I don't know how many of you were into American Hardcore music in the early or mid 80s. But if you were i've always wondered a few things about it.  As a fan of such music I've always wonder what defined the fashion. It was definately wasn't after after the british spikey haired/leather jacket look . It seemes to be too casual to really be defined. However the idea was to dress down so I guess it was avoiding any kind of fashion or even the original punk look itself. If you look at black flag, minor threat or the circle jerks for example they all seem to have a very dressed down look of comfortable short hair, casual "average joe" clothes and so on. When you flip through a lot of bands and videos and so forth you do see a common style of short hair, shavings and occasional things like bandanas, chains and so forth.

What really defined this style in your opinion?

Safety Pins.
Super-Glued spikes.

A lot of kids today think that their generation invented the insane piercing craze.  But they do not realize that in the early 1980's, home made piercings with safety pins was all the rage.  Pins through the nose, through the cheeks, through the ears, even the eyelids was a big thing.

http://cache4.asset-cache.net/gc/75391185-young-man-with-safety-pin-piercings-in-his-gettyimages.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=9QMziWNtBI6whP66vhs4ob9NFSkRy%2BW%2Fi4nkjTrAYBhUb5kC%2BDttp1h%2Bfx7wljXy

Also those crazy colored spikes were generally done by super glue.  I remember in High School in LA that an order came down banning super glue spikes because some kids were using their hair as weapons (head buts).  This is when many started to substitute hair gell then moouse as their stiffener of choice in LA.

And gotta have the Dead Kennedy's or Sex Pistols shirt or jacket (depending on weather).

I remember going through Hollywood in the early to mid 1980's, it was a real freak show then.

Doc Martens....no matter what you had to have your oh so cool Docs on.  ;)

Interesting tidbit of info but to my knowledge a large amount of american punks in the early 80s dressed pretty much in t-shirt and jeans, with a crew cut or typical looking short hair and/or button up shirt for example. Only a few punks dressed with spikes, colored hair and hawks etc.. If you look at most early american hardcore bands and fans they dressed down to basic essential clothing. The only additional things were a bandana, motorcycle boots, chains, bleached or shaved heads (without being identified with street punk or skinhead) etc..

Was it like that back then?