The Look goes on...

[covskin]

Agree cerneabbas, the 'in between' is dynamic, confounds expectations and takes a bit of work. Not so much a twist, more an untwist!

 

[cocostella]

Must admit I go for my old full mod revival look sometimes. Sat. night I wore a kelly green FP with white tipping, trim black moleskin trousers at proper length/hem-width, white dress socks and modern (longer toe-box/vamp) black Paul Smith penny loafers. Basically, the same thing I'd wear back in 80' (substituting the PS loafers instead of tasseled Weejuns). I'm fairly slim, with a full head of hair, mind... Usually I don't go so straight at this look and vary one or two of the elements. Sometimes, I say screw it and go full-on.

 

[covskin]

That doesn't sound so bad cocostella, a fair bit away from the parka, target and badges look. The hair though...?

 

[Mr Knightley]

A couple of days off and the thread has gone wild!

Lots of good points including the old chestnut - how far do you go in trying to replicate a look from 30 or 45 or 50 years ago? I think the consensus here is you take elements of the Look and embrace them in your style.

Every now and then a full-on look seems just right though. On Sunday I popped down the shops in Combat (MiE) navy Harrington, 501s, J Crew red, blue and white checked BD, M&S cotton slipover v neck in marled grey and Bass beefroll weejuns in burgundy. Pure 1970.

Just picking up on ‘smart’ one of the things I loved about 1968 – 70 was the idea implicit in the skinhead movement that you had to master the art of dressing well in any setting. The immaculate Harrington, jeans or sta prest and Royal brogues out shopping or on the terraces at Arsenal and then in the evening at Ilford Palais a dogtooth suit with crisp white OCBD, paisley silk tie and plain Royals or loafers.

In some ways the 1980s was the same (for me). During the day it might be a long sleeve PS polo with rugby style quarters in multi colours, Italian chinos and loafers and at night or in the office a Boss DB suit with Armani tie and classic Oxford shoes.

Today men struggle to cross over in the same way – assuming they dress well at all, of course!!

 

[cocostella]



The hair though...?

Guess I just brought it up as I was attempting to paint a picture and the hair can be such an integral part of "the look." Certainly didn't mean it as a jab at the more "follicly challenged," though upon review I can see how it might have been taken that way. Apologies, if so.

 

[cerneabbas]

A couple of days off and the thread has gone wild!

Lots of good points including the old chestnut - how far do you go in trying to replicate a look from 30 or 45 or 50 years ago? I think the consensus here is you take elements of the Look and embrace them in your style.

Every now and then a full-on look seems just right though. On Sunday I popped down the shops in Combat (MiE) navy Harrington, 501s, J Crew red, blue and white checked BD, M&S cotton slipover v neck in marled grey and Bass beefroll weejuns in burgundy. Pure 1970.

Just picking up on ‘smart’ one of the things I loved about 1968 – 70 was the idea implicit in the skinhead movement that you had to master the art of dressing well in any setting. The immaculate Harrington, jeans or sta prest and Royal brogues out shopping or on the terraces at Arsenal and then in the evening at Ilford Palais a dogtooth suit with crisp white OCBD, paisley silk tie and plain Royals or loafers.

In some ways the 1980s was the same (for me). During the day it might be a long sleeve PS polo with rugby style quarters in multi colours, Italian chinos and loafers and at night or in the office a Boss DB suit with Armani tie and classic Oxford shoes.

Today men struggle to cross over in the same way – assuming they dress well at all, of course!!

I definitely think that you are right Mr Knightley,people just don't make any effort at all on any occasion now,A couple of years ago I was on a plane and an English couple got on in their late 50s early 60s the man was wearing shapeless jeans, bad enough but they had paint splashes on them !. A bloke that I know went to a funeral and a man turned up wearing a tracksuit !.

There doesn't seem to be that difference in daywear/streetwear and special occasion/Saturday night out clothes any more,in fact I would bet that a high percentage of men in Britain only have jeans and trainers and don't own a pair of trousers or shoes.

 

[covskin]



Guess I just brought it up as I was attempting to paint a picture and the hair can be such an integral part of "the look." Certainly didn't mean it as a jab at the more "follicly challenged," though upon review I can see how it might have been taken that way. Apologies, if so.

Haha, no offence taken cocostella though I am having to cut it a bit shorter these days! Was just wondering if you went for the mod revivalist 'Weller' hairstyle or something else.

 

[cocostella]

Yup. About like this... without the violet spotlights, of course!

 

[covskin]



Yup. About like this... without the violet spotlights, of course

Looks fairly decent to me, much nicer than the centre-parting pageboy look.

 

[cocostella]

True. Basically a grown out crop, with a little length on sides and back. When it gets to long, I end up looking more like a Faces era Ron Wood... big schnoz and all.

 

[cerneabbas]

Picked this up at a "vintage clothing boutique" recently, not my size but couldn't pass it up. A bit skinhead, a bit casual. Can anyone date it? Maybe wore it, way back when.

A funny coincidence,I came across these jackets for sale on 80s casual classics,so it looks like some Casuals wore them in the 80s. I hadn't realised that Lois were a Spanish make (guess the bull logo should have been a clue) or that they (Lois) are still making jeans now.

 

[baggycasual]

Spanish but surprise, surprise not made in Spain any more.

 

[cerneabbas]

Spanish but surprise, surprise not made in Spain any more.

I suppose that we would be more surprised if they were still made in Spain.

I noticed on that 80scasuals site polos and track tops by Sergio Tacchini,I remember that their stuff was pretty popular and I thought expensive for what it was,looking online at their polos now I thought that quite a lot of them were very cheap,turns out that the cheap ones are 65% polyester,not the ideal material for a hot summer day.

I wasn't keen on the tennis based Casual look,in fact where Casual went wrong for me was being so brand orientated,lots of people just thought that wearing any old crap by Ellese Fila etc etc made a good look because they were the 'in' brands and expensive so their gear must be/look great,not so IMO.
In fact I will go further and say that Casual was responsible for the Chav 'look'.

I was out and about yesterday and I was remembering the days when I would go out and notice what people were wearing in a positive way,many times noticing someone wearing a jacket or shoes and thinking now that's nice,that has not happened for a very long time now.
Sorry to be so negative,I think the winter is getting to me roll on the spring.

 

[covskin]



In fact I will go further and say that Casual was responsible for the Chav 'look'.

I agree with this a thousand times over. It was the mid-80s tracksuit bottoms that marked the start of the chav look in my view, a look continued through the hideous late 80s shellsuit and into the braindead, cannabis-smoking, baseball-capped bumpkin we are all familiar with.

 

[cerneabbas]

There is a sale at Outdoor and Country at the moment,Barbour and Baracuta jackets well reduced.