Holiday Gifts to Avoid 2012

Christmas is tomorrow and hopefully all your shopping is done. But even more importantly, hopefully you've avoided the following list of gifts!

First up, let's take a look at this nice gift idea: a black cotton mac from (drum roll, please)... Pretty Green!

A cotton mac for the wealthy Oasis-obsessed Mod set.

I can't believe I'm going to say this but this isn't a bad piece of coat. Yup, a Pretty Green item I actually don't think is that bad. Nice, short collar with side pockets and epaulets. A step up from a parka if you're looking for protection from stormy weather. There's only one tiny snag in this little coat: it costs $1,100! Yes, you read that right: ONE-THOUSAND, ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS. Pretty Green, are you for real? If ANY of you have the money for a gift like this, don't be stupid. Please use it for a gift certificate to your local tailor instead. Seriously, for that kind of money you could probably get an even more stylish jacket made to your specifications PLUS a tab-collar shirt to boot!

One for the ladies. So, you think you look 'mod.' You think you dance 'mod.' You think you pose 'mod' in all your Facebook profile pics. But guess what. You probably don't smell 'mod'! Well, now you can fix that with this offering from Avon:

The essence of a "60's mod" bottled up.

And this stuff just won't make you smell like any ol' mod. Nope, you'll be engulfed in the aroma of actual "60's mod". Personally, I don't know what that's like, seeing as I was born a few years after the sixties ended. But this little item might just complete your total vintage experience. You're at a club and spot some gal who thinks she looks like Peggy Moffitt. She's out there doin' her Sandy Sarjeant dances while eyeballin' that fellow you're with. Well, all you need to do is walk right past her, let her take in a whiff of "60's mod," and watch that crestfallen look on her face. She just lost the 'mod' game.

Some of you have families, right? You probably don't have much luck driving your kids to school on your scooter. You and the wife need to hit the supermarket for a week's worth of groceries and scooters just don't seem very practical. In these cases, life forces you to bust out the Mazda or SUV. How embarrassing it's gotta be if you're driving by people who think you're just some regular ol' joe barely existing through life. Well, solve that problem with this little window decal to let the whole world know exactly what you're about:

Will be right at home next to your cartoon family decal sticker.

 With this little sticker, you'll announce your presence to the world.. After all, it's an important thing to make sure strangers know you're 'mod.' After all, why else would you walk around in a parka covered in advertisements for your favorite bands or a Union Jack pin on your lapel?

A few weeks back, there was some 'controversy' over Paul Weller and his tank-top/flip-flop look. Many of you thought, "What's the big deal? He's just relaxing and they're just clothes!" Well, for those of you who enjoy relaxing and don't think style is all that important, have I got a gift suggestion for you! Union Jack Uggs!

Lucky for you, I can't read German and I'm too lazy to find the actual link to buy these things.

After all, Mods need down time too, right? If flip-flops are an acceptable shoe, then why not Uggs? And hey... these are Union Jack Uggs! They'll go great with jeans and a parka.

Aw hell, everyone's suffering from Quadrophenia Fever lately! Well, show off your love of everyone's favorite Mod opera with this awesome tee:

Come on... it don't get more Mod than this!

Show up to that next scooter rally dressed in this and a green pair of sta-prest and I guarantee you'll still be better dressed than 70% of the people there! (Trust me, I've seen photos of enough scooter rallies these days.)

Now, this last item is on the wrong list. Do NOT avoid this but rush out now and get it if you're a dog owner or know a Mod dog owner. It's so silly, it's so ridiculous, it's so wrong... that it's right.

(Thanks go my pal Fred Eagle over at http://fredeagle.blogspot.com/ for hippin' me to a piece of Dogrophenia!)

In general, I'm not into clothing for dogs. But, in this case, I'll make an exception. Your dog will be the Ace Face mutt runnin' around the yard in this thing. And if you're hungry for mod dog puns, then the We Are the Mods Facebook page as you hooked up!

That's it for bad gifts this year. Have a GREAT CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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Casual Friday #10: Alejandro Garin

Working to look sharp for a rare evening out on the town can actually be easy. The tough job is trying to look sharp on a daily, casual basis. Yeah, you might have your Friday night suit at your beck and call, but what does it matter if you spend the rest of your time in target t-shirts and jeans? Every Friday, I'd like to offer up some style inspiration for tightening up your casual look, because let's face it... sometimes you just don't feel like wearing a tie, but still want to keep it sharp.

A few weeks back, the photo below was posted on a Facebook page called 'Mod and Northern Soul,' and it got me thinking that I don't post enough photos of actual, modern-day Mod types. I guess one of the reasons why I tend to avoid that is because I'd run the risk of having the blog and associated Facebook page overrun with requests from people to "Ooh! Use me! Use me!"

And let's be honest: Out there is a sea of Mod-types floating around in all-too-common Fred Perrys, Jam patch-covered parkas... shiny Merc suits... target cufflinks... zzzzzzzz... But every so often, I do come across images that just knock me out, like this one below of former member of the '80s/'90s Spanish Mod band, Los Flechazosand current member of Cooper. (Ah... remember those pre-Britpop days when bands like these guys, The Clique, and The Lost Minds were keepin' things rollin'?) Check out Alejandro Garin, knockin' it out of the casual park:

Alejandro Diez Garin, ex-member of Los Flechazos and current Cooper member.

Up front, the thing I like most about this image is, well, he's older than I am (I think)! Here's someone who didn't give up on the look or let age get in the way. He knows what looks sharp for an older man without veering into the comedy Mod realm.

Secondly, and let's just get this out of the way, yes... his scooter is beautiful! And you know how you can tell? It's not hidden behind a wall of mirrors and lights! He just has a few accessories on there to give it a little personality, but it's the scooter design and paint job that take the focus.

Now, let's get into his gear, starting with his shoes. DAMN! He's killin' it with a pair of chisel-toed kicks made of leather and suede that you just don't see that often. They've gotta be vintage. One thing I've learned about Spanish Mods over the years is that they are some of the slickest guys around who, somehow, come across really great vintage pieces, especially shoes. (And I'm proud to say that I do have a similar pair to these that I wear, oh, once every five years or so.)

Next up, those trousers. Tight-fitting but with a perfect flare that's not too wide. That type of flare accentuates a great shape that brings a person's attention to the shoes at the bottom. Plus, based on how high they're riding from his sitting position, you know they're not high-waters. And an even more important thing to always remember about a good pair of trousers: a sharp, clean crease down the center. No wrinkled, schlub pants going on here.

Finally, dig on his multi-colored 3-button long-sleeved polo. There's a style rule about wearing blacks and browns together in an outfit, but this right here is the exception to the rule. Actually, I break that rule in pretty good moderation. Again, I'd guess that the polo is vintage but I could be wrong. Great, wide bars in tan and brown mixed with black narrow striping. Add in the black sleeves and black collar and you've got a beautiful sweater with colors that stand out from all the surrounding black.

Friends, this is my kind of casual. A sixties look that has dated very well over the years and one that sticks out from the Fred Perry army.

Sure, there are a lot of people out there 'keeping the faith' in their Mod 101 gear. But there are also those fellows who know a thing or two about coordinating a pocket square with their tie, hitting on the right details of a suit jacket, and finding the perfect shoe to pull it all together. I oughtta start giving them their due.

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Sharp Stylings #57: James Bond

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.

Man, what happened? This holiday season just knocked me out! I'm slowly crawling out of a blogging black hole... slowly.

So, let's get to it. James Bond. He's been all over the place lately, because, y'know, Skyfall, which I still haven't seen. I think I need to see it soon, though, especially after dreaming about it last night (yes, dreaming). And I hope the movie is as awesome as my dream was... I mean, it better include a scene in which he engages in a swordfight (with his hands tied behind his back) by using his nose to nudge his girlfriend's sword into position to battle their opponent... and actually wins. And his beaten opponent better transform into a winged demon and fly away in defeat. If these scenes aren't in Skyfall, I'm going to be very disappointed.

But one thing I know I'm not dreaming about is that James Bond is helping to bring the tab-collar back into style for men's fashion! For years, it seemed so difficult to find good tab-collars, but things may be changing thanks to Tom Ford's designs for the new James Bond film.

And if you want to talk about 'Sharp Stylings'... friends, from what I could tell in the commercials, Skyfall contains what might just be the most bad-ass sharp-styling scene in all moviedom: James Bond, in a clean tab-collar shirt with pointed collar and french cuffs under a slim grey suit, adjusting his cuffs after narrowly avoiding a blow-out behind him. Hey, if you're gonna face death, you might as well look good doing it!

Image from The Suits of James Bond.

Now, there's no doubt I'm on Team Craig when it comes to past James Bonds. Heck, Casino Royale's opening sequence even dwarfed my previous favorite James Bond opening sequence... yup, the one from Octopussy! Sorry, Roger Moore...

But no matter how styling, how tough, how bad-ass the Daniel Craig James Bond is, well... there will always be one better. When it comes to suave James Bond style, you all know the score: 

Image from The Compass.

Yup, I'll drink to that.

Tune in to 'We Are the Mods'!

Recently, I was very honored to be asked to be one of the guests, along with DJ Hacker, on Warren Peace's internet Modcast, We Are the Mods, and now that show is available for streaming or download. Got an hour or so to kick around? Then tune in, listen to some good great music, and hear us talk about stuff!

The topic of the show: 'Has 'sloppy society' in 2012 caused a spiralling decline in Mod style standards?'

We Are the Mods is hosted by Wake the Nation and you can get to the page directly here:
http://wtnradio.wix.com/wtn/radio#!radio/vstc1=we-are-the-mods

Enjoy!

Casual Fridays #9: Corduroy

Working to look sharp for a rare evening out on the town can actually be easy. The tough job is trying to look sharp on a daily, casual basis. Yeah, you might have your Friday night suit at your beck and call, but what does it matter if you spend the rest of your time in target t-shirts and jeans? Every Friday, I'd like to offer up some style inspiration for tightening up your casual look, because let's face it... sometimes you just don't feel like wearing a tie, but still want to keep it sharp.

As you all know by now, 1990s' Britpop wasn't really my bag. 1990s Acid Jazz, on the other hand, hit me in all the right spots! I started getting into it, probably thanks to that first Paul Weller album and the first Jazzmatazz album which featured Dee C. Lee, Donald Byrd, and Roy Ayers. When I first started reading about Acid Jazz, the Mod thing, for the most part, was dead, media-wise. New Acid Jazz acts were probably the closest thing to Mod that I could read about when it came to the music scene at the time. And for me, it made sense... acts playing funky soul, funky jazz, etc., bringing that sound forward and looking cool doing it.

And during those days, I was mad thirsty for anything related to Mod style. The nearest contemporary inspiration available was from the stylings of bands like The James Taylor Quartet, Mother Earth, and Cordoroy. I used to pick up On the One magazine which featured pretty cool fashion spreads on 'jazz' style of the time. And although I never got into the whole 'love beads' look, I dug what some of these guys sported on a casual basis. Check out Corduroy, for instance:

From the Mod Speed blog.

These dudes used to rock the short hair, Levis jacket, rolled-neck sweater, and narrow trousers look. And for me, this became a template for my own casual look back then. In the image above, check out the fellow in back. Nice white jean jacket, probably Levis pants to match, and a pair of sharp, leather shoes.

For me, this was a look that was clean, mellow, relaxed, and sharp as hell. I don't wear this look too often these days, not because I don't like it, but because I'm more into a dressier look. But on warmer weekend days, if I'm just going to hang out in our local neighborhood and I don't feel like picking out a dress shirt (because those days exist), I'll most likely follow the Corduroy lead here with my olive green Wrangler jean jacket (or light blue Levis jacket), short-sleeve button-down shirt, sta-prest, and a pair of loafers.

For me, this look is casual done cool. Y'know what else is cool? Corduroy!

And for the Acid Jazz heads out there, hope you're as excited about the 25th Anniversary Box set as I am! And read on for a great interview with Acid Jazz man, Eddie Pillar.

Sharp Stylings #56: 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.

Have you hugged your local drummer today? Because, man, those guys are some of the hardest working guys in the music business. Trust me, I've seen enough live bands to notice how difficult it's gotta be up there on stage, pounding away on the sticks, and working up a sweat. It's totally understandable why Keith Moon and countless other drummers settle for wearing a t-shirt while playing.

But then you got guys like Charlie Watts who, sometimes, don't let all that hard work get in the way of good style:

From the VoxSartoria site. Thanks to Chris P. for hippin' me to this!

Not only is Charlie Watts drumming while dappered up... he's drumming while rockin' a full-on Ivy look! Check it out: thin, pretty conservative-looking tie, white button-down shirt with french cuff and cufflinks, and narrow, double-breasted jacket.  It don't get much cooler than this. I've mentioned before how stylin' Watts could be, but this is just a great shot of him swank and in action.

Yeah, next time you consider wearing a suit and tie too much 'hard work' for hanging out with your friends and family, keep Charlie Watts in mind. This is how he dresses for manual labor!

Now dig on the man just doing his job:

Sharp Stylings #55: Study in Contrasts

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.

This past week, my friend sent me a link that made me cringe. I can't bring myself to say who the subject of the link was (*cough* *cough* paul weller *cough*), but that person was wearing flip-flops, denim shorts, and a tank top... a look that has appalled me since I was a pre-Mod kid.

Now, keep in mind, in general, I like this fellow... heck I featured him as a Sharp Styling subject just last week! But in that same week, he crossed into some terrible fashion folly territory while out shopping with his kids in Los Angeles. So, I posted the above article up on the ol' Facebook Mod Male page and got enough comments to fuel this blog for another 3 months alone.

But today I just want to show how two different people have approached Summer wear.

On one hand, you have a public figure, one who has made a career utilizing a 'Mod' aesthetic. He's a multi-millionaire making his money off of his music, interviews, and clothing endorsements, including John Varvatos, Pretty Green, Fred Perry, and Ben Sherman. These companies approach Paul Weller because he's become a style icon thanks to his Mod leanings. And these companies know that if Paul Weller endorses their clothing lines, you can pretty much expect new Mod customers lining up at the doors. So, yeah, it's a bit of a let down to see the guy walking around looking like he's out of 'costume' and taking a Matthew McConaughey approach to Summer style.

On the other hand, you have this guy:

From the Mean Spirited blog.

Here's a nameless Congolese sapeur, also taking a walk with his kids on what is most likely a hot African day. This guy does not have the $$$ of the other and is not getting clothing endorsements. He's just taking the heat in stride and cruising around with his kids without a single name brand shop around him. And he's taken the time to amp up his look, regardless of his environment. I've said it before, but THIS is 'clean living under difficult circumstances.'

Look, I'm not saying you have to wear a suit 24/7, rain or incredible shine. There are ways to dress casually and still look slick in the heat. Light-weight fabrics, short sleeved polos or button-downs, seersucker, loafers, white linen, and yes, even shorts. But please, don't tell me flip-flops, denim shorts, and a tank top is the new, forward-thinking Mod look.

It's just straight lazy.