A while ago, I ran across this picture of a "Teddy Girl" somewhere on the internet, and I LOVED her look: (I don't know that it's original vintage as the famous Ken Russell Teddy Girl photos were taken in London, and this girl is wearing an American Air Force jacket, but nonetheless, the Teddy Girls were brought to my attention!) I began researching who the Teddy Girls were, and here's what I found out: Very little is known about the Teddy Girl subculture of late 1940s to early 1960s Britain. They are often pictured in the rubble of bombed-out buildings, the result of World War II. However, if it weren't for Ken Russell's photo shoot from 1955 and one article that mentioned them in the 1950s, the small group may have been forgotten all together! The Teddy Girls were a spin off of the Teddy Boys, a group of working class London boys (often poor Irish immigrants) that would hang out on the streets and in cafes, oftentimes known for causing a bit of trouble and being general "hooligans". Their dress (and sometimes, actions) seemed to draw inspiration from the old American Wild West and Edwardian period. Sometimes they were connected with more violent crime, much like modern gangs (hence the picture below this paragraph, probably). However, most Teddy Girls claimed that the negative, law-breaking part of their culture really applied to only a very small number of girls. Rose Shine, a Teddy Girl in some of Russell's 1955 photos, described what their culture was really like, "We weren't bad girls. We were all right. We got slung out of the picture house for jiving up the aisles once, but we never broke the law. We weren't drinkers. We'd go to milk bars, have a peach melba and nod to the music, but you weren't allowed to dance. It was just showing off: 'Look at us!' We called the police 'the bluebottles' -- you'd see them come round in a Black Maria to catch people playing dice on the corner. But we'd just sit on each other's doorsteps and play music." Those crazies. While the boys dressed mainly in drainpipe trousers and blazers with a twinge of Edwardian influence, Teddy Girls embraced many silhouettes. Some chose more "mannish" styles with short hair, blazers, and even jeans: by Roger Mayne Some girls, on the other hand, still wore earrings, hats, head scarves, espadrilles, skirts, and jewelry, all with an Edwardian flair: by Roger Mayne It's really interesting to think that these ladies were the vintage gals of their day! In the 1950s, they were bringing back styles from the Edwardian decades past, just as we do with their time now! They were inspired to go against the flow of their mainstream culture and dress as they pleased. Does anyone identify? I know I do! You can bet you'll be seeing a Teddy Girl-inspired outfit post from me soon! What do you think of the Teddy Girl style? Would you incorporate any of their looks into your wardrobe? (All photos by Ken Russell unless otherwise noted) Other sources for info: Enjoy Your Style- "Teddy Girls" Style Icons: Teddy Girls Hint Blog: Randomness "When the Girls Came Out to Play" by Susannah Price 1950s Subculture: Teddy Girls 50s/60s British Fashion: the Teddy Boys (and Girls)