According to Wikipedia, “Greasers are a working-class youth subculture that originated in the 1950s in the USA.” This guide teaches you how to look like a greaser, made popular in the ’50s, or from the movie “Grease” and the book or movie “The Outsiders.” The character Fonzie in the 1970s TV show Happy Days illustrates the greaser looks. The big aura of attitude you put out is style and toughness.
Steps
Step 1: Get the attitude. You have to decide from the jump if you want to be a cool cat, ladies’ man who gets all the hottest dames, or if you want to be a hard person and don’t take crap from anybody. Whatever the case, stand up for yourself and for those who cannot defend themselves.
Step 2: Get the look. Do not have, for example, a white undershirt with a black tee and white cuffs. It will show you are just starting out and other greasers will call you a poser. Get Levi’s 501s, Rustler jeans, or any straight-legged, slim (not skinny), or boot-cut jeans, and cuff either 1–4 inches (2.5–10.2 cm) or degrees for cold weather. If you have a school uniform that’s not strict, you could wear Levi’s tan jeans and shirt (even with a sweater vest) you could roll the sleeves up, or wear a jacket, crop your pants, and wear chucks or, if you have to, dress shoes or motorcycle boots. For girls, get skinny blue jeans and roll them up or wear leather pants. Buy Dickie’s work shirts, fitted t-shirts of any color (roll-up sleeves, but this is not a requirement), western shirts, bowling shirts, slim-fit suits with a bola or plain tees of any color. Get a Dickies or Levi’s work jacket, denim, windbreaker, or a leather jacket (any color), and for working out or exercising, you could wear khaki shorts, a t-shirt, and Chuck Taylors or Timberland boots. Timberlands are also good for everyday wear with loose or tight jeans and a classic white tee. In the winter, wear leather bomber jackets.
Step 3: Get Harley Davidson biker boots, steel toe Gripfast boots, or Chuck Taylors for shoes. A pair of heavy boots like Harley Davidson or Doc Martin’s will do. If you want to be a real slick cat, either for everyday use or for special occasions, get some creepers such as T.U.K.S. or wingtips.
Step 4: Get the hair right. The main styles are pompadours, afro-dours, part/afro-arts, conk, Jheri curls, the quiff, elephant’s trunk, DA, or slicked back. For girls, you can get greasy curls pin-ups anything you want that shows you’re a greaser. Snooki’s hairstyle from Jersey Shore would work too. You can make your own combinations, again as long as it shows that you are a greaser. If you don’t want long hair you can get a short crew cut, or for black people, a short version if a high-top fade, those hairstyles were also popular in the 1950s, and keep in mind the term “greaser” didn’t actually exist in the ’50s. Another option is to get a stingy brim fedora or a paperboy hat. Make sure it’s a real fedora made of felt with a shiny band around it tied into a bow or a leather cap.
Step 5: Some really cool accessories are switchblade combs, a bandana, or a chain wallet.
Step 6: Learn the Greaser culture. Watch movies about greasers, for example, “The Outsiders,” “Rebel Without a Cause”, “The Wanderers”, “American Graffiti”, and for girls the movie “Pretty in Pink.” Greasers generally see the movie “Grease” unfavorably as it creates an over-dramatic stereotype.
Step 7: Listen to 1950s or 1950s style music such as Rock n Roll, Rockabilly or Doo-Wop. Ray Campi and his Rockabilly Rebels, The Four Aces, Rockats, Imelda May, The Stray Cats, Buddy Holly and the Crickets, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, Jerry Lee Lewis, JD McPherson, Charlie Feathers, Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Richie Valens, Bo Diddley, The Coasters, Bill Haley, Fats Domino, Johnny Cash, Jackie Wilson, Duane Eddy, Ray Charles, are good examples.
Step 8: Get tattoos. Stick to the old school “Sailor Jerry” style tats. Other common Greaser or Rockabilly themed tattoos include Pinup Girls and Hearts with banners. Tattoos always will portray a “tough” image. Tattoos on your arms are commonplace, as well as on the chest or back.
Step 9: Research Greaser wheels. A Hot Rod, ’50s or ’60s muscle cars or motorcycles are common. Make sure you know a lot about cars, go to Autorama with your friends.
Step 10: Remember to go to hangouts like malt shops, Ritter’s Frozen Custard, Steak ‘n’ Shake, or Dairy Queen. Walk there with a strut, or just take your muscle car.
By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way to looking and acting like a greaser, embodying the style and toughness that defined this iconic subculture.
