A Look At Teddy Boys

While rockabilly isn't as gentrified into mainstream fashion as punk - as an idea - there are still bits and pieces in so much on the forefront of modern subculture. Over in England, however, there's an interesting twist that's been going on for many years, and more removed from music than what we are most familiar. The "Teddy Boys" are a resurgence of the Edwardian Period, which started in the 1950s and still has a rather strong following. Ben Watts is a photographer who showcases some of the most hardcore of its members. "Some groups of Teds formed gangs and gained notoriety following violent clashes with rival gangs, which were often exaggerated by the popular press." The Wikipedia article continues, "The most notable was the Notting Hill riot of 1958, in which Teddy Boys were present in large numbers and were implicated in attacks on the West Indian community."

Another choice cut: "The early 1990s saw a revival of the original Teddy Boy style by a group of men known as The Edwardian Drape Society (T.E.D.S). Based in the Tottenham area of north London, they were concerned with reclaiming the original style that they felt had become bastardised by pop/glam bands such as Showaddywaddy and Mud in the 1970s. They have been the subject of a short film, The Teddy Boys, by Bruce Weber, which premiered at the Cambridge Film Festival in July 2006."

More from Ben Watts: Teddy Boys