What Is Mod Fashion?
Mod (also known as Skinhead) fashion was one of the most iconic and influential youth movements that Britain has experienced. Beginning in the 1960s, the look was characterised with shorter hair, big buckles and long sideburns. The working class individuals took to the streets with their stylish fashion.
A classic mod was categorised in the ‘60s by having a buzz cut and wearing heavy boots. This later evolved to wearing polo shirts by brands like Ben Sherman and Fred Perry with cardigan sweaters or v neck jumpers. The premise surrounding the style was to dress fashionably, however, to also wear clothing that was robust and wouldn’t be spoiled if the wearer ended up in a fight or brawl.
Mod fashion also included signature coats, one of which being the Parka jacket. It became a cult classic amongst the skinhead movement and filtered through the decades to influence today’s fashion. Mod fashion has some great garments to keep anyone warm as it gets slightly cooler, we’ll take you through some now!
Parka Jacket
Parka jackets, specifically fishtail parkas, were (and are) a mod staple to keep warm. They were chosen by mods due to their wide availability at the time from military stockists. Parkas were relatively cheap, durable and were water resistant, making it the perfect coat for mods as they could stay warm but not worry about ruining a flimsy but expensive coat. They could also protect their fashionable outfits underneath from any dirt or grease from riding a scooter, which was a mods choice of transport.
Harrington Jacket
Aside from the classic parka jacket, another iconic coat in mod fashion is the famous Harrington Jacket. In mod fashion, the outerwear choices were often based on functionality combined with style. Whilst Parka jackets provided a fuller body protection from the elements, the Harrington jacket offered more of a lightweight option. It can be layered for warmth but also isn’t too bulky so allows for easy movement. Harrington jackets are made in a variety of materials, but it’s distinctive aspect is the lining of tartan or checks.
Bomber Jacket
Bomber jackets have a slightly similar look to Harrington jackets, the shape and overall style are easy to mix up, but there are a variety of features that set them apart from eachother. The first being that the Harrington jacket has a stand up collar and the bomber jacket has a flat one. The bomber jacket also isn’t lined with tartan. The bomber jacket is also regarded as slightly less formal that the Harrington due to it’s more casual look.
Layering
Mod fashion was created to suit the working class individual, skinheads and mods enjoyed showing their style off in the streets but also didn’t anything too fussy or that would interfere with their daily life. Most of the fashion items had the ability to be layered for warmth, a practical solution to cold weather. Pieces like knit polos, long sleeve t-shirts and plaid shirts could all be combined underneath a coat to create extra resilience to the cold, perfect for autumn!
The mod look was built on expressing style through distinctive clothing, but also on functionality and durability. It’s arguably one of the easiest clothing looks to create a warm autumn outfit with due to the range of coats and jackets combined with the ability to layer pieces. Whether you’re looking to create a more military look with the Parka jacket, or a more lightweight autumn outfit with the Harrington, mod fashion will have something for you!
