Identifying Gangs

We as a society tend to identify gangsters by our own personal bias of their clothes, appearance, or actions in front of others. However, in reality, gangsters don’t like to distinguish themselves as obviously as any person would think. Gangsters use tattoos; graffiti, personal characteristics, clothing and hand signs to identify were they originate from.

Clothing- Some gangs choose to keep their identities under disguises so neither authority nor other rival gangs know who they are or where they come from. People shouldn't try to identify someone who is affiliated in a gang just by their attire, or the items listed. Especially now since there are many new fashion trends that teenagers and adults follow that also wear these items and do not have gang affiliation. Sometimes the "gangster" look is more of a trend to look cool and in style. The stereotypical gang member would be wearing many of these items shown below.

• Oversized shirts
• Selective sports attire
• Baggy pants jeans/ or “dickey” style
• Shaved bald head (male)
• Checkered button up shirts only buttoned at the top (male)
• Extreme use of gel or mousse (female)
• Overalls with buckles hanging on the side (female)
• Shaved eyebrows (female)
• Dark shades in a picture to hide their identity.
• Excessive use of one color.
• Bandanas as part of their usual attire
• A particular color that owns their closet such as bandanas shoe, shoelaces, and shirts.

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Tattoos- The tattoo symbolizes gang member’s commitment to a gang and the individual’s deep devotion to it. Typically the common tattoos that gang members have embrace: numbers, names of deceased “homeboys or home girls,” names of loved ones, or there nicknames, some even get a picture of a symbol or someone who is involved in a gang.

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