Mod to Suedehead

[yankmod]

McDermott.You should have told that C***sucker."Me no speaka de english" and smiled broadly.The younger generations are limited to the clothing they can find that still exists.Parkas for Mod revivalists are easy as they are plentiful in Army surplus stores.Levi's and Clark's desert boots also available still.Vintage clothes today are mostly 80's(horror)Once in a while you might find a piece or two.Recently found a vintage surfer(monkey) jacket.35 dollars,not a bad price.One of the other problems for young-uns is finding photos or film that shows the original styles.There is much more info on Mods as the style went mainstream worldwide.Skinheads on the other hand were much more short lived and had less visibility.Thanks to this thread and the folks on here who "know" and have posted info and pics,we are getting a clearer picture of the subculture.If a British Skinhead traveled to the U.S in 69 and approached some Ivy kids sayin "Look at me,we are copying you yanks" The Yanks woulda laughed and thought the skinhead version was clownish.Modifications are made when one culture takes from another.As we have seen.Vintage Skin clothes are tuff to find and thanks to ebay way overpriced.We have to make modifications from what we can find.This is a thread about the original style and Lifestyle.Recreating it is impossible.To me it's about acknowledging certain subcultures.One or two items of clothing well placed will tell someone in the know what cultural influences make up ones identity.There are more pressing issues in the world anyway.Starving Africans could care less about Rich westerners obsession with Style.Saw an old man in Cuba in rags.I mean rags.He wasn't thinkin bout the size of the BD collar.We are lucky we can engage in this type of frivolity.End of sermon.Amen.

 

[elwood]

Green ones definitely worn late 1969. The ultimate skinhead look around Manchester at that time - Levi (or Wrangler) denim Jacket and Jeans, Boots (not necessarily Doc. Martens at this stage) beret and driving gloves (sometimes referred to as "Right On Now" gloves!). This is the only place I have ever seen mention of the wearing of berets as a skinhead fashion.

Sorry I'm behind the posts, but they keep holding my submissions back.

Good to get that confirmation, roytonboy. My memory's more reliable than I was beginning to fear.

As you say, late 69 DMs not often seen. When I first went on the Kippax at that time, black hobnail boots were very common. I remember being on the Kippax early, well before kick off at one of first games I went to, and seeing skins in hobnails competing to see who could create most sparks by striking their soles on the concrete terrace steps and then having "ski-ing" races down the gangways. They went at a fair old lick so you had to get out of the way pretty sharpish if you were a little 'un like I was then.

(I'm behind on posts too; catching up as have been away without internet access for a while.)

 

[elwood]

Great photos, Ed.

In this last one (above), that looks to me to be a City scarf (as far as I can tell from its tones in b&w) the girls are holding. Any other information from source?

 

[Pressure_Drop]

OK - just to chuck my two pennyworth on this debate and again bring up the London/rest of country divide...

Collarless 'union' shirts - yes

Grandad vest - oh yes! Very popular in Bristol - and dyed bright colours (not tie dyed!!)

Army greens - no, well not until smoothie/boot boys c. 1971/72 and then mixed with Onitsuka Tiger basketball boots.

Donkey jackets - no, not until revival late 70s, teamed with flat caps.

Thick woolie cardigans - yes - and thin lightweight ones.

Trilbies - yes - but pork pie versions more common.

Berets - yes popular esp. at football - even saw [gulp!] Bowler hats.

Also workmen's helmets were very popular on the terraces late 60s/early 70s - often painted in team colours.

Collarless 'Union' shirts - not where I was.

Grandad vests - I saw one, worn by one bloke, in 1968.

Army Greens - Yes, in S E London. See the pic of 'The Smiffies' earlier in this thread. I bought a pair in S E London in 1968, and wore them on a trip back to Blackpool, same year. I don't think my mates in the NW thought much of them.

Donkey Jackets - Nope, never saw them. The only instance I saw was in one photo which someone provided for Yell.

Thick woolie cardigans (you know, the type your Dad might have worn) - You mean the sort that had buttons like cracked conkers? Yes, some of us in S E London wore them, usually in winter. I had one that was green, and eventually I think I gave it to a girlfriend to wear.

Trilbies - They were worn for a time in S E London in 1969. Dark blue.

 

[Ed Vaughan]



Great photos, Ed.

In this last one (above), that looks to me to be a City scarf (as far as I can tell from its tones in b&w) the girls are holding. Any other information from source?

I thought City, too, mate.

No more info, I'm afraid - just off a 'Tumblr' find.

 

[buttons]

The lasses with the scarves are from Dublin.

 

[Gsvs5]

Pressure Drops comments just got me thinking? Like my memories,the collarless shirts and dyed vests were seemingly popular in the Midlands and Bristol but less so in other areas.One of the most popular areas for us to go on our Summer Holidays were the West Country.Newquay,Torquay were probably the top two.I know Stoke lads went to the North West and Wales.Cockneys went to Kent and Sussex.Maybe this is where the regional styles were shared and played a significant role alongside the Terraces?

 

[zapatoo]

Firstly, I've been following this thread for a while and absolutely love it. Lots of great pictures and information. This is my first time posting though. I'm a skinhead girl from Canada and am starting a fanzine called Soul Time, covering the original style and music of the skinhead subculture. For an article I'm working on I'd like to talk to people that were into it around that time, especially from 1969-1971. If anyone would like to share any stories or pictures, or know anyone who would be interested, please email me at [email protected]. And for anybody interested in the fanzine, my first issue should be out around the end of May, but you can keep informed by "liking" facebook.com/soultimezine

Thanks a lot!

Andrea

 

[browniecj]



Maybe? I'm sure the 100 Club attracts a few hardcore who care and do really "Get It", but generally over the years I've seen more bad than good.This could also be due partly to the fact that we see multiple elements of the style that had originally evolved over say a ten year period ,all mixed up and thrown together with a dodgy haircut and a pair of (bad) repro shoes.
The easy target (sorry) would be to point the finger at Weller and blame him for it all,but that is a whole other can of worms.
It's been said on here before ,that just because you were a "skinhead" didn't mean that you accepted or wore every element of the look.I for one shunned the braces.I never wore a tie tack/hankie in my Crombie,or donned a pair of red socks,but there was never any doubt of where my sartorial sensibilites lay.Yeah the hats were very cool,but very few could really carry the look off.
The "less is more" school of thought is something that could well serve many I think?

I remember seeing a kid get off the bus on the Edgeware road about seven or eight years ago and he had a perfect style/ look going on that I felt I should complement him (I sensibly kept it buttoned !)
He looked un-contrived and effortless,was obviously too young to have been around in the day,but just was able to carry it off and not look like a caricature of the Sixties.
Am I  being unreasonable,unrealistic or just elitist to expect better ? I'm glad you think I am wrong browniecj,things must be on the up.I am sure you are a lot closer and involved in it all than me .Looking forward down the road I expect that there is going to be a huge Ivy influence in the shops with the popularity of Mad Men etc..Now lets see how many purists that will piss off

I was actually commenting on your "generalisation" Gsvs5.I do not back up my thoughts by one visit to the 100 Club.I have been to Clubs in Liverpool,Manchester,Sheffield etc.and I go regulary to a small Club in Lincoln-where young Mods go.I would say that the effort they have put in,is very commendable.These do not follow Weller(one of the things I find funny is 40+ year old Men with "feathered side bits,but then everyone to their own ).Ok so there are ones that just throw things together but I could say all Northern Soul Fans now wear Baggy Trousers and have Beer Mats tucked into their Belts.Some still do though(when it is the umpteenth Wigan Casino Revival",but that is certainly not the case.).In the 60s there were scruffy Skinheads(I am not being regional here)even though the general concensus is they were smart.Look at the iconic Picture of 4 Skinheads walking past some Hippies in Piccadilly Circus.I would say they were scruffy.

 

[browniecj]



The reemergence of Ivy and Mod/Skin is already here.Just discovered this young wipper snapper folk singer Jake Bugg.He sports Levi's a Fred Perry Harrington.Tennis shirts or a BD checked.He knows his history as his parents were Indie musicians in the 80's.The way I look at it.Every era has a a standard.We all know what that was in the 1700's etc.The standard today is Jeans,Tennis shirts(or BD's)Trainers,Baseball caps,and short Windbreaker style jackets.This is the standard from the 60's to the turn of the century.I dread the often portrayed future clothing style of the Jumpsuit with everyone wearing the exact same thing.Terrifying.

There are Youngsters who have gone back to the very ethos of Mod.Like Little Queenie , Ancillotti(probably spelt that wrong-sorry Mate) Buttons on here they have studied what was underneath the Hype and have taken PHDs in the Subject

 

[Man-of-Mystery]



I saw a bloke (probably in his twenties) about 10 years ago in Leeds - he'd really made an effort but ..... Brown cord Wrangler jacket, checked shirt, Wrangler Jeans, Cherry Red Doc. Martens, Skinhead haircut - all the right ingredients but stuff that would never have been worn together at the time. It crossed my mind to have a word but

a) he was with his girlfriend and I didn't want to embarrass him
b) he was about 3 inches taller and 3 stone heavier than me and I didn't want to lose my teeth!

Still, as long as he was happy...........

The Wrangler cord jacket / Wrangler jeans combination is actually very 1968 North of England.

 

[Man-of-Mystery]



You are quite right long sideburns were in evidence back in the day.

Anyway, who cares? Is he in a re-enactment society? Is it like the Sealed Knot? Roundheads and Cavaliers?

Wear what you want. Mix and match. Some of the stuff from those days I would not wear now. I certainly would not wear my trousers so high; but I am an old git anyway, so I don't care what people say.

I would always try to avoid the company of arseholes though.

I'm avoiding posting a pic of myself (again!) with long sideburns!

I love the idea of putting on a display somewhere like Margate Beach, roping off a part of the beach, and having the public watch a team of people dressed like skins and a team of people dressed like greasers pretend to beat each other up, while a bloke on a PA system explains to them what's going on!

 

[Man-of-Mystery]



(Cough) Rubbed in magic marker. (Cough,)

 

[browniecj]

I must do better-regularly.


Not seen too often in the original Photos but much more in the 70 Skinhead ones-woollen Skullcaps,that sat on the back of the head-with 1/2 inch roll back.I think I have seen a Picture on here-but where????

 

[Man-of-Mystery]



There are Youngsters who have gone back to the very ethos of Mod.Like Little Queenie , Ancillotti(probably spelt that wrong-sorry Mate) Buttons on here they have studied what was underneath the Hype and have taken PHDs in the Subject

I second that emotion.