1.07 PRETTY GREEN #100mod

This is the next in my long-running series of posts aimed at nailing down the important pins on the map of essential Mod clothing. 
So throw away your River Island shirts and your sailing shoes. Here are the 100 things you'd be Mod to try...

Blue camouflage "John Lennon" jacket (Pretty Green) £100

Black parka (Pretty Green) £180

Red shirt with paisley pocket (Pretty Green) £65

Navy grandad shirt with paisley collar (Pretty Green) £65

Founded originally by the legendary Liam Gallagher, Pretty Green's flagship store in Carnaby Street is a sight to behold. In more than one sense. 

It's a treasure trove; the product of the big kid's tortured mind. Rugged parkas, camouflage jackets, mannequins of the Beatles; it's all in there, usually with the Libertines or Stone Roses banging through the shop's speakers. Even on a flying visit, you're likely to find a gem or two. The Pretty Green line recreates some classics in a far more creative way than many other brands.
So it is Mod. But not in the strictest sense and certainly not the gold standard as some seem to believe, as insightfully pointed out by gigslutz:

"There’s Pretty Green and some people believe that to be true mod clothing! Please. I’ve witnessed people wearing a big Pretty Green logo on their shirt and mocking what someone else is wearing, completely missing the point and hiding behind what they perceive to be the safety blanket of a vaguely mod-related label, unaware that though a label can be bought, a mindset can’t."

Nevertheless it's worth a look; it's rugged. This isn't great for everything - you won't find your slick mohair suits in there or a pair of check trousers.  And it ain't cheap - shirts were about £130 each, making one wonder who exactly it was Gallagher expected to buy his stuff. But if you check the website now, that fortunately no longer seems to be the case.

What you will find is a line of genuine Gallagher-esque products with a strong, northern-Mod showing; slightly scruffy, but cool nevertheless.