East End Black and White

            Photograph by Ken Russell ~  "Last of the Teddy Girls"

Edwardian fashion revival
clung to hips working
the east end black and white.

Grabbing “teddy” from boys
girls snubbed their noses at austerity
and wiggled into pencil chic.
                                                         
The 1950’s delivered a new
brand of British feminine
along with rock n roll.

Attitude struck a pose
to flick cigarette ashes
along with I don’t give a damn.

With not much more than
a handful of photographs to mark their passage
this gang still instills confidence girls can change the world.



©Susie Clevenger 2013

At Real Toads I led the challenge to write about girl gangs and in particular, The Teddy Girls. Read about them and the poems inspired by my fellow toads here:




Comments

Susie, I missed this prompt, and it's my kind of gender-bender. Don't you think a lot of these young women were lesbians? Seems like the attitude that goes with the dress would reflect that, plus it would hardly attract guys.

I love your take on the prompt, Susie. Shame they are gone to history, and thank God Ken Russell took those photos! Amy
Kerry O'Connor said…
Attitude struck a pose

This line really made me think about the emerging consciousness of women in the 20th Century. These young ladies were bold enough to show their attitudes on the outside, and I think we have a lot to thank them for.
Grace said…
I admire their attitude ~ This line is still relevant & meaningful:

this gang still instills confidence girls can change the world.
Marian said…
"along with I don't give a damn."
love that line, though actually i think they very much did give a damn. :)
Kay L. Davies said…
I agree, they were pioneers in attitude.
I don't think I totally agree with Amy, though she may be right about a few of them. I think it had more to do with attitude (we're just as good as the men) rather than gender identity.
K
I like how you characterized the
Teddy Girls. It would have been
fun to see them in real time like
you can now with all the internet
coverage. It would have been so
counter to my world.
And I agree with Marian,
I think they did give a damn.

Thanks,
Siggi