i’m sure i’ve said this before but punk clothes *should not* be expensive. if you are buying expensive “punk” clothes for the aesthetic, you aren’t punk. the point of punk was and is to reject commercialism and the exploitation of youth by corporations and governments. you know why leather jackets are a staple of punk fashion? bc leather jackets were abundant in thrift stores after greaser culture ended in the late 60s or so. black hair dye was cheapest at the time, so a lot of punks had black hair. the patches? meant to be diy. expensive “punk” style clothes go against punk culture on a fundamental level.
my current battle jacket is from a plus size consignment store, and i *only* bought it from there because it was the first jacket across multiple stores that was in my size. when my favourite the clash t-shirt didn’t fit me anymore, i cut out the logo and made it a patch to put on a shirt that did fit me. most of the patches on my jacket and backpack are handpainted or embroidered by me.
the only reason punk clothes should be at all mildly expensive is if you’re buying from a small business. the patches and pins i dont make myself i buy from small businesses off etsy. even then there are shops like retirementfund that do $1 screenprinted patches. VoodooLuxe and LovelyAlterative both have handmade riot grrrl pins for $1.50 each. this isn’t sponsored or whatever, i’m just saying that there are so many better places to find punk clothes and accessories.
punk isn’t just an aesthetic. punk culture is diy for a reason.
