Friday, January 4, 2013

Sharp Stylings #58: Dave Pike

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.

First off, HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE! Hope you had a great time! Unfortunately, I spent it downing a magnum of Dayquil while we watched fireworks on Channel 4.

Now, in case you are wondering, my biggest MOD MALE resolution this year: POST MORE SUBSTANTIAL POSTS, not just Friday musings on sharp and casual styles. My other personal resolution: try to wear ties on a more daily basis. (For some reason, my wife rolled her eyes at that one.)

But let's start the new year off with a look at one of my favorite jazz figures, Dave Pike. A couple of weeks ago, there was a discussion on double-breasted suits on the We Are The Mods Facebook page. Me, I'm a huge fan of the double-breasted look and, here, on the back of his Doors of Perception LP, Dave Pike shows how to rock the look:

Sure, it's a much later style, circa 1970, but dig on how well this looks. Four-button jacket with a high button stance and a high gorge, so that only a bit of the tie and shirt are revealed. (Remember, less is more!) I know many of you are fans of thin lapels, but on a double-breasted jacket, I tend to prefer some width. Pike's lapels hit the mark here. The pattern of his suit is just icing on the cake. And in order to ensure the pattern stands out, he's using a white shirt (with long collar) and a lightly-colored tie so that all your attention is focused on the double-breasted action.

Oh yeah, I'm sure most of you think I'm going to end this post with Dave Pike's Mathar, which should be a staple in any Mod DJ's collection, but instead let's stick that that period right before he fell in with the sitar crowd. From Doors of Perception, here's a funky slice of free-flowing jazz for you: The Drifter.

[UPDATE: And check out this live footage of Dave Pike, along with guitarist Volker Kriegel, in action!]


Enjoy the weekend and spread some good vibes!

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2 comments:

  1. Dave Pike is the coolest and so are double-breasted suits!

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    1. Agent00Soul, if you haven't yet, explore the Volker Kriegel output as well. Look up 'Zoom' on Youtube... he was great!

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