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The Beatles Research Paper

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In the 1960's four young men, John, George, Paul and Ringo, emerged on the British music scene as a newly founded group, the Beatles. When they first became popular in Liverpool, England, little did they know they would make a mark on Britain's fashion scene. The Beatles transformed Britain's fashion through clothing and their look. The most influential year for the Beatles was 1963 due to their impact on fashion.
Background:
The fashion scene of London in the 1960's before the emergence of the Beatles was already vibrant and thriving. Time Magazine dubbed London "Swinging London ", due to its "hip feeling". The idea of Swinging London emerged after the post war boom, and the 60's were a time of change. According to David Gilbert, "London …show more content…

According to John Lennon, "We changed the hairstyles and clothes of the world... " Due to the makeover of the Beatles, they had successfully started their own revolution through fashion. Hair was an important part of their "look", "Hair was easy and cheap to manipulate, and was the frontline of teenage rebellion ". According to Corry, "Without the influence of the Beatles and the fact that the clothes were packaged together with the music and then exported, for example, the rise of the fashions might not have been as possible. ." The Beatles haircut was not unique to the band, they got their haircut from one of the original Bealtes, Stuart Sutcliffe. Stuart Sutfcliffe has essential to the beatle's look, not only because of his hair, but also because of his androynous look.. Boys that tried to imitate the look of the beatles were sent home from school. Most teenage boys were growing out their own Beatle-esque style hair. From November on, there were newspaper stories about boys around the country being sent from home as well as not being allowed to go to work at factories. The hairstyle of the Beatles was able to challenge traditional masculine …show more content…

The Beatles earlier look was unisex, or androgynous, which is why it could appeal to both men and women. "The Beatles created an identity that defined their solidarity as a group and was unique in its dual uniformity and idiosyncrasy ". "The untraditionally long and androgynous Beatle haircut was considered more strange than threatening. However, as the band's hair grew longer, it became a symbol of rebellion which many adolescents emulated " "Their clothes now tended to gloss over, rather than emphasize any traditionally masculine elements of male appearance ". The Beatles were able to pull off fashion trends, and one of the only bands out of the British invasion to influence the look of their fans. Men wanted to emulate their look, but not everyone was crazy about their look.
The Beatles and Responses to their look
Even though the younger generation liked the look of the beatle's not everyone agreed. Some men and parents did not like them at all. Hairdressers viewed the Beatles haircut as a cult, and they had to tailor to suit he wants of their customers. Their controversy about the look even went as far as Germany, where boys were banned if they had the beatles haircut, because the principal thought they looked like "morons". The Beatles’ haircuts were a product of German ingenuity, coming from the artistic community that adopted the Beatles in Hamburg. Adults thought that their look turned into an

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