I like " some " Northern Soul and " a lot " of 80 / 90's stuff mate.
Being in my yoof in the 80's and 90 's I can categorically say that I was helped along in a big way by chemicals - just like Northern Soul.
Plus the clothes are just part of the scene, same as some of the stupid gear people wore during the rave scene in the eighties - boiler suits, smog masks, dummies and whistles FFS.
It's just fashion mate, no biggee.
Plus Northern Soul cut across race, which was quite a big deal at the time.
Ps - you never see anyone gurning, like an arl fella with no teeth at Northern Soul night lol