In the 1960’s there emerged a lifestyle called the “mod” movement. It began as a subculture brought about by the teenagers.Mod is short for “modernist”. This was a rebellion against the strict styles reminiscent of the 1950’s, still worn by their parents.
Rock and Roll music in the United States greatly influenced the beginnings of the mod-subculture in the late 1950’s.They were known as the “teddy boys”, often described as “dandy”. These teenagers were sharp dressers, with streamlined looks and bright solid colors.
Both woman and men embraced this youthful style, spending large sums of money on clothing that would set them apart from the previous generations “boring” lifestyle.
The mods, riding Vespa scooters, could be found in all-night clubs and local coffee shops. This was a lifestyle in Europe. Groups like the Beetles were bringing this style to the United States. The mods lived mostly in urban areas and were often fighting with the rockers, another youth-oriented group living in the rural parts of the UK. The rockers, a tougher group, rode motorcycles and wore leather clothing.
The mod movement was at its peak in the mid 1960’s. The mod style as it became more popular, also began a downfall. The originators began to abandon it due to this popularity. Supermodels, famous bands, and people both young and old began dressing in this style. It was no longer a counter-culture movement. Bohemian, hippie, and psychedelic styles replaced it by 1967. Mod clothing styles have had several comebacks over the years. Britain saw a revival in the late 1970’s, also a revival in the U.S. in the early 80’s.
Pop art and Italian fashions had a tremendous influence on this style. Mod clothing, with its geometric and color block prints and brightness of colors, allowed woman and men a great freedom of expression. The mini skirts, and shift dresses were stretching the boundaries of tolerance. Hemlines were going “up up and away”, and higher every year. The men loved their tailored suits, worn with skinny ties. Mod clothing and the lifestyle was spreading worldwide, as models like Twiggy, and bands like the Kinks, helped to commercialize it.
Author; D.A.Grosshans
Mod: A Very British Phenomenon
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