The female larrikins, or 'larrikinesses' as they were known, also had their own original fashion styles. The larrikins mostly dressed in black, the only other colour in their attire being a bright scarf and occasionally some coloured tassels hanging from the back of their jackets. A lot of the Collingwood larrikins worked in local boot factories and pimped their footwear by sewing in small mirrors or photos of their girlfriends. The boots had high heels which were shod with brass tips for maximum sound effect on the pavement. From beneath the trouser flares could be seen boots with pointy toes. ![]() Though the fashions evolved a little here and there (e.g baggy trousers into bell-bottoms), the male larrikins of the 1880’s had their own particular style of dress: a broad-rimmed black hat, short black coat with as many pockets and braids as possible - and bell-bottom trousers, tight at the top, flared at the base. ![]() The beat police in particular were objects of ridicule and would often be stalked, taunted and sometimes attacked whilst doing their rounds.įrom the beginning of the 1870’s right through to the early 1900’s, many of Melbourne’s streets were plagued by gang members who followed a violent subculture known as ‘larrikinism’. Collingwood was a tough place to be a cop. In fact by the early hours of 1885 his shift had turned into a complete nightmare. ![]() New Year’s Eve 1884 was not a particularly pleasant experience for Constable John Gleeson of the Collingwood Police.
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