Mod

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Mod
Decade of origin	1950s
Key colours	Primary colors, black and white, mustard yellow, turquoise, royal blue, pink, orange
Related aesthetics	Americana

Mod is a subculture that began in London in 1958 and spread throughout Great Britain and elsewhere, eventually influencing fashions and trends in other countries, and continues today on a smaller scale. Focused on music and fashion, the subculture has its roots in a small group of stylish London-based young men in the late 1950s who were termed modernists because they listened to modern jazz. Elements of the mod subculture include fashion (often tailor-made suits); music (including soul, rhythm and blues, ska, jazz, and freakbeat); and motor scooters (usually Lambretta or Vespa). The original mod scene was associated with amphetamine-fuelled all-night dancing at clubs.

Mod Revival

Mod revival was a music genre and subculture that started in England in 1978 and later spread to other countries (to a lesser degree). The mod revival's mainstream popularity was relatively short, although its influence lasted for decades. The mod revival post-dated a Teddy Boy revival, and mod revivalists sometimes clashed with Teddy Boy revivalists, skinhead revivalists, casuals, punks and rival gang members.

Fashion

Feminine

• Straight or A-line dresses worn above the knee in fabrics that hold their shape
• Geometric shift dress (example: the Mondrian dress)
• Op Art prints
• Bold, geometric patterns like British flags, polka-dots, and stripes
• Mid-calf white go-go boots with pointed toes and flat heels
• Chelsea boots
• Mary Janes
• Low kitten heels and flats
• Plastic-belted trench coat
• Knitted jersey mini-dresses with opaque and colorful tights
• "Wet look" PVC coats
• Skinny-rib knitted sweaters in stripes or solid bright block colors
• Patent-leather square-toed shoes and pilgrim shoes with buckles
• Bold white/blue/gray eye shadow applied all over the eyelid
• White/nude lipstick or lips painted over with pale matte foundation
• Groomed natural eyebrows
• Thick black winged eyeliner applied all the way around the eye
• Thick mascara or doll-like false eyelashes
• Sheepskin coats
• Suede/leather mini-coats
• Dresses with low-slung, wide loops to hold a hipster belt
• Plain or button-up A-line miniskirts worn with sandals in warmer months and knee-high boots in colder months
• Tunic dresses worn over polo-neck sweaters
• Ankle-length bell-bottom trousers
• Beehive hair or short bob with bangs
• "Five point" Vidal Sassoon haircut: a short, angular five pointed pixie cut.
• Large plastic bracelets
• Huge round plastic earrings clipped on the ear
• Lucite rings with polka dots
• Big or small boxy over-the-shoulder handbags in bright colors, or geometric designs
• Clear/white painted almond-shaped nails
• Peter Pan collars

Masculine

• Tailor-made three-button black/grey/brown suits with narrow lapels, vests, and pocket squares
• Thin ties
• Button-down collar shirts
• Wool/cashmere jumpers (crewneck or V-neck)
• Chelsea or Beatle boots
• Clarks Desert lace-up boots
• Oxfords
• Levis jeans, shrunk to fit
• Slim-fit chinos or tapered trousers
• Either a Fred Perry polo shirt or John Smedley knit polo shirt buttoned all the way to the top
• Turtleneck
• Green/tan parka to protect your outfit while riding on your scooter
• Newsboy caps
• Brightly striped boating blazers
• Harrington jacket
• Shaggy hair or a bowl haircut
• Buttons from mod bands and British flag pins
• Round glasses

Designers

• Mary Quant
• Caroline Charles
• Marion Foale
• Sally Tuffin
• Paco Rabanne
• André Courrèges
• Rudi Gernreich
• Yves Saint Laurent
• Pierre Cardin

Music

The British rock/Britpop band Blur played an important role in the Mod revival in the 1990s in the U.K. A Mod revival/Punk Rock band called The Jam spearheaded the Mod revival movement in the 1970's, with the head of the band, Paul Weller, often called "The Modfather."

Playlists

• Mod by albertlbaker

Movies & TV Shows

Examples of Mod movies/TV shows include:

• Ready Steady Go! (1963 - 1966)
• A Hard Day's Night (1964)
• Blowup (1966)
• Catch Us If You Can (1966)
• Ferry Cross the Mersey (1965)
• To Sir With Love (1967)
• Smashing Time (1967)
• The Touchables (1968)
• Wonderwall (1968)
• The Mod Squad (1968 - 1973)
• Quadrophenia (1979)
• The Austin Powers films (1997 - 2002)

Gallery