Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Mod Gone Wrong?

Click here for more kid hoodie cuteness!
Not this time, my friends!

As you all know, I've grown very weary of the standard, uninspiring, and drab look of Mod targets, Union Jacks, and checkerboards. This stuff is all great when you're starting out, but hopefully, by my age the age of 21, you've moved on from those *ya-a-a-w-w-w-n*... tired items.

But when it comes to children, all bets are off! In fact, the cheesier the better! This past weekend was our nephew's birthday and let me tell you we were dying with all the 'Mod' related stuff he got! The Who mini-tee-shirt, Fred Perry shirt, hip cap, and this:
BEEP! BEEP! Should I be jealous that this lil' guy owns a car in my size before I do?
Heck, we were wishing we had HIS bedroom, what with all the cool SHAG decor and toys he had in there. In fact, I'm going to buy up some SpongeBob Squarepants toys so that when he's a couple of years older, I can convince him to trade with me. (Yeah, what of it?)

So friends, if you have a special kid in your life, you need to take a look at this blog entry on the Modern Kiddo site (it's a great site, really... I mean, look at this kid) and stock up for the upcoming holidays. Amazing Mod-inspired kid goodness on this site!

But I'm going to warn you now: if you persist in pushing the Mod look on your kids too far into their lives you run the risk of them rebelling against you (like we've all done to our parents, I'm sure) by turning heavy metal, hip-hop, deadhead, emo, hipster, or *gulp!*:
Maybe he dressed his son up in too many target shirts when he was a wee one?

6 comments:

  1. As a parent I have ZERO desire to dress my child up in mini-mod gear and turn them into a pint sized version of me. My kid can make up their own mind to be whatever they want when they're old enough.....otherwise they too may wind up with a nylon peacoat, a Kajagoogoo hair cut and a Jewish grandmother's sunglasses..........

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  2. I would have to agree with Bill. Although I have no kids of my own yet, I can't imagine dressing them in outfits I've deemed as cheesy (targets, union jacks, b/w checkerboard, etc) This falls right in the same category as the poor toddlers walking around with mohawks or whatever trend "hip" parents are subjecting their children to nowadays.

    I love looking at vintage photos of kids that looked like kids. You know, the little nautical outfits, the peter pan collars, the patent mary janes.. I never see kids dressed like that anymore!

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  3. I don't think I would be as obsessed with dressing my kid like a pint-sized mod as I am with finding clothes for myself but I have to admit that the Fred Perry kids collection looks amazing. I don't think I could resist buying at least one.

    Plus, I'm getting married in less then a month and my fiancée and I are guilty of having my 3 young nieces wearing cute Mary Quant/Twiggy type dresses all thanks to the expert hands of my mother-in-law. My nieces did get to choose the colors. Pink and purple!

    So... Mea Culpa.

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  4. Well, there was a time when I would have NOT been into the mod dress for kids.

    Then a nephew came into our lives. Like Patrick with his nieces, whenever we find pint-sized Ben Shermans or cute little mod-related items, we snatch them up!

    The way I see it is that since little kids (0-4 years old or so) can't pick their own clothing, they have to rely on the parents tastes. IF I had children, I wouldn't be able to help finding little moddish stuff simply because the tyke wouldn't know how to dress him/herself. (And you can be sure I'd stay away from children's uggs or crocs!)

    But as soon as they're able, I'd totally push for kids to pick out their own stuff. I'd want to stress the development of their OWN identity away from mine. Even if it means, ugh, they come running up with a pair of crocs in their hands.

    But I'd still be strict on a couple of things as they got older: no sweat clothes, pajamas, or flip-flops out of the house! I've actually seen teens out and about like this. My rule would be that if you go out, you go out presentable. Once they're in college then they can go sloppy.

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  5. I tried ages ago to turn my nephew onto "cool" stuff, very subtly, but he followed his path and now disdains 60's music for the likes of whatever it is 13 year old's dig... Regardless my child will look snappy, even if it's like everyone else till she's older enough to pick her own clothes, till then no 2 year old in a parka or target shirt of little expensive Fred Perry shirts (her Uncle Chaz did make her little Fred/Ben knock off onesies though when she was born).

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  6. With all respect... those without kids have no idea what they'll do, until that bundle of joy enters your life...

    From day one we were inundated with (and sought out) cute Mod inspired baby clothes including Lambretta onsies, Mod target baby shoes, Soul fist t-shirts, Paul Frank Julius Monkey t-shirts (including a great 2-tone inspired design and a Small(Paul)Faces design which was brillint) Ben Sherman button downs, Lonsdale sweatshirts and shoes and the list goes on.
    As my daughter is growing up she is taking on her own style but loves the fishtail parka we bought her from the BabyGap (yes, I sewed a target on the back and its got Who pins on the lapels), an Alpha MA-1 Bomber with scooter club patches and of course a truly divine Jessica Madison Dada Dress original.
    The alternative to dressing your kid MOD these days, when they start wanting to dress themselves, is Disney Princesses or Tinkerbell if its a girl and ,from what I hear, Spiderman and Thomas the Tank engine if its a boy..

    ..so you decide.

    Because lets face it, you deciding will be over before you know it!

    ..and as far as the photo of Weller and his son,
    you can see what he's thinking by the look on his face.. "Kids!?!"

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