Are youth subcultures genuine signs of revolt or simply the manifestation of style?

Most people can be found present in youth subculture through the desire to be original. Style plays a natural part in this hormonal identity crisis as a simple and dramatic exploration of this. Clothing is also used to feel included in a subculture in an uniform-like fashion, but is also used by the “other” by way of identifying a threat. Hebdige explains "Subcultural youth, as the social Other to the parent culture, produce new codes and means of signification, new meanings and ways of meaning, which "take on a symbolic dimension, becoming a form of stigmata, tokens of self-imposed exile" (Hebdige, 1979).

Uniform subcultural style is easily found through industry cashing in. Today you can walk into “alternative” stores and pick up your ready made safety pinned skirt or torn jeans. This is often criticised as causing the death of subcultural style; however even at the beginning of Punk Vivianne Westwood and her “Sex” shop was already creating this trend of marketing subcultures.

It appears through a persistent cycle of trends that youth subcultures are neither simply a revolt or manifestation of style- just the simple exploration of the self.