Sharp Stylings #14: Gabor Szabo

We can learn so much from yesterday’s fashion icons.  And living in a post-Mad Men world means we can even enjoy aspects of current male fashions! Every Friday, I’d like to start your weekend off right with a little style inspiration from either then or now. Hopefully, my fellow Mod enthusiasts will find the whole or some detail of the whole to appreciate and maybe even adopt.

Right here is another instance when everything is just right with a photo.

Cover image to Gabor Szabo's 1966 Jazz Raga LP on Impulse Records. Head out to your local record shop and find this one!

Not that you need me to point anything out, but:

• Beautiful, shining Lambrettas at the forefront of the image.
• Jazz guitarist Gabor Szabo busting out his sitar at a traffic stop while out on a Sunday scooter ride.
• Cute Carnaby Street model diggin' on the entertainment while waiting for the traffic light to change.
• Oh yeah, and Szabo looking MAF (an old term my friends and I used to use that I'd forgotten about - 'Mod as F***')!

If you could take all of my tastes and mash them up into one single photo, this would just about be it. Stock Lambretta scooters, Modded-out jazz musician playing sitar psychedelia, Carnaby Street clothes... the only thing that could make this a more picture-perfect representation of my tastes would be if the model was actually Tammi Terrell holding a glass of Syrah in one hand and an Evil Dead 2 DVD in the other as Antoine Doinel and Batman wave at them from across the street while sitting on a couple of Eames chairs.

But let's go back to Gabor Szabo. Instead of donning a kaftan, long hair and love beads* to go with his sitar, he keeps it cool with a crisp, sharp outfit:

• Tight, houndstooth-patterned trousers with no flare. (And I'm a fan of small flares!)
• Dark, thin floral tie.
• Dark jacket contrasting with a light blue shirt. And are those cocktail cuffs, I see?
• Short, neat hairstyle which I'm totally cool with despite my dig of the backcomb.
• Pinkie ring! 

This photo has always struck me right due to the psychedelic vibe coming from his instrument despite the fact that he's dressed like an early-to-mid-sixties Mod. And what I dig most about his outfit is the contrast between the patterns and colors. He's suited up but in an almost casual way.

That's how you do it!

[*EDITOR'S NOTE: Yeah, yeah, I know the photo's from 1966 which pre-dates kaftans, long hair, and love beads.]

Mod Gone Wrong: 'Austin Powers' Costume

One day, back in 1997, I was wasting time in the school's computer lab searching for random information on either Infoseek or Netscape (Google before there was Google, for those too young to remember). Somehow, I came across a news story that Mike Myers of Wayne's World was working on a film set in 1960s Carnaby Street. I couldn't believe it! Myers, who was comedy gold back then, was actually going to spend time, money, and energy on a Mod film! I got home and shared the news with my friends. We wondered if this film would get people excited about sixties Mod fashions and start a(nother) new... mod revival.

I'll never forget the day the film opened. I went to check it out with work friends and, despite the fact that it was a slapstick comedy, really dug it. Sure it was making fun of the sixties, but I thought it did that pretty well. No, this wouldn't be starting revivals of any sort, but it was great to see a period of Mod history I loved so much as the backdrop of a major film. Even if that whole scene lasted less than 5 minutes.

But then something strange happened. As I walked out of the theater, laughing with my friends, I started to notice people whispering and pointing at me. I didn't get it... was there something on me? Did I have popcorn in my hair? Was it... something... I was... wearing... ?

Oh no... it hit me. People thought I was dressed up for the film. They thought I was a part of the show. Little did I know, this was just the beginning of Austin Powers jokes to haunt me and my kind for years to come.

Thanks to this film and its sequel (which I'm proud to say I've NEVER seen), the phrases "Groovy, baby" and "Oh, behave!" would be heard over and over again. Local '60s dance clubs would be filled with brit-pop types, skinheads, Mods, and, yes, people dressed up as Austin Powers complete with fake teeth. Whenever I was cornered by someone not in the know and forced to explain what I was into, the response was generally, "Oh, like Austin Powers!"

And now, Austin Powers costumes are here to stay. For ever:

Relive the 1997 Halloween trend and go dressed as once-funny super spy Austin Powers.

The funny thing is that several years later I started noticing some Mods at world-wide events dressing in similar outfits.

Was it art imitating life or life imitating art? Whatever the answer, I just hope the fake teeth and "Shagadelic" phrases are left at home.

Sharp Stylings #13: Antoine Doinel

We can learn so much from yesterday’s fashion icons.  And living in a post-Mad Men world means we can even enjoy aspects of current male fashions! Every Friday, I’d like to start your weekend off right with a little style inspiration from either then or now. Hopefully, my fellow Mod enthusiasts will find the whole or some detail of the whole to appreciate and maybe even adopt.

One more post in honor of our European vacation, with an emphasis on Paris!

One of the best films I was turned on to back in my early college days was François Truffaut's 400 Blows. As much as I liked Godard and the rest of the French New Wave, Truffaut was the #1 director for me, mainly because he placed so much emphasis on the humanity of his characters. This was shown best in 400 Blows, which featured one of my favorite film characters ever: Antoine Doinel.

When that final freeze-frame hit the screen during my first viewing of the film, I thought that was it. Fin. But a few months later, my friend Jarrod (who now writes the Le Drugstore 1968 blog) clued me in to the continuing adventures of Antoine Doinel, first with the short film segment Antoine and Collete from the anthology film Love at Twenty and then with Stolen Kisses. At that point in my life, I related completely with Doinel and his struggles with women, boy, let me tell you. But you're not here to read about how I identified with a guy having women problems! You're here to read about STYLE! So let's move on.

Winter is finally hitting us and that means it's scarf time! Sure, most Mods are already down with the scarf look thanks to various Mod bands through time that have done their part to make solid, striped, and paisley scarves look rockin'. But it wasn't any of those bands that made me want to hunt down scarves at first. Nope, it was Antoine Doinel in this scene from Stolen Kisses:

Once I saw this scene, I knew I had to rush out and find something that cool to wrap around my neck. For a time in my early-to-mid-20s, scarves were my preferred type of neckwear, even beating out ties. And now that the weather is finally getting cold again, it's time to bust out the scarves. Let Antoine Doinel show you how it's done.

Great Stolen Kisses behind-the-scenes shot with Truffaut and Claude Jade (who played Christine Darbon).

Another Stolen Kisses behind-the-scenes shot with Truffaut.

Antoine Doinel with Colette (played by Marie-France Pisier) in Antoine and Colette. Ergh! She made me so mad in this film!

Okay, okay... this isn't a shot of Antoine Doinel, but rather his alter-ego Jean-Piérre Leaud in the film Masculin-Feminin by Jean-Luc Godard.



Jean-Piérre Leaud, again, but this time much younger. This image, found on the Shadowplay blog, is from the making of a film called Boulevard, which I've not seen. 

 Alright... I'm off now to grab a scarf and plop in some Truffaut DVDs! See ya Monday!



Mod Gone Wrong: 'Mod Revival' Costume

[Mod Male is on vacation at this time so won't be able to respond to any comments.]  

Wow, these guys got specific with this 'fancy dress' outfit! It's not just a 'Mod' costume, it's a 'Mod Revival Dress' costume!


Looking for something to wear while you're cheering on Jimmy as he fights Rockers? Here you go!

Now, it doesn't look like the creators of these outfits put a whole lot of effort into them. We've got the 2-Tone ska Mod dress with obligatory checkerboard headband. I think this was actually someone's party outfit from back in the day.

And the fellow's costume is basically just... a parka. Without patches. Without badges. This costume needs a little more work. Well, at least he's got 2-Tone basketball sneakers on. I wonder if the costume comes complete with Quadrophenia dialogue? Maybe a little button in the pocket he can press so that a speaker in the hood can blast out, "Get in there, my son!" over and over again.

All the work this company put into their "Mod Revival" costume makes me curious as to what their "Punk" costume consists of. What, a safety pin? And I bet their "Goth" costume is a black cape.

After looking at this photo more closely, though, there seems to be something really familiar about these people. I can't quite put my finger -- oh wait! I think I've seen them before! Yeah, at practically every scooter rally photo I've seen on the internet!

Quadrophenia Commercial Spoof

Y'know, living in the U.S., it's hard to appreciate just how much Mod culture has infiltrated the public consciousness in the U.K. I once thought that Mods had fallen beneath the radar, even out there, but this commercial proves me wrong.

I find it pretty funny, myself, but I'm curious as to what the thoughts were when this first aired. Are Mods in the U.K. pretty much a common, well-known culture to be spoofed like this much like Haight-Ashbury hippies would be in the U.S.? Is Quadrophenia as well-known in the U.K. as, say, Saturday Night Fever is out here?

Also, what are YOUR thoughts on the above video?

Sharp Stylings #12: Charlie Watts

We can learn so much from yesterday’s fashion icons.  And living in a post-Mad Men world means we can even enjoy aspects of current male fashions! Every Friday, I’d like to start your weekend off right with a little style inspiration from either then or now. Hopefully, my fellow Mod enthusiasts will find the whole or some detail of the whole to appreciate and maybe even adopt.

[Mod Male is on vacation at this time so won't be able to respond to any comments.]  

In the British Style Genius video I linked to on Monday, Charlie Watts (y'know, Rolling Stones drummer and all) was featured in some of the interviews, which I thought was a good choice. Having not read up much on his life (which I plan to remedy in the future), I wasn't sure what his involvement was with early Mods. That said, this guy had impeccable style back then:

Taken from the Relais Madeleine Paris site, filled with great photos and autographs of '60s figures.

Great hair, nice button-down shirt, thin tie, with a form-fitting suit, Watts is looking stone-cold hip here as he takes some time for a fan.

But even more importantly, this guy has not let up on the style well into his older age! While most 'rock stars' are out there trying desperately to hold on to their youth, Charlie Watts is usually seen in a tailored suit and tie. No, he's not walking around in Mod-stye suits or anything, but he is always looking dapper and well put-together. Again, a lesson for all us aging guys... we don't have to give in to casual simply because it's comfortable. Think about it... while Paul Weller is walking around in tank tops singlets*, Charlie Watts is straight-loungin' like this:

And y'know what? He probably dresses this nice just to do his backyard gardening! Dang!

*Yes, I know there are photos of Charlie in tank tops in the 1970s... but that decade was messed up for almost EVERYONE style-wise. I'll give the guy a pass.

Mod Gone Wrong: 'Carnaby Street' Costume

[Mod Male is on vacation at this time so won't be able to respond to any comments.] 

I guess this type of costume could only work in the U.K., seeing as how most people in the U.S. wouldn't get the Carnaby Street joke. In fact, I can guarantee that if you walked into an American Halloween party with the following costume, you'd be greeted with a chorus of "Hey, it's Austin Powers! Grooooovy, Baby!"

Want to dress up as a walking Mondrian painting?

You really have to hand it to the company who came up with the male version of this costume. In American dollars, this would be almost $40 for a black shirt and wide tie to rent! And I'm only guessing that's a tie because it could easily pass as a bib to protect your clothing if you happen to be eating lobster at a fancy art museum restaurant.

Ahh... I think I figured out why these costumes are for rent only. I imagine that if it were for sale, you'd see a lot of newbie insta-Mod gals hitting nightclubs all over town in, what they might think, was an Yves Saint Laurent knock-off! Still can't quite make out what the deal is with the blue wig. Maybe her boyfriend's wide Mondrian tie wasn't wacky enough?

Oh, and look at that... seems she's got the same type of go-go boots worn by Moddish women who still haven't gotten the memo.

British Style Genius - The Street Look (Mod Section!)

[Mod Male is on vacation at this time so won't be able to respond to any comments.]  

The below videos are from a BBC series called British Style Genius and, trust me, the whole thing is great! You can find these segments on the YouTube, but if you want to skip to the Mod stuff, hit the 4:30 mark in the first video, then continue on to the second. And keep an ear out for the ingredients of a Mod.

"Mod was aspiration." It doesn't get much truer than that. So many great interviews in here to back that line up.

My other favorite line from this segment: "Friday night clothes, please. That just wasn't what we were about." Hearing statements like these from some of the originals brings a huge smile to my face!

Honestly, there's not a whole lot for me to add today, what with the documentary saying what needs to be said. So I'll leave it at that. Enjoy!

Sharp Stylings #11: Jacques Dutronc

We can learn so much from yesterday’s fashion icons.  And living in a post-Mad Men world means we can even enjoy aspects of current male fashions! Every Friday, I’d like to start your weekend off right with a little style inspiration from either then or now. Hopefully, my fellow Mod enthusiasts will find the whole or some detail of the whole to appreciate and maybe even adopt.

[Mod Male is on vacation at this time so won't be able to respond to any comments.]  

In honor of the French portion of our trip, today's sharp fellow is Jacques Dutronc. Personally, I never got too heavy into '60s French music, but there are the popular dancefloor songs I really dig such as Dutronc's Le Responsable.


Taken from the NeoRetro blog.

I actually had a difficult time finding a slick photo of Dutronc NOT in a 3-piece suit. And it's not that I don't like 3-piece suits (I do), but I wanted to get a more Moddish-looking photo of the guy. So, here he is lookin' killer in a slim suit, thin lapels, nicely cut pants (should I be using the term 'trousers' for any international readers?), thin tie, and... is that a pocket square or a pair of eyeglasses sticking out of his pocket?

Doesn't matter... with the confidence this guy's exuding in the photo, he could be wearing a pocket protector and still out-cool you.

Mod Gone Wrong: '1960s Mod' Costume

[Mod Male is on vacation at this time so won't be able to respond to any comments.] 

Well, Mod Subculture, you know you've hit the big time when you've got a Halloween costume based on you. Looks like you're not 'underground' any more, old friend.

Hey, just in case some of you want a parka but don't want to hunt one down at a surplus shop, just go here!

According to the description of this outfit, it would be "perfect for any 60's Mod"... because, I guess, you'd want to go to a Halloween/'fancy dress' party as yourself? The designer of this costume spared no expense in its authenicity, thus creating an "effective Sizties" costume which includes a "Parker Coat."

My favorite bit about this whole thing is the target on the back, because it just can't be 'mod' without the target. And just in case people at the party can't quite figure out what you're supposed to be, the costume comes complete with two patches declaring "Mods" and "Mods RULE." Now let's be honest here, how many of you guys reading this actually have those exact patches on your parkas right now? Looks like your costume search is over!

I do wish I had seen this several years back, though. It would have saved me a lot of time and effort when I decided to go as a teenage me!

This outfit worked for Halloween and would probably work for plenty of scooter rallies too!

Although I do hate dressing up, I do love October and Halloween, so expect more Halloween Mod Gone Wrongs in the coming weeks!

PARKER POWER!!

In Support of Style (and Color!)

[Mod Male is on vacation at this time so won't be able to respond to any comments.]

By the time this post goes up, we'll be walkin' the streets of London. Oh sure, you probably think I want to strut around Carnaby Street, but actually, I'd rather be window-shopping and wishing I could afford items in Ozwald Boateng's shop! One of Savile Row's flashest tailors, Ozwald lays down some interesting thoughts on style and use of color in the following documentary:

Take some time and dig what he lays down here. (And for you ska fans, you'll appreciate hearing about his background!) You can find the rest of the film on YouTube. Get to it!

Meanwhile, we'll be doing the tourist thing on the Thames.