Teddy Boy

He was walking down Bridge Street a solitary figure, a fashionable figure, a figure of criticism, of fun, of
ministerial moralisings, and public misgivings. He was discussed, maligned, questionable representative
of modern youth THE TEDDY BOY.
Teddy Boy
Teddy Boy (also known as Ted) is a British subculture typified by young men wearing clothes that were partly inspired by the styles
worn by dandies in the Edwardian period, styles which Savile Row tailors had attempted to re-introduce in Britain after World War II.
All began in the early 1950's in England. Some teenagers gangs appeared in the East End of London; they were called the
Cosh boys. It was very easy to recognise them. They wore a very special rig : long jacket with velvet collar and cuffs drainpipe trousers like under the reign of Edward VII (1901-1910), bright ankle socks and slim Jim tie. There hair were "long" and
greased. These Cosh boys terrified the English society : razor attacks, fights between gangs but also against the police,
robberies ...
The name "Teddy Boy", was not officially born until September 23rd 1953 when a
Daily Express newspaper headline shortened Edward to Teddy and coined the
term 'Teddy Boy'.
Another nickname which was given to Teddy Boys in the early 1950's
was "Creepers", this derived from the dance - "The Creep (a slow shuffle
of a dance) by Yorkshire Big Band leader, Ken Mackintosh. This was a
dance performed by Teddy Boys and Girls before the advent of Rock 'n'
Roll in Britain.
THEY SAY:
"Our dress is our answer to a dull world"
The clothing that the Teddyboys wore was designed to shock their parents' generation. It consisted of an Edwardian style
drape jacket, much too 'camp' for a working class man, suede Gibson shoes with thick crepe soles, narrow 'drainpipe'
trousers, a smart shirt and a loud tie - usually of the 'Slim Jim' or bootlace type. The trademark drape jacket was not as
impractical as it seems. Not only did it act as a badge of recognition but, as it was made of woollen cloth with lots of
pockets, its kept it's owner warm as he hung around in the street and was also good at concealing weapons and alcohol. The
Teddygirls adopted American fashions such as toreador pants and circle skirts, although they tended to wear low cut tops to
make themselves look less prissy. Girls wore ponytails and the boys tried a number of experimental hairstyles, the most
favourite being the overblown quiff with a DA (ducks arse) at the back.
"These 'Teddy Boy' gangs must be broken up"

said one London Magistrate.
The Teds fully embraced the American Rock and Roll music that hit Britain and the British bands that adopted the same
style. The Teds were, however, shadowy figures at the dancehalls, lurking around the bars, bopping around and drinking.
They formed gangs who sometimes had a common uniform like a particular colour of jacket or socks. For the most part,
violence and vandalism was not too serious by modern standards, and exaggerated by the media, but there were instances of
serious gang warfare with razors and knives. Some Teddyboys had fascist tendencies and were involved with gangs of youths
that attacked the West Indians that emigrated to Britain in the mid Fifties. This racism was the most unfortunate of the
Teddyboy's tendencies and it closed off much American Rock and Roll to them. This was their loss as a lot of white covers of
Afro-American songs were very poor by comparison with the originals.
Music and dancing

Although Teddy Boys became associated with rock and roll music, prior to the advent of that genre, Teddy Boys mainly listened and
danced to jazz and skiffle music.
The British pop boom of the 1960s brought new music and new youth culture. The Teddyboys that remained began to devote
more attention to Rock and Roll music, which they at first took for granted. The first Rock and Roll pubs appeared as did the
Rockers who liked the same music and rode powerful British motorcycles. Teds and Rockers got on well with each other and
the leather motorbike jacket became the normal wear for many Teddyboys and Teddygirls for daytime use and for rough
pubs. The bike jacket could protect against motorcycle accidents, razor attacks and spilt beer in a way that the drape jacket
never could.
The 1970s saw Glam Rock and Rockabilly styled bands appear in Britain and, although the Teds despised most of this music,
it brought a resurgence of interest in Rock and Roll and new venues appeared. Many teenagers bought second hand drape
jackets, hid the moth holes with badges and became the new generation of Teddyboys and Teddygirls. British Rock and Roll
bands developed their own style, using guitar blues and rockabilly to give their music more bite. Rock and Roll pubs would put
on bands of this type and also play original 1950s records.
The 1980s were a lean time for Teds, who carried on much as they had in the Seventies. However the difficulty of finding
venues led to British bands sharpening up their act and some of the new bands produced the best British Rock and Roll music
ever.
The sight of children and teenagers in drape jackets and circle skirts suggests that Teddyboys and Teddygirls will still be
seen for a long time yet.

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He was walking down Bridge Street a solitary figure, a fashionable figure, a figure of criticism, of fun, of

"These 'Teddy Boy' gangs must be broken up"

Music and dancing

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