

Matthew: “Band merch has existed since bands have existed, but they were a defining piece of the look for early punks. The whole notion of being able to identify potential friends by the sort of merch they spotted defined much of my youth, and even creates relationships to this day. More than that, I see the effect iconic band merch has had on fashion in general. So many clothing brands in the modern era make shirts that look like they should be band merch, but with the company name, etc.”

Artwork for the album ‘Stud Count’ by Stud Count