Mod to Suedehead

[Swampster]

Also sorry for continuing the tangent (history is one of my things)...
My Geordie dictionary (which my wife gave me soon after we met ) had an intro about the origin of the words. While a lot of Geordie and other NE dialect is very similar to Norse - e.g. bairn - a lot of it is down to the common origin of Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse. The Viking kingdom centred around Jorvik didn't really extend north of the Tees and while there was some Norse influence on all of English, the isolation from the rest of the Old English speakers was probably more significant. The British Library has a pretty good article.

My wife had to modify her vowels to some extent. The kids she taught were using a NE pronunciation when they said them

I have a much more mongrel accent which people find hard to place. Living on the long a/ short a isogloss means I switch from one to the other even in a sentence.

On a more clothes related point - and sorry if I've already mentioned this - it's rather nice to have the same lighthouse on our wedding photo and on the Barbour label.

 

[Thin White Duke]

This one from round ours was the first electric lighthouse in the world. Souter point.

 

[Swampster]

Souter point

I know the one. I've been to the Marsden Grotto just up the road a few times.

The Barbour one is on the groyne on the South side of the Tyne estuary. Not quite as old as Souter but looks older - or like something from Jules Verne.

http://www.worldwidelighthouses.com/resources/images/main-page-pictures/Herd-Groyne-Main-Picture.png

 

[Vital_linK]

Thanks for the reply!!! Id heard about Wranglers and Lees being a preferred brand in the North. I always assumed that Wranglers were somewhat difficult to obtain in those days, though it's only what I've heard, and, of course read.
Sadly... If I REALLY had to choose from denims on the rack today... I'd go with Wranglers. They still have that higher rise (if you get them from "Western Wear" shops here in the States), though even those are a pale imitation of the vintage ones I have.
Well.... Mr. Sherman did cut his fashion "teeth" here in the USA and then applied those lessons when he returned to the UK. That's kind of the beauty of the style I guess. Y'all took a bit of Ivy League, a bit of prep, a bit of English work wear into the mix and hey presto! That's what made it unique. You gave it the kind of street cred. The Jamaican Rude Boys did the same thing... Take a look at this footage:



Take out the title and this could easily be Brixton... or Kingston. We had the style, but it was more Middle Class aspirations than an act of rebellion.
I guess my point in asking was this... I was once reading a Soulie forum awhile back and the younger kids were of course asking about the style.... Solatios, Leather trenches, baggies and the usual style cues we associate with Northern Soul. One guy, who'd obviously "been there" cut in about he just didn't get the whole fashion thing surrounding Northern Soul... In fact, I'll quote one of his posts...
"
Plenty of us wore a pair of Adidas Samba's to dance in at Wigan, but this wasn't part of any 'uniform' that set us apart, just another fashion of the day.
If you look at pictures from the scene in the early 80's, ie the end of Wigan/ Start of Stafford period you see People with Wedge Haircuts dressed in Pegs, baggy Shirts and Loafers, but no one ever describes this as 'Northern Soul Fashion' mainly because they just go with the default stereotype 'This England' image of a Guy with big Flares and a long leather dragging around an Adidas bag."
Adidas and Solatios didn't make shoes with Soulies in mind... nor did Crombie make coats to make coats to corner the Suede head market. These were already on the market, and kids just repurposed them.
I've been in the "scene" since I was 11. I'm 45 now. Back then, at the time when the American Skinhead scene, particularly on the West Coast, was increasingly trying to differentiate ourselves from the "punks" we bought what was available. Freds… JFK wore them.... so it wasn't an unknown brand in the USA. My firsts were from second-hand shops. Shirts? Forget about Bens... almost impossible to find... I just wore old "Ivy League" gear, readily available from thrift stores. Boots? Considering that my first pair of 1460s cost me a lot saved allowances and grass cutting cash ($85 in 1987), most of us young kids couldn't afford them, so I wore Corcoran Jump Boots until I could save up. Pair me with a Skinhead kid of the same age at the time in the UK, and I'd look a bit, as you say, naff... but it was the best many of us could do under the circumstances.
Which brings me to now. I work two jobs... and I have the disposable income to look invest in the traditional look, but many people don't... so they try to hit the target. Shirts with smaller collars... skinny or slim fit jeans that sit at the waist? That's what's readily available, so people make due.
Hahah sorry for the long and meandering reply....

 

[Oneflewover]

Bought a new titfer for £10/$12.50

Would you call that a trilby? I do the Panama in summer, when down dressing. Would like to brave on of those. Think the brown is a great choice aswell.

 

[Inkss]

Yes it's a trilby. I only got the brown because they were out of stock in black in my size. I've got a stingy-brim fedora in brown and I quite like that, so I thought I might as well try the brown trilby.

 

[The Saint]

Bought a new titfer for £10/$12.50
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Lovely bunnet Inkss, d'ya get it off Ebay?

 

[Inkss]

Cheers. Yes another ebay job. It was new, but a bit misshapen from shipping/storage, so I had to get at it with spray starch and a hairdryer (obviously the hairdryer belongs to the missus) to get it shipshape and sufficiently stiff (oo-er missus etc). I then gave it a dusting with Scotchguard.

 

[donkeyjacket2]

Yes it's a trilby. I only got the brown because they were out of stock in black in my size. I've got a stingy-brim fedora in brown and I quite like that, so I thought I might as well try the brown trilby.

I prefer them in brown in all honesty, my failsworth stingy brim is brown and goes well with my brown suit, black ones are a bit too blue brothers like for me

Thanks for the reply!!! Id heard about Wranglers and Lees being a preferred brand in the North. I always assumed that Wranglers were somewhat difficult to obtain in those days, though it's only what I've heard, and, of course read.
Sadly... If I REALLY had to choose from denims on the rack today... I'd go with Wranglers. They still have that higher rise (if you get them from "Western Wear" shops here in the States), though even those are a pale imitation of the vintage ones I have.

They are still pretty decent and what i pretty much exclusively wear, good price for brand new ones too, they are as decent if not better quality then standard levis imo, i find the rise does lower a bit after quite a few washes but nothing major.

 

[Vital_linK]

Very true... for money, it's the obvious choice. Better than paying $150 for Levi's Blue Tags made in Turkey.

 

[donkeyjacket2]

I may be wrong but i think an old user mentioned dickies jeans being worn originally before levis in some areas, i heard they are still quite sturdy.

 

[Thin White Duke]

I may be wrong but i think an old user mentioned dickies jeans being worn originally before levis in some areas, i heard they are still quite sturdy.

I never heard of Dickies in England.
Over here you get them for $20 in Walmart. Not the jeans but the chino style. They are poly-cotton but very scratchy and sweatly, not like poplin sta pressts. They are usually worn as work strides or semi-smart uniform strides for the likes of paramedics.

 

[Oneflewover]

They are still pretty decent and what i pretty much exclusively wear, good price for brand new ones too, they are as decent if not better quality then standard levis imo, i find the rise does lower a bit after quite a few washes but nothing major

I got some of the 'cowboy cut' Wranglers from US Amazon. The comment I got on wearing them, "are you wearing dad jeans now". They are my rolling round the garage ones now.

 

[pressuredrop]

I got some of the 'cowboy cut' Wranglers from US Amazon. The comment I got on wearing them, "are you wearing dad jeans now". They are my rolling round the garage ones now.

Good place for them!

All we seem to have in Canada are the 'cowboy cut' when it comes to Wranglers, so I've never found the appeal that some have for them on here.

GWG or the Great Western Garment Company was the company for chinos and work pants that held a crease, I think it would've been them and not Dickies that would have been popular over there.

 

[pressuredrop]

Bought a new titfer for £10/$12.50
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Great ensemble there Inkssy!