Teddy Boys
The delinquent dandies of 1950s London
Alex Q. Arbuckle
c. 1955
In the 1950s, a hip new subculture emerged in Britain in which young men would adopt the fashions of the Edwardian era, which had ended four decades earlier.Newspaper trend pieces called these men “Teddy Boys.”Favoring a coiffed hairstyle, long suit jackets, snazzy waistcoats, skinny ties and narrow trousers, the Teddy Boy aesthetic was in part a reaction against the austerity and frugality of the postwar environment — some young, working-class Teddy Boys would spend more than two weeks’ wages on a good suit.Some Teddy Boys joined gangs and developed a reputation for hooliganism and delinquency. After a 17-year-old was fatally stabbed by a gang of Teddy Boys in 1953, many clubs posted bans on Edwardian clothing.These photos, taken for newspaper articles to explain the latest fashion trend to baffled adults, capture Teddy Boys getting up to mischief in the streets and dance halls of London.
Visit Premier Exhibitions at 417 5th Avenue to see the past become present again at "Retronaut's New York." This pop-up exhibition of extraordinary, digitally restored photographs captures New York City at the turn of the 20th century. It's only open until May 15, so be sure to get down there before it’s gone.