For Teenagers of today it is probably impossible to imagine living in post war Britain. Rationing was still in force and for the youth of the working population, employment began at fifteen for a forty-eight hour week, to earn less then £4. Clothes for example were conservative and mainly muted, cars were black or dark shades, the likes of sparkling metal flake paint had not yet arrived, unlike now even the newspapers were devoid of colour and clearly life for many could be exceedingly down beat.
The hugely successful ‘Festival Of Britain’ exhibition in 1951, promoted as a ‘tonic for Britain’ and the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953, gave something of a lift to the country but did little for the youth of the land. Countless numbers were at a loose end without purpose, they had no role models such as Elvis or James Dean, few aspirations or real identity.
Juvenile crime was escalating and as it is often said the devil makes mischief for idle hands he possibly had a ball inciting the most notorious breed of wild youth that emerged from the period. The was the Edwardian Brigade, the drape coat fraternity, branded Teddy Boys by the media around the latter part of 1953. They were the new villains of the time, taking over from the spivs and the cosh boys.
Despite the vicious aspect associated with these dangerous youths, no one can dispute that there is a strange underlying level of sophistication often reflected in their extremely smart and flamboyant attire. Compared to the grunge, skinhead, rap and unshaven look of today the aficionados of the Edwardian style clearly showed their self esteem when strutting around as proud as peacocks.
It is believed that the style actually started out in London as a discreet post war Savile Row revival, based on the Edwardian aristocracy, but was appropriated by the now more affluent working boys of the day. In the beginning their outfit consisted of a high or fingertip length, four-button drape in black or sombre colour, possibly with a velvet collar, sometimes referred to as a ‘coffin coat’. This was first worn over a matching waistcoat, later becoming brocade, prominently displaying a chain of the requisite fob watch. A high collar shirt, black ribbon or ‘Slim Jim tie’, high waisted trousers with 16-inch bottoms with turn-ups and heavy brogue shoes completed the outfit. Chunky rings were also worn and the whole ensemble was finished off with a distinctive haircut in the style of the film actor Tony Curtis, achieved by using copious amounts of brylcreem and water. There were variations of the ‘uniform’ and haircut in different cities throughout the country. Today, the Edwardian image and lifestyle is very much alive and kicking. The uniform is practically unchanged, the haircuts, and the music are still the same. At Rock ‘N’ Roll clubs throughout the land Teddy Boys still strut their stuff on the dance floors, bopping and jiving to their favourite records. The only difference is that the aggressiveness of their predecessors as all but gone, the fighting in the cinemas, and the weapons are but a thing of the past. But one thing is for sure, the great British Teddy Boy is here to stay.
During the 1970s, rockabilly music enjoyed a renewed period of popularity and saw a resurgence of interest in Teddy Boy fashions; the look was plagiarised by Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren through their shop Let it Rock on London's Kings Road. This new generation of Teds adopted some aspects of the 1950s Teds, but with a large amount of glam rock influence, including louder colours for their drape jackets, brothel creepers and socks. Additionally, rather than using grease to style their hair, they were more likely to use hairspray. In the latter part of the 1970s, the new generation of Teds became the arch-enemies of the Westwood and McLaren-inspired punk rockers.
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.
