mod madness in britain
TRANSCRIPT
It seems the mod subculture that peeked in the 1960’s has never completely disappeared. In fact there are still shops in the street that clothed many in that era.
The street of course is Carnaby Street in London and it’s still a mecca for many locals as well as tourists from abroad.
The mod dresses in a particular fashion but there’s more to it than just clothes. To be a fully-fledged mod you should really own a Vespa or Lambretta. In addition these scooters should have a ridiculous array of mirrors and lights.
And finally, in order for clothing to be protected, a parka should be worn with rabbit fur trim. A certain type of music was always associated with mods. The word itself comes from modernist and it’s thought to be named after modern jazz.
That breakthrough from traditional jazz to modern came about through musicians like Miles Davis and Charlie Parker. Later it was bands like The Who and they were held as icons at the height of their fame by all Mods.
The Mods had an enemy. And that enemy was the Rockers. The Rockers didn’t dress as nicely and they rode motorbikes and anyone in Brighton during the sixties will remember the mass brawls between both parties.
Mod clothing is surprisingly simple with neat button down collars or perhaps Beagle ones. In some ways it’s all about dressing without frills and with emphasis on clean lines.
To get an idea then visit a shop in Carnaby Street like Sherry’s that has been around since those early days and understands the whole Mod culture.
Mod shops London are still to be found and that means there is a definite revival going on at present. It’s a look that attracts younger people whether they’re boys or girls.
Some famous fashion designers were recognised in the sixties and early seventies as having a definite lean toward mod style. The mini was a popular mod dress when worn with a simple blouse.
A typical one piece dress would be a pencil thin but loose fitting creation in a plain colour with perhaps a strip or cross of a stronger colour.
Hair was short for both boys and girls and this was in contrast to the Rockers. For girls this was a leap from shoulder length to a bob. And for boys it’s argued that the hair went from a neat short cut to lead eventually to the skinheads.
In an anthology about the Mods the case is put forward that when a Mod grew up it was almost natural that the next stage of his transformation was to be a skinhead. All sorts of suggestions have been written about that whole sub-culture of Mods and Rockers.
But one thing that cannot be argued is that the Mod look has lasted and is still to be found today.For Mod shops London Sherrys London
