Mod culture has been around since the early 1960s, and it highly influenced fashion and music. There are aspects of this culture that are still popular in today’s society, which just hammers it home that mod clothing really made its mark. While mod culture spread to most demographics of people, it stemmed from being associated with working-class men. This particular band of people had lifestyle characteristics that decided the type of clothes they wore and the style they upheld.
So, what is mod clothing?
Now that we’ve established that this clothing style still has a strong influence on some aspects of today’s clothing let’s delve into what mod clothing is defined as. Mod fashion was synonymous with working-class young men when it was formed, and due to the stereotypical lifestyle of the young men that are wearing the clothes, they needed to be fairly hard-wearing and durable.
Mod fashion and style of clothing were typically derived from clothing that was worn in the 1950s. Sharp dress shirts and dapper outfits were key to the look of the mod group. Mods rebelled against middle-class values by riding scooters instead of cars and listening to soul music instead of rock ‘n’ roll.
The actual look of mods ranged from t-shirts with band names across to button-down shirts with skinny ties worn over jeans. Tensions rose between the Rockabilly group, and they were known as being rivals of each other.
For women, the fashion was clearly separate from other groups by its recognisable makeup, which included thick eyeliner and thick mascara. Mini skirts were the foundation of a proper mod outfit, and pixie cuts made their way into fashion due to the mod trends. Opposite to the ‘50s, the ‘60s were all about hiding the waist by wearing shift dresses that brushed over women’s curves.
Which Countries Nailed The Mod Fashion?
Great Britain
Great Britain was the home of mod culture, so it would seem remiss not to include them in the list of countries that nailed mod fashion. Mod fashion heavily influenced fashion for decades, and we can still see the influences in clothing today. Pieces such as miniskirts were made all the rage during the mod movement, and these will forever be in fashion. Thanks, Twiggy!
Mod fashion was seen in popular culture and impacted dressing in films. Celebrities were also known to adopt the mod style, and this found itself in mainstream fashion amongst boutiques and vintage clothing stores.
United States of America
Once the mod style was popular in Great Britain, it also made its way into America. Groups of young people adopted and copied the look, so it became a country with a strong mod influence. However, it was made popular in a different way in London. In London, it was a strong sub-group of society, with people either a part of it or on the outside of it. It was a culture seriously protected by its members. On the other hand, in America, mod fashion became more synonymous with general youth style. It became more blended into general fashion, as against a fierce sub-group.
France
French young people made their own mod look which included straw boater hats and huge sunglasses. The huge sunglasses would also hide any dark circles from late-night partying that the mod youths might be getting up to.
Mod fashion was an iconic genre that created a shift in the way young people dressed. It made a clear subculture that had a fierce membership that made distinguishing those who weren’t in the group from those who were very easy. Mod clothing also had a heavy influence on other country’s fashion and made waves in the fashion industry that would be impactful forever.
