What does skinhead mean?
Skinhead is a British working-class youth subculture that first appeared in the late 1960s, defined by cropped hair, Ben Sherman shirts, braces, Levi's, Dr. Martens boots, and a shared love of Jamaican ska, rocksteady, and early reggae.
Define skinhead — the 1969 origins
The classic skinhead moment is 1969. In London, Birmingham, and other British industrial cities, white mod youth and Jamaican rude boys shared dance halls, records, and clothing style. In that first wave, skinhead was multicultural by definition — inseparable from Prince Buster, Desmond Dekker, and Trojan Records.
Skinhead history — the eras
- 1968–1970: Original skinhead — multicultural, ska- and reggae-driven.
- 1971–1976: Suedeheads and bootboys — longer hair, Crombie coats.
- 1977–1981: 2 Tone and Oi! revival — The Specials, Madness, Cock Sparrer.
- 1982–1990s: Fracture — far-right factions attach to the look; SHARP forms to reclaim it.
- 2000s–Today: Global traditional revival, largely apolitical and anti-racist.
Are all skinheads racist?
No. The origin of the subculture is multiracial, built on Jamaican music and friendships between British and West Indian youth. Racist far-right factions attached themselves to the look in the late 1970s and 1980s and dominated media coverage, but they were always a minority.