t is a common myth that the skinhead cult
originated in Jamaica because of their early
cultural affiliation with the Jamaican rude

This however is not true, as the skinhead

cult evolved from white dock worker youth, who


rolled their pants for obvious purposes and shaved their


heads for prevention of lice. The style consisted of short, cropped hair,

straight-leg denim jeans with the cuffs rolled up, black military style boots, a


nd braces (suspenders) and embraced the musical genre of ska .

Skinheads are a product of Mods ,

a subculture of youth noted for their consumerism and affection for style,




music and scooters . Around 1965 a group of "hard" or "gang" mods,

who could be identified by their shorter hair and working-class image,

emerged from the larger mod scene.

This resulted in a schism that produced "peacock mods"

( The Who ,The Kinks ) and skinheads, commonly known by that name by around 1968


(other early nicknames include "lemons" and "suits" among others).









Early followers were mainly interested in and influenced by Jamaican Reggae and Ska music





(aka, The Spirit of 69 ), Jamaican Rude Boy culture and a dislike of those perceived as the 'ruling classes'.

They had an extreme dislike for the government and many larger businesses as


both appeared to misrepresent the working class and their wishes.
Skinhead culture exploded in the year 1969, after which the original
skinheads slowly dropped into new categories, including the self-explanatory



"Suede-head" (defined by the ability to manipulate one's hair with a comb)




and the next-stage group, the "Smoothies" (often up to shoulder-length hairstyles).



Both groups existed as lapse versions of skinheads, whose fashions regressed to



their mod roots, introducing the more common wearing of brogues (originally an identifier





once boots became too conspicuous) as well and the slacks-with-a-sweater look.




Here was a far cry from the singly blue-jeaned and typically boot-toed skins of the past.