Mod to Suedehead

[Man-of-Mystery]



A Thousand pages well done everyone,

Help! Bloody slow down!

 

[Man-of-Mystery]



I wondered about an Italian influence....Lyon is near to Switzerland,i don't think that there would be any style influence from the Swiss.

The Swiss influence on street fashion.

I'll get my coat...

Seriously, I've just checked above and realised that just about all my recent posts have been flippant one-liners. Time for me to stop that nonsense and get back on topic. I promise my future posts will be about the mod-to-suedehead era, with an emphasis on the Skinhead core.

I'm really grateful that my my bio between 1967 and 1971 meant that I saw things happening up North and down South in part of the capital at this time. I'd like to thank everyone who has contributed to this thread, for confirming some of my memories, challenging loads of them, and giving me a good time reading it all. I'd like to thank whoever started it and got the discussions rolling in the first place, and also the people from the era in question who found the thread and kept it rolling.

Congratulations on 1000+ pages, and still new information emerging, even though we can't stay on topic to save our arses!

 

[MikeDT]



Thats it Firbanks.I read in the past it was his real name and Reed was a stage name.See the confusion.Not important just surprised.

Now I'm wondering if Elton John was really called Reginald Dwight at birth. Same for David Bowie, Cliff Richard, etc.

 

[yankmod]

Now I'm wondering if Elton John was really called Reginald Dwight at birth. Same for David Bowie, Cliff Richard, etc.

I still think Reed is a stage name and Firbanks(or some variation) Is the real name.

 

[Clouseau]

Still page 501 on a IPad...
need a thousand pages more...
Thanks to all the originals for their great stories and recollections!

 

[cerneabbas]

I think you could well be right mate.if I came here for the first time today and saw talk of Farrah's and Gabicci,I may well have never come back?

I did say a while back that this thread should have stayed Mod to Suedehead and spawned new threads ( such as What came after Suedeheads etc etc ).
The way the thread has gone lately makes me think it even more.

 

[cerneabbas]

The Swiss influence on street fashion.





I'll get my coat...

Seriously, I've just checked above and realised that just about all my recent posts have been flippant one-liners. Time for me to stop that nonsense and get back on topic. I promise my future posts will be about the mod-to-suedehead era, with an emphasis on the Skinhead core.

I'm really grateful that my my bio between 1967 and 1971 meant that I saw things happening up North and down South in part of the capital at this time. I'd like to thank everyone who has contributed to this thread, for confirming some of my memories, challenging loads of them, and giving me a good time reading it all. I'd like to thank whoever started it and got the discussions rolling in the first place, and also the people from the era in question who found the thread and kept it rolling.

Congratulations on 1000+ pages, and still new information emerging, even though we can't stay on topic to save our arses!

Trilby hat,gingham shirt,boots,trousers worn short....maybe we have missed the Swiss influence on the Skinhead look ?

 

[cerneabbas]

I like soul and im not adverse to a bit of funk, discussing it in relation to Mod to suedehead, great! but using big words that i dont understand and getting arsey about it, what a load of ****, im from the West country know fcuk all, and i've got a toothache, nee!

I agree that the music from the time period Mod to Suedehead is part of the thread...the rest isn't ( IMO ) why not start a music thread ? could call it Funk off .
Sorry about your toothache mulled cider is a good treatment,too much of this medicine and you will be posting about what influence Adge Cutler and the Wurzels had on West country football songs ( in the Skinhead years of course ).

 

[cerneabbas]

I hope you do come back, i've enjoyed your posts.
Unless the spectrum for whats discussed in depth is broadened then it will just go round in circles all the time, thats fine in little spurts.
Theres that little period, suede into smooth, which always gets passed over, beagles, ruperts, stacks etc, tbh most on here think it's ****, or never wore it, as far as im concerned that dont mean it's not relevant.
The fairly recent pic of Kevin Keegan, Shanks looked smart enough, but then so did me gramps at that time.
Apparantly Keegan looked, rubbish, not cool and gay, ffs.
Not having a pop at any one person, just me thoughts, did i mention i've got toothache

I am that one person ! and I stand by my comments...change Shanks shirt to a button down and I would wear his look in the picture...If you dressed me in Keegans clothes when I was dead I would come back and haunt you.
I did wear the beagles,tank top,stacks look in the early 70s,even though I didn't like it ( I had looked foreward to being able to afford the proper Suedehead clothes ) Aces and Eights has said that you had to change to the new styles to keep up.People who kept wearing the old look just came across as not being able to afford new clobber or out of touch with what was happening ( IMO ).
You have to keep that in mind when you say most on here think its ****...yes they do,because they wore it then and they didn't really like it,thats why they are one here now....to remember a look that they DID like...........all IMO.

 

[browniecj]

Well done for getting over a 1000 pages-heres to the next lot.

 

[Bob the Badger]

This is not an original comment (given that there are now 1000 pages of this stuff) but the music was an important part of the Mod to Suedehead era. In my gang soul music was what we mainly listened to around 1966 onwards. (Following in the footsteps of the older Mods). Within that there was a hierarchy of 1.Stax, 2.Atlantic and 3.Motown. Motown we considered as watered down soul but it was the best to dance to, so was accepted and had its place. I don't know much about Northern Soul except the music seemed good but the dress sense of the all night crowds was non-existent. I could never understand how such badly dressed individuals could have such good musical tastes. I always felt they were letting the side down. Oh, and they couldn't dance proper, either.

 

[Bob the Badger]

Now over 1000 pages. What ever happened to the bloke who started it? Where is 'Spirit of 69' ? Someone should tell him he created a monster.

 

[Aces and Eights]

Did many of the original Skins that later adopted the Suedehead style come back to the Trad Skin style with the second wave of Skins in the late 70s ? I'm only 45, but I remember a lot of older Skins well into their 20s back in the late 70s that obviously weren't new Skins. Or were they probably blokes that were Suedeheads first that later adopted the earlier Trad look after everything started getting a bit flarey ?
Suedehead has always seen a bit transitional. The bits I like from Suedehead style are the bits carried over from Hard Mods and Skins, I can't get on with the Ruperts, tank tops and some of the shoes.
Like I said, I was pretty young during the second wave, went on to Mod. Losing my hair at 19 didn't help. I found myself having to adopt the Ivy look as anything Trad made me look like a rabid pit-bull. Being a dead-ringer for a certain Mr.Courtney doesn't help.

Interesting point

I have never let go of my skinhead roots but in 1977 ish when the 2nd wave appeared I had no interest whatsoever in their trend as their style was an exaggeration of what we had in 69/71 and was not for me when you have had the real deal

Their jeans were higher and tighter, braces worn hanging down from waist, boots were higher legged, hair shorter, Tee shirts with motifs, racist and political attitudes. They also did not seem to have a dress code for smart wear ie for clubs or meeting girlfriends - no smart suits or casual wear.

They had their own take on the style and it was their time

I was 23 / 24 by then and living and working in Spain and Germany and to be dressed like the 2nd wave would have looked daft on me at that age and I wanted to blend in with the crowd and not stand out. I had no political statements to make. In Germany then I encountered several incidences where German skinhead fanatics relishing the old Nazis ways tried to intimidate Brits working in their country - no chance

I think at the time I was wearing smart sports jacket (suit type) and trousers for evening wear and Lois jeans and slip on shoes for day wear. Polo shirts but not the Fred Perry brand - something else. I remember 'cap sleeve' ?? T shirts with the high shoulder sleeve.

I also never had an issue with losing my hair at a young age. Having had a Wahl electric clippers for 35 years I have saved a fortune in that time from not visiting the barbers. In that time my hair has been number 1 which was shorter than the 1/2 inch crop back in our day

One of our old gang had dealings with Mr Courtney in his line of business

 

[Aces and Eights]

Yes congrats to all contributors for making this thread attain over 1000 pages. its good and interesting reading from various ages, all areas of Britain together with a world wide input

Sometimes the thread varies off course but it needs to be remembered that its a forum therefore freedom of speech. An item someone posts will trigger someone's memory and out pours information that we have not recalled since kids and a debate emerges.

We have a lot of characters on here with sensible contributions and I have had pleasure in thinking ' Christ I remember that' or 'I had one of those' and the old memory starts clicking through the motions

I am glad I found this thread and have been able to contribute and also enjoy other like minded peoples recollections especially before old age and Alzheimer's kicks in

 

[flyfronted]

forgive the ignorance, but what is "sticksman"?

The Black Bad boys of the seventies and 80s . Petty Theivery and Mugging but doing it in style . ( if that is not a contridiction in itself )