Mod to Suedehead

[Sirryacus]

isn't mccartney usually more nicely dressed than the rest? I can say I dress like he is dressed there most days except for the loafers, is that a bad thing?

 

[Gsvs5]

No offence taken - flyfronted made the comment about some in the video being 'caricatures' of the skinhead look before buttons and Basset explained that the two events were not the same. Having read his observation, I just had to respond.

In terms of 'skinhead' many people (myself included) have a pretty fixed idea of what it is, or should be. Sometimes we need to remember that there are different types of skinhead - those of us that evolved from Mod in the late sixties, some who evolved from Punks in the late seventies, those who evolved from the blurring of mod revival in 1979/80 and a variety of other people who have been drawn to the image for a variety of other reasons. All regard themselves as skinheads or former skinheads. Some skinheads I can relate to, regardless of age, some I can't. Doesn't mean they are wrong and I'm right. It has been a revelation finding this site and discovering that there are others who have very similar ideas on the style as I have myself.

To be honest,when I see things like white laces ,facial tattoos etc. I'm embarrassed to think I have any attachment to a culture that morphed into what it has become to many.
I think it is even worse for the girls.Nowadays from what I've seen, certainly,most do little IMO to project any femininity or subtlety to their style.On both counts,I see it as being dragged down,bastardised and taken to a point where it can't go anywhere, but possibly back to the roots.
I can't get that picture that was posted a while back of the kid in Tyneside sitting on the wall ,looking desperate and at the end of his line,out of my mind.That has nothing in the world to do with MY idea of Skinhead or what it portrayed,even at their worst in '69.
Maybe I'm looking back through rose tinted (dimpled) glasses,but I remember everyone had a sense of pride,confidence,respect
and the naive FUN of being youths.The new Lads.Natural instincts in those days before glue,charlie and smack took the place of a Park Drive or Woodbine behind the sheds,and found it's way into the playground.

 

[yankmod]

Well said Gsvs5.The only place I differ from you (most likely cause of our age difference) Is with the modern Skinhead Girls.Some are not the style I admire (I've seen some Mexican Skin girls I didn't think looked good) I think because I'm of the age when the first skinhead girls I saw were 2nd wave(not originals)and that look I always admired as being very brave.The Black tights don't hurt either.

 

[cerneabbas]

Gsvs5. Thank you for that post because it says exactly what i felt when i looked at those videos,which is why i mentioned them here. My GF and i sat and watched them ( she is a lot younger than me but her elder brother was a skinhead/suedehead 70/71 so she knows the score ) and she kept saying things like "but skinheads were smart,whats this about ?",she also said that she thought that the girls didnt look feminine,i found it quite sad really.

 

[Sirryacus]

I agree with you to an extent Gsvs5 but take this picture from 1969.


How are these blokes any less menacing than some skinheads circa 1979 to 1982? Personally I wouldn't be scared of them but I'm talking general consenus, I would venture to say the examples you state are more on the extreme side and I would tend to agree but you gotta put everything in perspective.

 

[Ivyskin89]

Cool picture.
I drink out of them mugs at home sometimes but I thought the main reason they disappeared was they were too good a weapon. Same with heavy glass ashtrays.
Besides the mugs though, I was hoping someone was gonna pay comment to the western style shirt the lad in the Levis is wearing. Looks too evenly coloured to be a denim one but not impossible with some excessive washing. Wouldn't have said that was a common sight in '68 though. Any comments?

http://www.amazon.com/Terrace-Terrors-ebook/dp/B0099AWS98

 

[Little Queenie]



Couldn't resist posting this photo, just to annoy Little Queenie - denim, Chambray shirts, Paul and George's bleached jeans 1965. Other than his barnet, Ringo looks quite dapper.

Thanks for that....

 

[buttons]

...

In terms of 'skinhead' many people (myself included) have a pretty fixed idea of what it is, or should be. Sometimes we need to remember that there are different types of skinhead - those that evolved from Mod in the late sixties,those of us who were then drawn to the style, some who evolved from Punks in the late seventies, others who came from the blurring of mod revival in 1979/80 and a variety of other people who have been drawn to the image for a variety of other reasons. All regard themselves as skinheads or former skinheads. Some skinheads I can relate to, regardless of age, some I can't. Doesn't mean they are wrong and I'm right. Tattoo'd girls in bleached denim mini skirts, fishnet tights and Doc Martens bear no resemblance to girls that I knew as a skinhead, yet many people recognize their look as 'skinhead'. It has been a revelation finding this site and discovering that there are others who have very similar ideas on the style as I have myself.
[/quote

Its right what Roytonboy's saying here.
Original skinheads came and went in a short space of time and whilst making quite a fashion impact, if that had been the end, it would be remembered in a very different way. But 40 years is a long time. As I've said on here before, it'd have been better of the name 'skinhead' wasn't kept for the next generations to come and it had been something different but that's how it went. So now its had four decades to evolve which has taken it in many directions. (I'm sure any purists of the Rockabilly look, or Teds, Mods, Rockers etc would look at what its become and how their style has been treated and shake their heads in sorrow). Look at how everything else has changed in the last 40 years in terms of culture, music, fashion and attitude.
A few of us walked past the other Margate do on Saturday afternoon on the way to the cafe, some mutual funny looks and the odd nod and walked on - its a very different scene. There's some underlying links but very distorted ones.
And whilst I fully understand the older lads on here who haven't thought much about skinhead style since the early 70s, to now be looking at what would appear to be an abomination of the look they once adopted but that's what many years of change does, along with a very different approach to 'youth culture'. If you see the original days as skinhead in its purist form (which I certainly do), everything else can only look tainted / wrong / a poor effort. But there's little point in me looking down on modern day skinheads with distain, accusing them all of being ****, for getting it wrong and not being as good as me ... cos they're not 'playing the same game' as me, so clearly have a different approach. The vast majority look fukc all like the originals but that's mostly because they're not trying to (mind you some do and do a terrible job but that's another story).
I was only being born when most of you were growing your hair and wearing beagle collars so I missed the first time around but I've been doing this now for over 30 years (which I know sounds bonkers to many) so I've seen many guises of what falls under the skinhead banner, some of which have taken queues from the olden days and some of which I'm ashamed to be accused of associating with. But it also means I'm not shocked when I see another 'variation on a theme' who bares no resemblance to me at all but dances (all be it differently) to one or two shared tunes.
Many would look at me and think what the hell's he doing dressing like a bygone teenager, at his age. But for me, my interest and appreciation still runs deep and whilst my wrinkles might detract from the complete authenticity I seek, I can't bare to leave it behind and just be a middle aged bloke who wears the odd button down. Am I any less odd than a bloke in his 50s in skin tight bleachies and a head tattoo? Hopefully a lot smarter but a lot of that's in the eye of the beholder.
Whilst I take the old style very seriously (and if there weren't people who did, the likes of this forum wouldn't be half as prominent) but I gave up a while ago getting angry at people who didn't have the same attitude.

(Still doing up the 'right') Buttons

 

[buttons]



http://www.amazon.com/Terrace-Terrors-ebook/dp/B0099AWS98

Oh aye, I get the early 70s denim shirt thing (from hippy musicians, on the terraces, IOW festival to the Golden Torch soul club), just hadn't see much of that creeping into late 60s mod and was wondering what the attitudes were to them in the day. Some interesting comments already.

 

[roytonboy]

Interested to see your list, roytonboy. Wanted to ask you what make of mac you went for and where you got it?

Not going to be able to help you here, I'm afraid, Elwood. I bought it in a charity shop! Very good condition, I saw it, tried it on, had to have it. £8!!!!!

I have checked the label, it says "J. Philipp - Germany"

 

[Bob the Badger]

From the very good LONDON FB group .. 1968 outside the Coleville boozer on portobello road

My take on this is that the lads are posing for the camera.Not sure why. The guy on the left has even put his drink down in the pub doorway. He's asking for it to be kicked over! Nothing special in the way they are dressed. The boy on the right has the BD shirt and decent shoes. He also seems to have the silver name bracelet which I remember pre-skinhead. Little in the way of jewelry except signet type rings? which I also remember. No tattoos. No white tee-shirts under the shirts but all are wearing thin belts. Looks like a Saturday lunchtime casual drink. Late teens? The guy with the Denim style shirt looks a bit older. They are all maybe a little bit too old for the skinhead thing that was about to happen.

 

[roytonboy]

Do you remember "The Westerner" boutique in Manchester, roytonboy? Sold lots of denim and cord - with obvious theme. I think they had a stage coach on one of the floors. It's probably been mentioned on here before. And was there one of the same name in London?

Elwood - no, I don't remember that at all. My first recollection of clothes shopping in Manchester was in New Brown Street in early 1970 when I went to buy my first checked shirt. I bought a Brutus one in light turquoise and grey. Prior to that I used to get most of my stuff from a tiny shop in an arcade in Rochdale. I can still remember buying my first pair of Levi's from there (I even recall the smell of them!) and going straight home and sitting in the bath wearing them. For a young skinhead, New Brown Street was a pretty exciting place to go with all the painted buildings and the music playing. I went to Carnaby Street in 1972 and was really disappointed - no comparison to the atmosphere we had enjoyed in Manchester. (probably 8 years too late in Carnaby Street) Of course by that time New Brown Street had been demolished and the clothes shops had moved to a precinct above the Oasis market.

 

[flyfronted]

To be honest,when I see things like white laces ,facial tattoos etc. I'm embarrassed to think I have any attachment to a culture that morphed into what it has become to many.
I think it is even worse for the girls.Nowadays from what I've seen, certainly,most do little IMO to project any femininity or subtlety to their style.On both counts,I see it as being dragged down,bastardised and taken to a point where it can't go anywhere, but possibly back to the roots.
I can't get that picture that was posted a while back of the kid in Tyneside sitting on the wall ,looking desperate and at the end of his line,out of my mind.That has nothing in the world to do with MY idea of Skinhead or what it portrayed,even at their worst in '69.
Maybe I'm looking back through rose tinted (dimpled) glasses,but I remember everyone had a sense of pride,confidence,respect
and the naive FUN of being youths.The new Lads.Natural instincts in those days before glue,charlie and smack took the place of a Park Drive or Woodbine behind the sheds,and found it's way into the playground.

Sadly unless you were either around in 67 - 70 or a clothing Connoisseur then your idea of what a Skinhead is / was will be shaped by big blokes in boots n braces and right wing politics . Those people in the margate vids i have seen look like Dick Emery and his son from the TV show and not the Ivy league inspired clothing obsessives i remember admiring as a kid .
the two and eight of the bird with the silly haircut and tatts scared me silly .

 

[roytonboy]

,did you see the young lady called knuckles ? now she did look scary,with her in front you could clear any end !.

 

[cerneabbas]

roytonboy,I mentioned the smell of the Levis a while ago,i remember going into Austins and where the jeans were it smelt ( a unique smell ) not sure if it was the dye or maybe starch ?.I went into a big jeans shop in Bristol last week and they showed me some Lee rider 101 ( overt £200 ) i think 23oz denim they were like plywood but they didnt have the smell.