tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003549771029270052.post468346378672316654..comments2024-03-26T04:10:10.685-07:00Comments on Mod Male: How I Learned To Stop Worshipping The ParkaSupermodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16441428489565098268noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003549771029270052.post-44493021208090917392016-11-24T05:36:19.130-08:002016-11-24T05:36:19.130-08:00Load of rubbish!!! RAF No Army yes and they didn&#...Load of rubbish!!! RAF No Army yes and they didn't have a RAF target on the back lol can you see some poor RAF crew man been shoot down and trying to hide with a big bull's eye on is back lmfao. They were made for extreme cold weather for WW2 the redesigned upgraded for to m65 later on .hasbilbohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08997718399068221618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003549771029270052.post-41453308115169663502016-11-24T05:35:28.514-08:002016-11-24T05:35:28.514-08:00Load of rubbish!!! RAF No Army yes and they didn&#...Load of rubbish!!! RAF No Army yes and they didn't have a RAF target on the back lol can you see some poor RAF crew man been shoot down and trying to hide with a big bull's eye on is back lmfao. They were made for extreme cold weather for WW2 the redesigned upgraded for to m65 later on .hasbilbohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08997718399068221618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003549771029270052.post-11175647206211714932015-04-20T15:24:16.139-07:002015-04-20T15:24:16.139-07:00i like parkas. don´t like badges. im small my park...i like parkas. don´t like badges. im small my parka is big. sod it all I just happen to like the thing and `m not really into the mod world. fair enough!!kolimbahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06870854745539077192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003549771029270052.post-71852285734082578652013-02-08T10:17:24.936-08:002013-02-08T10:17:24.936-08:00In Defense Of The Parka
Well, first of all, sorry...In Defense Of The Parka<br /><br />Well, first of all, sorry for coming up with this one so late. (And sorry for modifying the headline of your brilliant 3-button-jacket-entry.) And sorry if my English went a bit rusty in the last couple of years since my return to Hamburg...<br /><br />Basically I can agree with what you're saying, especially since you refer mainly to Californian climate. As stated by others earlier, if you happen to live in Washington, Quebec, foggy England or Hamburg like me, things look slightly different. <br /><br />But let me tell you what a parka can be good for too: <br />I used to get into the Mod-thing in 1984 I think and OF COURSE I had my M65 fishtail-parka very soon (The Who-badge plus a flag of Scotland - why I wouldn't know). Of course I was very much a Ticket and when, after a year or so, I kind of reached the stage of what could be called a Number I somehow didn't go much further into the Mod-scene (which was in decline in Hamburg at that time). What stayed was the Parka (for a couple of years), the Vespa (up until today) and - I think - something like, how to put it, well, maybe a certain perception of things in terms of style? <br />So all this is basically almost 30 years ago. <br />Last autumn I was in need of a new winter jacket. I looked around in several shops for a couple of weeks and everywhere I would find these Parkas with furry hoods for 500 Euro and more. Then I remembered my M65 from the 80's and how good it always served me. So I ordered one online for 90 Euro.<br />And - I'm almost embarrassed to confess this - it was an incredible flash-back. (Yes, I know, mid-life-crisis and all that.) But still. While, when ordering it, I didn't even think wether a man in his forties could wear a parka or not (everybody has one this winter anyway - no M65 of course) I found myself wearing this parka in the streets and thinking: I can't walk around as a Mod-cliché in my age... (Even though: Would anyone recognise it anyway?) So I found myself typing the letters M-O-D in Google search for the first time in my life. I browsed through all those pictures and YouTube-clips. I reviewed my wardrobe (and found that most of it fits in that frame, even though I haven't perceived myself as a Mod in the last decades). And I found your brilliant blog that deals with quite some issues that are of great interest to me these days as I seem to be going "back to my roots". (Even though I'm probably still at the Number-stage and couldn't possibly call myself Supermod... ;-)...)<br /><br />So, I think the Parka is very much what Patrick Foisy in his comment calls an "important symbol" of Mod. Certainly not the essence of Mod, but, at least in my case, a very strong element of (particularly emotional) identification. <br /><br />And it serves me very well in the lousy weather we are having over here for weeks now already...!rafeofhamburghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11102764257130359359noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003549771029270052.post-52336767385613933402012-05-31T17:00:25.561-07:002012-05-31T17:00:25.561-07:00Haha! That's why I had to call out the Upper E...Haha! That's why I had to call out the Upper East Coast... where you live, parkas would be a must, especially in the winter.<br /><br />It's interesting right now to see so many companies trying to come up with 'fashion' parkas. It's not a very 'stylish' look, after all. But I am with you on the maturing issue. The older I've gotten, the more I've left behind various symbols that were once a part of my look. And I like that!Supermodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16441428489565098268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003549771029270052.post-68226914900260177202012-05-31T12:48:23.839-07:002012-05-31T12:48:23.839-07:00Oh well, it was just a theory based on an educated...Oh well, it was just a theory based on an educated guess LOLAgent00Soulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12691769428518024264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003549771029270052.post-89754445628148982392012-05-25T04:17:40.349-07:002012-05-25T04:17:40.349-07:00First, thank you Carlos for the accolade.
Even w...First, thank you Carlos for the accolade. <br /><br />Even with a blog named Parka Avenue, some might be surprised to know that I agree with what you're saying. I must admit that I still own a M-51 and a M-65 that I only wear while riding the Vespa and it's devoid of any patches or badges. As you so eloquently say, I don't need to be "a walking Mod advertisement". I do have a newer replica of M-51 made by Lambretta that I wear in the winter as seen in this photo. <br /><br />http://www.flickr.com/photos/27493179@N05/6905767978/in/set-72157623946961708<br /><br />It's very comfortable and I am from The Great White North after all! What I don't get is why someone would pay £500 for a M-51 Quadrophenia replica from Pretty Green. That is simply insane!<br /><br />http://www.prettygreen.com/shop/product/the-who-quadrophenia-parka/<br /><br />The parka will remain for me an important "symbol" that I will probably never get ride of. But I do see myself wearing my parka less and less because I feel like it's the "grown up" thing to do. Like you, I'm moving towards a more mature style of Mod. Proof once again that Mod fashion is never static.Patrick Foisyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02610371104788169232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003549771029270052.post-22225777642300450362012-05-24T11:24:51.943-07:002012-05-24T11:24:51.943-07:00Sorry to bash your logical theory, Agent00Soul, bu...Sorry to bash your logical theory, Agent00Soul, but fishtail parkas were U.S. Army, not RAF, made from 1951-56 (M51 model), thus easily available in surplus shops in Europe in the early 60s since there were a lot of US army troops stationed there in the 50s.<br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anorak#Fishtail_parka<br />http://www.fishtailparkas.com/fishtail_parkas.html<br /><br />The ones we found in surplus shops in the 80s were the later M65 model with a detachable hood.TheJabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08997697354359310055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003549771029270052.post-23427786291041131392012-05-24T09:30:31.663-07:002012-05-24T09:30:31.663-07:00You figured it: WW2 surplus parkas were a good che...You figured it: WW2 surplus parkas were a good cheap way to keep your expensive clothes clean while riding a scooter in foggy, wet England. If you look at 60s photos, I don't think you see too many when they aren't riding or in walking outside in bad weather.<br /><br />BTW I have a theory that these parkas were also the origin of the "mod target" design. I think most of them were, as I wrote above, WW2 surplus Royal Air Force issue. The symbol of the RAF was (and still is) the mod target. The kids probably just left them on their parkas either from laziness or the comic book aesthetic or even patriotism. This target made its way to Keith Moon's shirts and the rest is history.Agent00Soulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12691769428518024264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003549771029270052.post-22401105671054296152012-05-24T09:21:01.270-07:002012-05-24T09:21:01.270-07:00Parkas in the snow are much approved! See, that...Parkas in the snow are much approved! See, that's a good use for it.<br />Living on the CA West Coast, the weather just never really calls for it. (Granted, that didn't stop me wearing one as a kid in the SUMMER.)Supermodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16441428489565098268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003549771029270052.post-82587983466324548482012-05-24T09:19:38.407-07:002012-05-24T09:19:38.407-07:00Dean, now THAT was a nice thing to do... passing o...Dean, now THAT was a nice thing to do... passing on the parka for the next gen. Even though, some hippy or metal kid probably bought it!Supermodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16441428489565098268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003549771029270052.post-1678320919301508772012-05-24T09:18:17.359-07:002012-05-24T09:18:17.359-07:00Irene CLAIMS she never wore a parka... and I guess...Irene CLAIMS she never wore a parka... and I guess I believe her. When I was younger, girls in parkas weren't on my radar as much as girls in (yes) flight jackets... with ska patches!Supermodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16441428489565098268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003549771029270052.post-81627615242814633542012-05-24T09:16:59.714-07:002012-05-24T09:16:59.714-07:00Yeah, like I said, I remember using that parka oft...Yeah, like I said, I remember using that parka often for sleepovers and such. It really was like a security blanket it for me, early on.<br />And I can't tell you how bummed out I am that my first parka (with the fabric paint) was lost. I wish my parents kept it somewhere for me to find again.Supermodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16441428489565098268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003549771029270052.post-9700574859509807352012-05-24T09:14:39.414-07:002012-05-24T09:14:39.414-07:00I think this has become my favorite parka story! Y...I think this has become my favorite parka story! You had to hide it from your mom? I love that!<br /><br />My mother used to HATE that I walked around with a target on my back. In the area I grew up in, there was a gang problem, and my mother really worried that someone would make inappropriate use of that target.Supermodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16441428489565098268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003549771029270052.post-21663317423242097342012-05-24T01:16:18.409-07:002012-05-24T01:16:18.409-07:00Great post.
Someone gave me my only parka when I ...Great post.<br /><br />Someone gave me my only parka when I was about 13 and my mum had a fit. "You're not wearing that scruffy thing! I don't pay good money for your clothes to have you walk around like a tramp!" In retrospect she had a point but all it meant was I'd hide it in the woods behind our house and pick it up on my way to school and return it on my way home. Lasted for a few months until, for the first time in about fifty years, they cut the trees down and my parka was lost forever.Monkeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07975282714651024572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003549771029270052.post-45877336743655479552012-05-23T21:28:08.936-07:002012-05-23T21:28:08.936-07:00This is timely. Recently, my dad showed up with m...This is timely. Recently, my dad showed up with my old fishtail parka dug out of storage, and it made me recall all the experiences with it. I could fit a champagne bottle in the pocket. It's good for an impromptu picnic blanket, and for crashing out at airports and bus stations. And yes with the wool liner I made for it, I'd ride in the freezing fog on my Lambretta. They definitely had a purpose. I changed up to a German army parka because it had a boxy fit.SX Appealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08875229520540561140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003549771029270052.post-38268012303123793932012-05-23T16:35:38.817-07:002012-05-23T16:35:38.817-07:00BAHAHAHA!!! You were SO bummed when I wore that t...BAHAHAHA!!! You were SO bummed when I wore that to breakfast that day... And somehow I knew just where you hid it. Hmmm...<br /><br />Another excellent post as always... But I'll admit, I had a soft spot for boys who wore parkas, but never girls. (THAT could be a post in itself.)Sparkleneelyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16227120176940674448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003549771029270052.post-25862883610197214642012-05-23T12:27:57.814-07:002012-05-23T12:27:57.814-07:00My first "parka" was actually a light be...My first "parka" was actually a light beige London Fog overcoat from the 60s, that I found in a thrift store (I wore it with badges of course). But I soon found my army parka with fur-lined hood at a surplus store and stopped wearing the overcoat. I stopped wearing my parka in the mid-80s (after my Lambretta was stolen) and donated it to a thrift store so that maybe a young Mod would find it.TheJabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08997697354359310055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003549771029270052.post-70964683620248180602012-05-23T10:34:12.896-07:002012-05-23T10:34:12.896-07:00I live in Washington. My parka is Functional Fash...I live in Washington. My parka is Functional Fashion when scooting in the Winter months!Reydawggyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13434378243706620081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003549771029270052.post-83718840126474507472012-05-23T10:06:11.192-07:002012-05-23T10:06:11.192-07:00Brilliant!Brilliant!Wilthomerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10310808241428717740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003549771029270052.post-88164650161860973192012-05-23T09:50:40.486-07:002012-05-23T09:50:40.486-07:00I have to say I parted with my parka maybe 15 or s...I have to say I parted with my parka maybe 15 or so years ago, but I occasionally rocked it when shoveling snow. It really is super warm. Aret and I still have ours in storage.soulie69https://www.blogger.com/profile/02807924692822811932noreply@blogger.com