Mod to Suedehead

[Get Smart]



What about inverted turnups? I really like that look because it's very unique and perfect for worn out non-selvage denim, but I'm not sure how "original" it is.

inverted turnup = normal hem, right? not sure i'm understanding what's "unique" about it

 

[Lasttye]



Also, did you wear hankie in your crombie? How did you fold it - two-point, three-point? Or it didn't matter?

We would just put the hankie in, Never folded the hankie, I think MoM has a pic on here showing how we did it.

 

[Lasttye]



Son of a Stag is a good place to go, nice people there and very knowledgeable. I prefer to go direct to Japan for Lee or Sugar Canes and SoaS for Edwin. I quite like some of the Pike Brothers stuff too.

Jason: Have you come across Tellason denim? They're out of San Francisco and my wife will only wear their jeans now. They look great with Weejuns or Red Wing's. I think the store on Newburgh you mean is Cinch but not sure if it is still there.

 

Yep like Jason very much into japanese Denim, Got Four pairs of Samurai, and a couple of Edwins. and a lovely pair of PRPS.

The below are both Samurai.

 

[buttons]

Ahh, vintage denim - one of my favourite topics!
I've talked to many many original skinheads and jeans has often come up. So I've had various slants and opinions from various parts fo the country. I'd be interested to see what the lads on here remember, to give an added perspective.
Selvedge turnups on yer 501's - essential - a distinctive part of the jeans, along with the fading down the outside, which a selvedge seam creates when worn in (like on some of Roy's jeans above).
Nowadays, the "501" is one of the world's strongest brands so takes a different place in many people's minds, when it comes to jeans and apparel in general. Also, for the last few years, there's tons of jeans makers, producing their own take on vintage denim, so the details are often highlighted (cone mill selvedge denim, chain stitching, selvedge in watch pockets, various rivets, buttons, jerky patches, big E tags, two tone stitching, blah, blah, blah) .... and all very popular nowadays with the middle aged trendies. And on top of that, for a long time, LVC have been knocking out old style Levis and even giving out little booklets so you can inpress your friends with your pure cotton lemon-sticth arcuates.

However, back in the fast moving times of the late 60s, when you were young and didn't have 40 years of hindsight, how much did you know about what jeans you were buying?
Did you go for 501s? or did you go for the straight cut Levi's and didn't care much what number they had on the back? Did it have to be button flies, or have to be zips, or did you not really mind. And what about Wranglers or Lee Riders? Wrangler developed a new denim in the mid 60s that prevented the legs twisting (like you'll find 60s Levi's and especially Lees doing) ... but would you have cared? Wranglers had their place, in certain areas, but I'd guess in a predominantly Levi area - it was Levis or nothing (or lots of stick off yer mates).
I've got pictures of old skinheads wearing all 3 (and many cheaper makes but I'll put that down to lack of funds), but I'd be interested to hear opinions on which ones and more importantly why!

As an asside, although not "as good" or rather not quite the same as the originals, LVC are a great alternative to buying rare and very expensive originals. The quality's suffered a lot from what they were making in the USA (from the early 90s up until about 5-6 years ago), but it does mean when you want a pair of 'skinhead' jeans, they're readily available, rather than having to scour ebay for a worn out pair for 300 quid. For me, I'm a skinhead, so my interest has lead to having to be familiar with various aspects of old denim, so I know which ones are right for the look. I've a few pairs of 60s jeans, but I also wear yank LVCs as my day to day jeans - they serve a very good purpose.

I must add though that a lot of the 'traditional skinheads' nowadays have missed the point and think as long as they're geeet old and have selvedge, then they must be good skinhead wear. 50s, 40s, 30s jeans ... even cynch-backs .... oh, come on!

So, Roy's, Sugar Canes and bespoke selvedge asside (plenty of crack about that on the denim-jinkie forums), what was important and what wasn't, from an original perspective, for skinheads and those soon to be?

Buttons

 

[Man-of-Mystery]



MoM, you can get Tootal scarves in TK Maxx, they aren't silk though, polyester I'm afraid but for £7 !...I found a blue one with white polka dots and a blue paisley one. It's a bleedin' horrible shop but worth a look if you can stand it!

On the subject of scarves, any old Mods remember the brief fad for wearing college scarves? I've seen a few old photos of them being worn, but I can't for the life of me remember if they were 'swinging London' types or Mods that had them on?

Top find ek77, that film was great, thanks for posting it.

T K Maxx is worth a try, thanks. Not many of us could afford silk 'back in the day' anyway!

Yes I remember that fad. College scarves were scooter gear in '67 along with parkas and hooped cricket caps.

 

[Man-of-Mystery]

MoM, you can get Tootal scarves in TK Maxx, they aren't silk though, polyester I'm afraid but for £7 !...I found a blue one with white polka dots and a blue paisley one. It's a bleedin' horrible shop but worth a look if you can stand it!
On the subject of scarves, any old Mods remember the brief fad for wearing college scarves? I've seen a few old photos of them being worn, but I can't for the life of me remember if they were 'swinging London' types or Mods that had them on?
Top find ek77, that film was great, thanks for posting it.

Paul Stuarts of Shepherds Bush, London do Tootal Scarfs £29.99.

Thanks for the tip, Roy.

 

[Man-of-Mystery]



Also, did you wear hankie in your crombie? How did you fold it - two-point, three-point? Or it didn't matter?

Didn't fold it - wore it in a 'puff'.

 

[Man-of-Mystery]



Heeellooo all, just came across this thread today! Lots of info.

Im wondering, has anybody come across pictures from early days of a skinhead guys female counterparts??? Any I seem to come across are few and far between leaving me with little style suggestions. Im not interested in todays skinhead girl look.

Id like a truely traditional look.

We have some pics, but mostly they're being saved up for the book. I'll see if I can get some to you by private message.

 

[Man-of-Mystery]



We would just put the hankie in, Never folded the hankie, I think MoM has a pic on here showing how we did it.

I'm looking for a pic, Roy...

The best I can find is this one of me and 'Cockney Bob'.

(c) myself.

Bob and I had had hankies made up in the same fabric (as near as we could) to our Ben Shermans. They are stuffed into our top pockets with all the edges and corners tucked inside and only some of the centre of the hanky spilling out.

 

[browniecj]

Have not been on for over a week.Interesting Inserts,as usual.Had to smile about the Paisley Scarves being "Poofy",say that to a gang of Fellas "Booted and Suited"-back in the day-and you would probably be leaving "Casualty the next day! I can vouch for Roys` Collection of Denim.Very impressive,if I may say so!
That was an interesting touch to the Pocket Squares,M-o-M.To subsidse my Collection,use to cut out Squares from the Window DisplayBedding(it was all Silk in the 60s) and have a wide selection of Colours.
I will tell you what Roy,the West London Girls were very happy to associate with us-but then that is a different Story!!!!

 

[Get Smart]

the jean thing is an interesting topic for me, being a jeans junkie.....i think it's safe to say most "traditional" skinheads nowadays do not care about selvedge denim, they just want a pair of any Levis as a part of the "correct uniform", but even 10+ years ago here in the STATES (where we always get the tag of doing it wrong), for some traditional skinheads it was very important to have selvedge Levis. Matter of fact, before the current fad of selvedge denim where every hipster/fashionista has been wearing it for the past 5 years, the ONLY people I knew who wore, cared and knew about selvedge denim in 90s-early 2000s were very traditional skinheads and rockabillies.

re: cinchback denim.....def NOT skinhead! but I do love a pair, have one by Studio d'Artisan in Japan where half the jean has vintage Lee details, and half the jean has vintage Levis details, with a bit of Wrangler thrown in!! a complete Frankenstein jean but would only be noticed as such by denim nerds, and pass as normal to everyone else.

 

[Get Smart]



what was important and what wasn't, from an original perspective, for skinheads and those soon to be?

safe to say no one would have thought about their jeans in terms of which year/model back then....you'd prolly just get what was the current jean at the time, which would have been the 1966 501 or the 1967 505 (zipper fly). but i do think it's interesting that Roy and Choco mention how important it was to have the selvedge showing, since you figure at that era many jeans were made from selvedge denim so I'm a bit impressed that was a conscious thought on their part. Unlike today, where it's highly doubtful someone wears selvedge denim "accidentally"

 

[Lasttye]

Brill post Buttons,
I think Levi Big E was discontinued around 81, so i suppose later 79/80s Skinheads did not see the beauty of showing of the selvage, very very few present day skinheads i see have jeans with the selvage, maybe the look is lost in time, or people cannot afford or just don't give a fcuk.
As buttons said the fade along the outside of the selvage with the red turn up was so important, We would spend ours ironing along the outside of the selvage to speed up the fading.
Yes I am a jean junkie .

This is a pair of PRPS, Made in Japan, with Zimbabwe cotton...every pair is different and numbered, I shrunk the leather back label with the number by accident, The fit is very similar to the Levis we wore in the 60s, maybe a little looser, but parallel.

Note the mauve selvage, nice touch.

 

[Get Smart]

^^ great Roy. i like the crotch rivet, that's one of those details that I really dig. and yours is a bit different than the norm, even better

and CAMO pocket bags??? ******* rad

the fading along the selvedge is (at least out here) called "railroad tracks"

 

[AppyLucy]

BTW, that David Smith podcast posted much earlier is FANTASTIC. Making it through the work day much easier.