Friday, January 25, 2013

Sharp Stylings #60: The Older Man

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.

What's that you say? You're in your, say, mid-40s and have reached a point in your life where comfort trumps all. You're happy hanging out in your Levis 501s, Adidas sneakers, and a Jam t-shirt because, after all, Mod is 'in your heart' and just a 'state of mind' anyways.

Well, SNAP! This dude down here says, "TYA because I'm off to TCB."
Photo from the Mode Parade blog.
That's right, this is how you gear yourself up when you're out makin' the scene. Hell, this dude's sharper than most 20-something Mod dudes I see walking around in sneakers and a parka. And he ain't following the path of guys his age who've just given up, happy to be 'comfortable' in their t-shirts and jeans. As an older fellow, this is how you command attention without saying a word.

And check out that forest green suit! See what I'm talking about when I say you can work within the framework of the 3-button suit and not look like every other Mod guy at the club? Check out the detailing here. First off the shade of that green is magnificent. (What would you say, forest green or hunter green? A reader suggested 'ivy green' and I like it!) Secondly, look at how that red lining just contrasts so beautifully with the outer color. This is why the color of a suit lining is so important... adds in that bit of detail just in case the jacket opens up slightly. Now, look at the cuffs... hard for me to tell, but those don't look like buttons, they look like white loops. Never seen a detail like that before! And lastly, look at the way the 3-button front is arranged. The buttons are tight in the center of the suit so that the jacket flares out a little nicer at the bottom. The wider lapel also helps contrast against the look of the narrow button field. The stance of the buttons is neither too high or too low, just dead center.

At this point, do we even need to go into the tight fit of the trousers, the silver cufflinks on the French cuff shirt, the puffed-out pocket square, or the pale pink tie which pushes a focus on the color of the suit?

Yeah, I didn't think so. Men, you always hear that you have it easy because, supposedly, you age more gracefully than women (not my personal opinion, by the way). Well, don't take that for granted. Earn the grace you supposedly have!

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14 comments:

  1. Yeah, but what about the ladies? We ladies in our mid-40's shouldn't really be wearing clothes made for Twiggy-esque frames. Help us, Mod Male! You're our only hope!

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    1. So funny you brought this up, Sparkleneely! I was just about to post something on the ol' FB page.

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    2. Still simpatico after all these years...

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  2. The shade of that suit is "Ivy". Just letting you know...

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    1. Man, Ivy green wasn't even on my radar! Thanks for the heads up!

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  3. Mod style is actually one of the few youth culture inventions that men can continue to wear as they age, since so much of it is suits and fairly formal clothing. Plus, since the clothes are traditionally cut tight, it's a great incentive to stay in shape and avoid that middle-age spread.

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    1. That's what I've always maintained! I always tell people that the Mod thing is the best subculture to grow old within. Seriously... compare to 50-year old punk rockers. (Granted, how many 50-year old mods can claim Iggy Pop's shape? Double-granted, how many 50-year-old mods WANT to claim Iggy Pop's shape?)

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  4. Wonderful read. As a 53 y.o. who was part of the SoCal Mod Scene in the 80s it can be hard to find decent clothes that reflect the spirit within us older folks! I want to find clothes that look classy, not silly or make me look like I'm desperately trying to hang on to my youth. Thanks for the pep talk!

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    1. I loved reading this. You can do it, my man!

      Take advantage of the Mad Men styles going on right now. Look forward to being the 80-year old dapper man walking down the street... you know, the man that all the young ladies look at and think, "Wow, that guy must have been something 30 years ago, because he still has it!"

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    2. Being nearly 70-years young and still having the Mod mentality since 1960 I have personally always dressed the way that makes me feel good about myself, but always never went out and about without looking totally immaculate that has always been my philosophy about my personal dress code. But being born and raised in London certainly helped me know end, going up to West End of the City most weekends and visiting Saville Row and seeing first hand how the best dressed gents looked when they went out and about in London.Absolutely total style to say the least and became and still to this day A Dedicated follower of fashion and mostly personal STYLE !

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    3. Loved reading this! And I'm happy to read that all these years later, you're still going strong!

      My wife and I were in London a year and a half ago, and I couldn't help walking around trying to imagine what things must have been like on those streets for original Mods.

      And man... it would have been so great to have been around so many people, back then, really taking a self-interest in their style!

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