{"id":217215,"date":"2017-01-01T07:10:26","date_gmt":"2017-01-01T15:10:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lulus.com\/blog\/?p=217215"},"modified":"2023-07-31T10:24:47","modified_gmt":"2023-07-31T17:24:47","slug":"greasers-and-hot-rods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lulus.com\/blog\/resources\/greasers-and-hot-rods\/","title":{"rendered":"Greasers and Hot Rods"},"content":{"rendered":"

Post World War-II America saw an economic boom unlike any time before. Many veterans returned stateside from their victory at war to attend college, buy homes, and start families. Not all citizens felt the benefit of the resulting economic boom, however. Lower- and working-class families still felt the lack of economic opportunity. Minority groups such as Italian-American and Hispanic-American citizens encountered many roadblocks to prosperity during an otherwise booming period in America. Disillusioned by the lack of opportunity in post-war America, many of these people became drawn to counterculture elements like fast cars and rock and roll music. With this, the greaser subculture was born.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Greaser Subculture<\/h2>\n

The greaser subculture had many notable characteristics. Greasers are often portrayed with a signature fashion sense. The pompadour haircut, sides slicked back with pomade, is a commonly used look to portray the greaser subculture. Denim jeans, a leather jacket, and military boots or Converse shoes completed the greaser appearance. Although greasers are typically portrayed as male, they also had female counterparts. A leather jacket worn on top of a poodle skirt or straight-leg pants was the look of the female greaser.<\/span><\/p>\n

Clothing was not the only noticeable characteristic of the greaser youth. Early greasers had an association with doo-wop music. But greasers came into the public eye around the time that rockabilly was gaining traction as a form of popular music. With the introduction of Elvis Presley to mainstream culture, the greasers finally had a public figure they could identify with. Rockabilly, and rock and roll music in general, quickly became tied with the greaser subculture.<\/span><\/p>\n

Greasers were often perceived to have an extensive mechanical knowledge. With the greasers’ love of fast cars and rebellion, the hot rod was the perfect car to associate with this subculture. Racing custom-built cars became a popular pastime. In media, greasers are often portrayed racing their cars, an image solidified by the T-Birds, the fictional gang portrayed in the musical <\/span>Grease<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n