Heavy Metal Wear

“Out of my own, out to be free

  One with my mind, they just can't see

  No need to hear things that they say

  Life is for my own to live my own way”

Heavy Metal music is a culture in itself. You can see head bangers in strange costumes and hairstyles that reflect their love for metal. With the rise of heavy metal during late 1960s and early 1970s, styles that earlier seemed taboo were being widely accepted and became the primary choice of people and for commercials. Now wearing jeans was not a poor grade wear but a top fashion style. Wearing chains was not inappropriate but a coveted style. Thanks to metal music.

Heavy metal fashion wear includes leather jackets, Kutte vests, camouflage pants, blue or black skin tight jeans, hi-top basketball shoes and Denim jackets often adorned with badges. Judas Priest and its singer Rob Halford are known for promoting strange Metal costumes. Rob Halford used to wear leather costumes on stage as early as 1978. He also appeared with roaring motor bikes on stage. Soon the whole band followed his style and millions of metalheads got inspirations from them. Paul Di'Anno from the band Iron Maiden wore leather jackets and studded bracelets. Motörhead introduced bullet belts whereas Saxon displayed spandex.

 

Metal Music Clothing

During New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) movement in the early 1980s, metal fashion wear earned huge popularity. Circumstantial political situations also influenced heavy metal wear. During Vietnam war, Thrash metal bands in 1980s including Destruction, Megadeath and Metallica performed live shows wearing bullet belts around their waists. Udo Dirkschneider from German band Accept performed live shows by wearing 1982 military pants.

There may be slight differences in costumes of different metal genres.

Black metal wear :

Black metal bands performed live shows with facial make up of corpse paint, a black-and-white makeup style. In the style, a person’s face is masked with white layer and black details on top resembling a cross sign.

Power metal wear :

Power metal bands and their fans can be seen wearing tight brown or black leather trousers and colorful wide sleeved, buttonless shirts. The costumes refresh the memories of Renaissance and the Middle Ages. The power metal band ‘Rhapsody of Fire’ is recognized for promoting such costumes.

Glam metal wear :

Glam metal fans can be seen having very long, teased hair, and dressed in leather jackets and spandex pants. People also use some makeup items such as eye shadows, lipsticks, and tonal creams to enhance their looks. You can identify glam metal bands by their instruments shaded with extravagant colors. Guitars in pink rose color; Microphones standing with leopard or silk scarfs; Drumkits with some artistic designs etc.

Stoner metal wear :

Stoner metal bands are known for retro-style costumes wore during 1960s and 1970s. The costumes are inspired by psychedelic rock and cannabis culture. The costumes include retro style bell-bottom jeans, boot-cut, headbands and colorful shirts.

Nu Metal wear :

Nu Metal costumes inspired by Hip-Hop culture include cargo shorts, baggy pants with spiked hairs or dreadlocks.

Other Heavy metal wears :

Gothic, Doom and Stoner metal bands have performed wearing dark business suits that were followed by their fans.

Viking metal, Folk metal, Power metal and Black metal fans can be seen with long grown thick hair and beards while wearing Thor's Hammer pendants and other pagan symbols. Metal bands from these genres such as Moonsorrow and Turisas often wear animal skins, chain mails and military costumes.

Conclusion:

In Heavy metal costumes, you can see reflection of many great value historic cultures such as Saxon, Celtic, Chivalric and Viking. As Heavy metal music is famous for open thoughts, progressive and destructive emotions, independence, going beyond boundaries, aggression and madness, the metal costumes truly reflect the spirit of metal music.