heres-joe:

As there seems to be a plethora of people who slate people who wanna become skins after watching This is England I just wondered what got everyone else into being a skin? I hold my hands up mine was because I wanted to be like the older lads who I saw around me just that I stuck at it and a lot of them ‘grew up’ and put away their boots.

I loved skinhead fashion, music, and culture ever since I was exposed to “the real thing” when I got into street punk as a teenager.  Honestly, I can probably thank the Casualties for the initial exposure!  One of their CDs that came out when I was 16 or 17, someone had “Condemned 84” painted on the back of their leather.  I had listened to some Oi! stuff before that - but researching that band got me deeper and deeper.

Then, I met a lot of skinheads just being part of the punk scene and going to shows.  A lot of them are some of my best, and oldest friends at this point.  For example, my friend Andy who actually got me into punk rock in the first place is a skin now - and it kinda is a “natural progression” around here for people who don’t “grow out” of punk to become skins.  There are very few skins younger than 21 or so here, ever - for sure.  So, I followed that tradition.  Haha.