Mod to Suedehead

[albion]

Originally Posted by BraveSuede

I lived in the east end till i was 17 and as a 12 year old in 1973 dont remember any skinheads about, it all seemed to disapear in 1971 and transform into suedehead smooths etc

The 1972 to 1975 era seemed to be bootboys and glam rock fashions.During 1976 there was a small skinhead revival that was down to kids not wanting to be punks so adopted the smarter youth fashion.

The 2nd real coming of skins was 1978 just before the mod revial which was huge in the uk.By this time punks were turning skin.Towards the end of 1979 a lot of mini mods appeared after seeing quadrophenia so a lot of the older mods disallusioned drifted towards skinhead and there was now a massive skinhead scene.1978 skins were following sham69 (love em or hate em) the first real group skins got into. later oi and two tone appeared and the rest is history.

so in answer to your question in 73-75 not likely. 76 onwards skin punk or later a mod.But it might be different from other areas of the uk this is how i saw it as a east londoner.

I make you about right there mate. I'm from the east end too, and i remember seeing loads of mini-mods about, post Quadrophrenia (my brother was one!). I remember first seeing skinheads around 1979-1980 as a nine year old and i remember being very impressed with their style and attitude. I became one myself when i was 10, until i was 14....decades later and I now dress a bit skinhead-ish, aged 39, as i find the smarter skinhead look is one you can get away with as you get older (and balder).

 

[albion]

Originally Posted by Lasttye

Longwing American brogues, these are Cordovan leather, Very similar to Royals. Funny as Americans call them English brogues.

I'm a big fan of Allen Edmonds.....here's a pair i bought off ebay...They are a bit narrow for my feet, but they were going for such a good price i had to have them. http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z...g?t=1296798898

 

[Little Queenie]

Hi Little Queenie,
This is Roy, I was at Jim Cox Birthday, Was you and your Boyfriend from Sunderland, as i was chatting to you two.
Regarding John Simons, been using his shops since 68 , He is one miserable Fcuker.

Hello Roy,

Yes, that was us! Glad to see you've found your way to SF.

 

[Little Queenie]

Originally Posted by bunty

Hello all, on the subject of brogues - MOM do you remember wearing really clumpy brogues (leather soled) ? they were not wing tips, in fact they looked a little like 'kickers', a bit bulbous 'beetle crusher' style, and side-on the toe cap was slightly raised? ('blimey, you all say, they sound shite) I remember a mate having these in the late 70's, and no, they weren't 'special' shoes either..can't find any pictures of them anywhere, where they a revival thing? Somebody will know what they are and they probably will turn out to be hideous but to a 14 year old at the time, I thought they were great.
Been looking everywhere for these, cos anything else looks really silly and dainty on me, what with being 6'2" (end result-Frankenstein's monster)
Queenie, I'm going to do some interviewing soon, gonna grill family for some stories/fashion memories..no good asking my sister because she didn't fancy skinheads at all!!! said they were too hard looking and were lairy. She had some of the clothes and liked the music but went to grammar school where they were all hairy hippies whom she hung about with (I've seen footage of hippies in action at demos in London/Paris1968, and there's nothing soft about them!) Brother and his then girlfriend, now wife were mods/skins tho' so i'm going to post their photos and pick their brains, hope they will be of interest..just got to work out how to scan..etc..
One more question, was it common for lads and all their mates to go to holiday camps in the 60's or was that just a local tradition...?

Hello Bunty,
That sounds great, look forward to reading the results of your brain picking!

 

[Lasttye]

Just thought i would post some pics of a pair of Original Royals Plain caps or Smooths, These belong to a mate of mine also a Original Skinhead.

 

[Get Smart]

^^ total class, Roy.

here's mine I recently got for myself, Alden cordovan leather "smooths"

 

[Lasttye]

Jason, they are fantastic,

 

[Lasttye]

Here is my Churchs Cordovan, Plain Caps, or Smooths to some.

 

[bunty]

Originally Posted by albion

http://www.styleforum.net/attachment...8&d=1296690948


btw, can someone explain how i can post pics large, as mine always show
as thumbnails.....Cheers.

hello mate, thanks for searching for pics, that's not them tho', they are more like these in shape and style, but with more of a toe.

 

[Man-of-Mystery]

Originally Posted by bunty

hello mate, thanks for searching for pics, that's not them tho', they are more like these in shape and style, but with more of a toe.

Those look very much like the type of brogue I (and others) would have worn prior to the '69 rush to the Squire Shop.

 

[skacore]

Originally Posted by albion

I make you about right there mate. I'm from the east end too, and i remember seeing loads of mini-mods about, post Quadrophrenia (my brother was one!). I remember first seeing skinheads around 1979-1980 as a nine year old and i remember being very impressed with their style and attitude. I became one myself when i was 10, until i was 14....decades later and I now dress a bit skinhead-ish, aged 39, as i find the smarter skinhead look is one you can get away with as you get older (and balder).

Do you find yourself still sporting turnups/boots?

 

[Little Queenie]

Originally Posted by Man-of-Mystery

Hi Queenie.

It's not easy to say. Girls' fashions at the time were always a little more liberal than boys', and there was a little more scope for individual styling. This can be said of the loafer-style shoes. Basically a girl would wear whatever looked okay. One girl I can remember who wore Brutus shirts and Sta-Prest strides had a pair of loafers which were quite dainty and minimalist; others wore a more clumpy sort complete with the buckle and high tongue you mention with skirts or dresses.

Let me try to sort out a few pics.

Bear in mind that these are all contemporary styles, and would perhaps not have been available in the late 60s, but on the other hand I can easily imagine girls getting away with wearing them. Most of the ones which follow have fairly low heels:

Now, the following ones are very modern, but honestly I think if they had been around at the time, someone would have bought a pair:

I can't find any pictures of anything that looks like the clumpier, buckled, high-tonged shoe. The girl on the right (as we look at it) of this picture has a clumpier pair of loafers:

Most other pics of girls from the era show rather elegant "Mary-Janes" with moderately high heels. Those were nice too. I totally wish I could find a pic of the "Diabla". An ex of mine wore a pair, and she looked good enough to put between two slices of bread!

Hello Man of Mystery,

Been thinking about colours of shoes. Your pictures show quite a variety and I was wondering if that was intentionally reflective of the shoe colours worn in the late '60's? It isn't always easy to tell from black and white photos! Were colours such as tan, navy, brown, beige or green worn then? As I mentioned before, late '60's shoes aren't easy to find and some guidance as to colours would be very helpful!

 

[albion]

Originally Posted by skacore

Do you find yourself still sporting turnups/boots?

Not very often.

 

[Man-of-Mystery]

Originally Posted by Little Queenie

Hello Man of Mystery,

Been thinking about colours of shoes. Your pictures show quite a variety and I was wondering if that was intentionally reflective of the shoe colours worn in the late '60's? It isn't always easy to tell from black and white photos! Were colours such as tan, navy, brown, beige or green worn then? As I mentioned before, late '60's shoes aren't easy to find and some guidance as to colours would be very helpful!

Mainly black shoes as far as I recall.

Diabla were red.

 

[Lasttye]

Regarding Skinhead Girls, back in the 60s we did not know we was Skinheads, It was just fashion, The press gave us this title.
I remember back in school late 67, early 68, We just started wearing boots, commando soles, we wore Jungle Greens, any type of shirt, We wore a nylon type of bomber jacket, mine was black , with black and red striped collar and cuffs.
The Girls would wear the fashion of the day, which was sort of Mod, I would wear some of my now ex Mod brothers cloths.
Once the Skinhead scene exploded in London, And the style started to developed into the classic Skinhead Look late 68, early 69, The Girls started to developed their own look.

Starting with the hair, Not all girls had the classic Skinhead girl feather cut, one has to remember parents was still very strict back then, so would not allow their teenage girls get away with it.
My friend Noreen who i have known since 68, She was 13, i was 14 in 68, She had long hair , but wanted it cut off, the hairdresser would not do it, so she went to the Barbers and had it cut off like the boys. She said as it grew.. she just let the sides grow and kept the top cropped. But many would have just short hair, some even had long hair, with about 1 inch on top, One of my Girlfriends had this cut.

Girls did not wear Ben Shermans much, never boots, rarely jeans, They dressed feminine.
I can remember them wearing like fluffy tight tops, Skirts would be mohair, later POW Check, Dog tooth, They would get the material and make them up themselves, Some like the Boys would wear cheap sheepskins from the market, Crombies came a little later, few Skinhead girls would wear them. In saying that my future Wife did.
Suits was most important to Original Skinheads, This is i think came from seeing our Mod older Brothers, and our Dads putting suits on for a Saturday night out, Just a working class thing that we just carried on.
The girls suits was very similar to the boys, We would get them made bespoke at the local tailor, To see Skinhead Boys and Girls walking up Kilburn High road London.. on a Saturday Summer night, all suited up was a sight to be seen, Some of the Boys and girls had matching Suits, the Girls would have a girls version of the Boys suit.
Not sure about girls shoes , and i have spoken to Noreen about this , She just said the fashion shoes of the day, I dont remember them wearing loathers, When i started wearing loathers i had long hair. Which would be around late 70.
Thats it for now ,