Greasers were a youth subculture that originated in the 1950s among young northeastern and southern United States street gangs. The style and subculture then became popular among other types of people, as an expression of rebellion.
In the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, these youths were known as "hoods", nowadays there are greasers but often referred to as rockabilly.[1] The name "greaser" came from their greased-back hairstyle, which involved combing back hair (greasers of other races would have different hairstyles if they had curly hair like Mexicans or blacks) using wax, gel, creams, tonics or pomade. The term "greaser" reappeared in later decades as part of a revival of 1950s popular culture.
Although the greaser subculture was largely a North American youth phenomenon, there were similar subcultures in the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, Japan, and Sweden. The 1950s British equivalents were the ton-up boys, who evolved into the rockers in the 1960s. Members of rival subcultures in the UK, such as skinheads, sometimes referred to greasers simply as "grease".
Clothing usually worn greasers included fitted, colored T-shirts (often with the sleeves rolled up); ringer T-shirts; Italian knit shirts; Baseball shirts; bowling shirts; "Daddy-O"-style shirts; black, blue or khaki work jackets; black or brown trenchcoats; Levi denim jackets; leather jackets; black Levi's jeans (with rolled-up cuffs anywhere from one to four inches) and baggy cotton twill work trousers.
Common greaser footwear included motorcycle boots, such as harness boots or engineer boots; army boots; winklepickers; brothel creepers; cowboy boots and Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars. Common accessories included bandannas; stingy-brim hats; flat caps and chain wallets.
Typical hairstyles included the pompadour, the Duck's tail and the more combed-back "Folsom" style. These hairstyles were held in place with pomade and sometimes Brylcreem.
