Mod to Suedehead - Page 15

All the Ben Shermans and similar did. I don't think the button-down shirt in my picture did - it was a funny brand, end of a line, which I bought in a shop "up West".

BTW I really dig this David Smith's Podcast from Phoenix FM.

http://davesmith.podomatic.com/

Listening now - it's great!

What other brands were around? Jaytex, Brutus? Was Gant available in the UK?

Brutus certainly was; it was well-known for short-sleeved shirts in a very tight cross-check (I seem remember red and black on white, and brown and green on white). Brutus was the "second choice" after Ben Sherman, being a little cheaper.

Jaytex rings a bell, that's all I can say.

Blokes with a bit of money would go up West to somewhere called "The Squire Shop" in Soho, which sold American sports shirts - again short sleeved, in windowpane check. I recall I had one in blue with a yellow check, and my mate had one in yellow with a blue check. That shop was also the place to get wingtip brogues - they were beautiful, with thick leather soles. Also they stocked American penny loafers, which spurred a revival in that style (1969 and early 1970).

More rubbish found!

1967 in Blackpool, Lancashire, before I moved down to London. The mods from the North were very much the denim jacket boys!



1969 in London, posing for a pic with Mark Williams (of International Times, and later founder and editor of Bike magazine). We were trying to act out skins-versus-hairies aggro, but we were both laughing so much we didn't pull it off! From a fashion point of view, I'm wearing a green close-check Ben Sherman. Sorry it's not a particularly good pic.

Still finding 'em.

I'm digging in this pic (no sh*t?). I don't know what the old checked shirt is, but I have Levis and boots on...



This is my old mate "Cockney Bob". He moved down from Lancashire to London too, and became one of the first wave of skinheads there. Then he moved back up North and worked on the buses. This is just a pic for the sake of humour, not to show off the fashion (because he's in his ruddy bus conductor's gear!). He's proudly showing where he got a tooth knocked out during "bovver".

I had the same problem with my cheapie Chinese 1460s. Creasing is inevitable, but open cracking is not acceptable. I would expect this not to be an issue with the MiE docs.

From day one, try inserting shoe trees. I use these on my brogues, so I don't see any reason why they shouldn't work down inside boots.

Something like this: http://www.tradenote.net/images/user...Shoe_Trees.jpg

Wood is best.

I'm using trees in my current boots (not DMs). Cracking seems to be more of a leather quality issue.

Damn!

Man-of-Mystery - fantastic photos. Don't want to call them 'historical documents' out of kindness. +rep for the fantastic chops in that pic from '69. Love it. Can see how much styling Kubric got for his wardrobe on Clockwork from the skinhead culture then. My new ox (and black) MIE 1460s (my first with new 'MIE' nomenclature) are creasing, but they're appearing to develop the finer wrinkling that signifies they'll soften nicely rather than crack. So my assumption is that they still use the old high-quality leather. My MIC shoes did get that cracking though, which was surely a sign of cheaper leather. The fact that the China ones are taped at the ankle opening tells me the laminated surface leather must not stay put. The England-made boots aren't taped and the leather is pretty nice stuff.

Thanks. Never wore a bowler, though

More will be presented as soon as I can find a shop that can deal with colour transparencies - I just found a handful more of myself and "Cockney Bob".

Eagerly awaiting more photos of ol' Bob.

Yeah, I figured it was the inferior leather. If/when I go back to Docs, I'll make damn sure to put down extra for the MiE ones.

I'm curious if the "For Life" boots would have the cracking issue, given that the leather is pretty supple.