The Mod Target

Yeah, I get down on the Mod target a lot, as seen here and there. It's not at all that I don't dig it, really, but it's just so over-used as a Mod image. It's as if putting a target on anything makes that thing 'MOD!' I just don't buy it. Plus, in my eyes, only one guy has really ever made the target look slick:

My fave image of the Mod target as clothing on Keith Moon.

As seen above, the target as a design motif can be pretty cool. The Parka Avenue blog has a nice write-up on the target-as-Mod-icon worth checking out: http://parkaavenue.blogspot.com/2011_06_01_archive.html. For me, though, the standard blue/white/red target has been done to death.

However, over the years, I've always appreciated the attempts at either creating variations on the ol' blue/white/red image or coming up with something new altogether. For instance, as a teen, I thought this was amazing and oh my god why didn't anyone think of doing this earlier:

It's like the standard Mod target, but something's just a little off...what could it be...?

Wow! By reversing the colors, I was blown away by the look. (Hey, as a teen I was easily impressed, so lay off.)

I was also really taken, at the time, with the color contrast of this, my ol' Squire pin:

Back when I used to walk the streets thinking it was a Mod, Mod world.

Such a simple, great design that can really work well with other color schemes. In fact, the Anorak Thing blog had a great post a while back on the varying Air Force roundels that have influenced many a Mod badge: http://anorakthing.blogspot.com/2011/06/bullseye.html.

But why limit it to just 3 colors? During my last year of high school, I saw the Mod target taken to a new, cool level with this record sleeve:

Oh yeah... bringin' back memories of senior year in high school!

I loved the liberty taken with the old Mod icon on this sleeve... and no, I'm not talking about Paul Weller and his love beads. Adding in an extra ring along with the green and yellow colors made the the target seem new again. After this, why go back to the standard?

Today, with so many awesome graphic designers out there, the target can be an excellent tool or jumping-off point for nice designs. Saw this recently for an all-dayer thing that recently occurred:

I just like how they built the imagery over a usually stale target.

 Some time ago, this guy I know tried to take the target and build it up with slightly psychedelic paisleys for a club night. Don't know if it was successful or not:

And no, I didn't swipe the idea from Ben Sherman... in fact, didn't see their version until a month later!

Back in high school, I would spend so much time trying to research anything Mod and, thanks to The Who, anything pop-art. That's how I came across Jasper Johns, the guy I thought responsible for the target imagery in the first place:

Jasper Johns, age 29. For more info, click here.

I'm horrible because I used to cut images of his paintings out of books to hang up on my wall... one of many things I'll have to answer for come Judgment Day.

Now, oddly enough, there was another pop artist around this time playing with targets: Sir Peter Blake.

Self-Portrait with Badges  1961 - This must be where the idea to cover up your jacket in badges came from!

Peter Blake is an interesting guy, especially when it comes to Mod iconography, such as his painting of... you guessed it:

The First Real Target, 1961

Most famous (I think) for his design of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band LP, Blake has also gone on to design record sleeves for The Who (Face Dances), Band-Aid (Do They Know It's Christmas?), and Paul Weller... and what's that I see on the sleeve:

That's a pretty awesome cover, you gotta admit.

According to interviews, Sir Peter Blake refers to himself as a 'lifelong Mod' and has recently teamed up with Fred Perry to offer a limited range of shirts taking cues from his art style:

Interested in what this is about? Look no further than here.

And the amazing ModCulture website posted a very recent interview with Sir Peter Blake that's worth checking out for his take on pop-art and the Mod thing: http://www.modculture.info/2011/08/video-sir-peter-blake-interviewed.html

The target can be a great visual tool in design, but overall, I'm just a little burnt-out on its use to identify anything as Mod. These days, you won't find any targets on me. Not on my suits, not on my coats, not on my shirts. My target days are behind me because I think that at my age, I shouldn't need to brandish a target to let anyone know what I'm all about. Too easy.

Now excuse me, I've got some shopping to do:

Sharp Stylings #3: Miles Davis

Relax a moment and take in everything this photo has to offer:

Taken from Miles Davis Online.

There is absolutely nothing about this photo that doesn't make me giddy like a schoolboy. Let's go through this one slowly and clockwise, shall we?

1. Even Kenny G. would look cool standing here and y'know why? Because he'd be standing in front of the Prestige Records office/storefront! Just look at those sleeves up on the wall! 
2. Speaking of sleeves, dig the juxtaposition of Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet as he does just that outside.
3. My favorite style of collar on a shirt... the rounded collar. Hard to find these days, but if you can, then go out and flaunt it!
4. Not only a great pattern on that jacket, but what I love most is the tiny, downward lapel notch... it's the little things that count, sometimes.
5. A fine piece of jewelry right there, the ID bracelet [ACTUALLY, A WATCH AS NOTED BY NICK IN THE COMMENTS]... a very slick look on men. I remember the one I used to wear fondly, right out of college. Unfortunately, I have the wrist size of a skinny, 5-year-old girl. If you're like me, I highly recommend NOT swaying your arms too much while struttin' down the road, otherwise, by the time you get home, that wrist'll be bracelet-free. Sigh... I really miss that thing.
6. Remember everyone SMOKING KILLS. SMOKING CAUSES CANCER. But damn, Miles looks cool with that cigarette.

Hopefully, this photo is making you yearn for some nice jazz posts from a modernist perspective. Well, here you go:  http://amodernist.blogspot.com/2011/08/subject-is-jazz-swing-1958.html

Now, can anyone tell me what year this photo is from? Not a quiz... I just need to know!

Mod Gone Wrong: Cute Overload

Last week, during my search for the hipster Mod target trucker hat, I came across these shoes:

I wonder if they come with matching Mod Mod Kuma-chan backpack, pencil, and eraser set?

Although they combine, in my opinion, the two easiest and laziest Mod signifiers (target and Union Jack), I thought these would be incredibly cute for someone's lil' modnik running around the playground.

But upon closer look, I noticed these were for ADULTS! Seriously? What woman in her right mind Okay, just found out my wife would wear these because, duh, there's a 'cute bear' on them.

Oh, wait, no... looks like there's competition in the Bash-You-Over-The-Head-With-Cute-Mod-Symbolism category:

Well, at least next year's Valentine's gift will be easy.

********BREAKING NEWS********THIS JUST IN*************

On the subject of 'cute', how lucky was I last night that this video came into my life? I was folding and hanging up clothes while my wife was watching this video on YouTube. I was ribbin' her about the power-pop sounds and noticed, "Hey, that girl kinda looks like you." She responded, "She kinda does, huh." I went back to my clothes, turned, and looked again. "Wait, that's YOU isn't it?" She began to blush! And now, here it is... the dancer in white sweater and turtleneck... cutest thing EVER!

Looks like someone's gettin' anime mod sneakers this year!

The Desert Boot

First off, I'd like to share a link to an article on local tailor Al Ribaya of Al's Attire in North Beach:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/07/28/LV0M1JS11E.DTL

Pretty cool write-up on what he's about and I'm excited to be picking up my first Al's Attire bespoke suit tomorrow! (Blog post on that coming soon.) 

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Okay, now on to today's subject at hand: the desert boot.

Not gonna lie to you folks, not a fan of desert boots. Yes, I know they are a staple of casual Mod wear and many people do look good in them. I repeat, many people do look good in them. But, they're just not my thing. A friend recently posted a pic of some zebra-striped desert boots (see below) for discussion, so I thought I’d talk about the desert boot, in general, here.

A quick Cliff Notes history of the desert boot, specifically the Clarks Desert Boot: According to the Clarks website, the Desert Boot debuted in 1950, designed by Nathan Clark, who recently passed away on June 23, 2011. 
Inspired by the suede, crepe-soled boots WWII servicemen acquired in Cairo, Clark designed a version made for comfort and (a lot of) walking for the general public. Sixties Mods, at some point, took to these shoes and helped popularize them, and today they’re a hit all around. (I recently overheard a couple of older guys looking at a pair in a store window commenting on how “in style” they are these days.)

Nathan Clark with his designs.

My wife and I often see a man in the neighborhood who looks to be in his late ‘40s/early ‘50s and usually dressed in a Levis jacket, 501 jeans, a sixties-ish hairstyle, and black desert boots. The guy looks mellow and cool, and he ROCKS those desert boots!

Like I said before, I think desert boots look fine on other people when worn correctly. They’re casual shoes and I hear they can be quite comfortable.  Many of my friends sport them throughout the week and I think they look great in them. Plus, I bet they're perfect for those times you need to get down 'n' dirty working on your scooter! But for my personal tastes, I just find them just a bit too bulky and clunky. I’m more of a narrow, chisel-toe, leather shoe guy. Or, even a narrow sneaker kinda guy when I’m really crazy lazy or about to go on a long hike.

As history has shown, many people have made these things look good over the years. For instance:

You gonna tell this guy he ain't lookin' good?
Photo from the Steve McQueen Style blog.

These desert boots show their use as they keep this Carnaby Mod from tipping over.
From the Belt and Braces blog.

Yeah, now that's how you wear a pair of desert boots. (Of course, I'd much rather be wearing John's or Pete's shoes here.)

On the other hand, many people have worn them with just the wrong type of outfit, like, y’know, an actual SUIT. Sorry guys, not a good look. I know he’s a ‘Mod’ hero and all, but nah, just doesn’t work. In fact, one of the lessons I learned from Jimmy was that not every fashion choice in the '60s was a good one. Case in point:

Oh, that's right... he's off to fight Rockers. No wonder the suit and sloppy shoe look.

Did you know they now have patterned desert boots? Some things just aren’t meant for customization:

As you can see from some of the photos earlier, desert boots can look really cool with the right outfit. They are a CASUAL shoe that look good on many people. And I know many Mods in the 1960s wore them with suits, but remember, not everything done in the sixties was a winner and for me, desert boots just don’t do justice to a nice two-piece suit. If you’re gonna take the effort to tie a tie around your neck, then you can find a nice pair of dress shoes to complete the look. Leave the desert boots for the following morning.

Sharp Stylings #2

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 (except for the tardiness of this post due to travel yesterday), 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.

This week, let these kids start the school session off right:

From Eric Musgrave's Sharp Suits, via the vs tumblr.

Okay, you know you have a problem when you're letting kids this age out-suss you.

See the guy on the far left... he is straight darin' you to find something in your closet that comes close to his level of cool. Good luck, my friend, and hope you're up to the challenge.

The kid to his immediate left along with the kid second from the right... well, geometry must be teaching them something, because the angle of those hats are perfect!

And that last kid on the far right... he's my favorite. Something about him tells me he's about to pull some pigtails later in the day.

Are any of these kids Mods? No, of course not... but they're slicker than most. Now let them school you the way I've been schooled.

Mod Gone Wrong: 2005 Hipster Edition

These days, I see people slap a checkerboard pattern or target on something (anything), put the word ‘Mod’ in front of it, and voila, it is so.

Take THIS for example:

Ditch the fisherman's cap and trade up!

What makes this 'Mod'? Well, the target of course!

Personally, I think it would have been the perfect item for yesterday's hipster looking to fit in at a scooter rally and a Rush concert all in the same day (beard optional, of course).

Or, for those looking to ward off the evil eye of Rockers about, try this handy item:

If you're needing one of these, go crazy.

The target... is there anything it can't make Mod?

Remember When 'Trendy' Was a Bad Thing?

On my way in to work the other day, I saw a young man in oxblood loafers, black/gray horizontally-striped socks, dark, narrow pants with no break, dark gray v-neck sweater, light pink shirt, and an orange/blue patterned bow tie. The guy looked not necessarily mod, but definitely slick.

I don’t know about you, but for me, these last few years have been fantastic for men’s fashion! Thin lapels, narrow pants, thin paisley ties, knit square-bottom ties, narrow pointed shoes, bright colors, loud patterns… Years ago, we would have been laughed at for dressing like this. Now, Joe-Schmoes out there aren’t afraid to dress up in tighter, more colorful clothing. Once upon a time, most men were happy to spend all their days off in sports t-shirts, baggy jeans, and Reebok high-tops, but these days they're out there wearing suits more often, even outside of work. And yeah, I know it’s just the current trend with a limited life-span, but believe it or not, we can all benefit from it. 

No, these suits aren't perfect, but they're a step in the right direction!

We all can't afford bespoke clothing, but maybe a Macy’s weekend sale can fit into the budget. I tell yuh, Ben Sherman, Munsingwear, Hugo Boss, and even Alfani all have some nice shirts and ties out there for the buying. If you have a bit more cash falling outta your pockets, take a look at Ted Baker, Banana Republic, Paul Smith and Thomas Pink… great, great colors there! 

Banana Republic on the Mad Men bandwagon, that's alright by me!

Sixties vintage clothing is getting more difficult to find these days, but walk into a Ross or Nordstrom Rack, and you just may find a nice new Arrow or Ben Sherman button-down. In the market for some nice pocket squares? Pay a visit to your local Loehmann’s… you might be surprised! Heck, just take a look at this:

Stop rubbing your eyes... indeed, it's a NEW sweater!

Even Fred Perry, which I'm not super sold on (but I'll save that for a later post) has this vintage style polo for sale:

Photo from http://www.hisknibs.com/

For me, 'trendy' has always been a bad word, so it makes me feel a little dirty when I see that word in print these days because I know that what it's referring to is something that probably fits my taste.

Let’s face it… we’re living in a post-‘Mad Men’ world, and fellas, we gotta take advantage of these trends while they last. It’s all going to change as soon as AMC or HBO has a new hit period show on their schedule... one set in 1980s Wall Street! 

It's just around the corner and you know it! (Photo from http://www.allposters.com.au/)