STRAIGHT EDGE = You don’t drink or take drugs

If you want to talk about the roots of Straight Edge, you need to flash back to the early 80s, when drugs and booze were the norm for practically everyone—from bankers and lawyers to curious teens, strung out rockers and suburban jocks.

Like today, the messages being flashed at young people were relentless:

Drink this, it helps you forget your problems.

Smoke this, it will expand your mind.

Snort this, rich people love it.

For young punk rockers looking to break further away from the mainstream, steering clear from drugs and alcohol made a hell of a lot of sense, especially when you consider that most kids’ first introduction to punk was Sid Vicious, a guy who couldn’t play music but was great at being a very stylish junkie.

You can read more about Straight Edge here and here but for the sake of keeping this short and sweet you could say it’s all about taking responsibility for yourself and abstaining from drugs and alcohol so you can do the things you really like to do, skateboard, write, play music, etc.

This rebellious attitude of doing things, rather than ingesting or smoking things, in order to have fun inspired our Straight Edge sweatshirt.

We hope it inspires you to think for yourself and see who is really benefiting from drugs and alcohol—hint: it’s not your friends, it’s big business. 

On a way lighter note, if you want to listen to some of the awesome music that inspired the movement here are some tunes that really capture the sXe spirit. Check em out below. Or better yet, google the lyrics!

Minor Threat : Straight Edge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OSnAPxyMzo

Minor Threat: Out Of Step

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUaEPQ_hvUw

Chain Of Strength: True ’Til Death

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdo5E8v9vXo

Youth Of Today: Thinking Straight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLPc2MptaOY