Ok not really, but the new AW15 had this in their collection just now.

It's actually spelled "Corbin", but still it's a smart polo shirt in navy blue, with retro-style vertical stripes down one side. Now you yourself can purchase your very own piece of Corbynmania. I wonder if the proceeds go towards the great man's campaign?

Probably not.

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.

Ah the legendary MA-1. I'm more of a fan of the MA-2 myself (with its furry collar, it just seems more stylish), but the MA-1 is probably one of the original Mod / Skinhead flight jackets. While there is very little call for them to be worn together, combined with sunglasses that look is complete; as if somehow you've just come down from your Harrier or whatever and rolled in to whatever party you're no doubt at. 

As with parkas the original reason behind adopting the jackets was probably durability combined with cheapness - military surplus in the '60s must have been fairly easy to get your hands on. But nevertheless they look sharper than the parka: the jackets still retain their air ace character and are far more fitted than larger overcoats. They don't crease visibly and are lighter. And, combined with iron-on patches, they can take different characters - I'm fairly sure the US President still wears an MA-1 / MA-2 with a US seal on the sleeve.

Anyway the inspiration for this post was Ben Sherman's new jackets just released into stores. Titled the "X - Alpha", they take on the traditional MA-1 design, but with subtle extra style hints. One for example, is black and green contrasted. I'm glad they went for traditional colours - the jackets can look a bit tacky and lose their edge in non-military colours.

Many probably won't realise this, but legendary Mod brand Ben Sherman was bought out by US investors only a couple of weeks ago and is now undergoing "restructuring". Alarmingly, Ben Sherman actually made losses of £7.3m in its last tax year so clearly there is a case, if the whole thing is not to disappear totally, for cutting costs.

It's easy to be cynical about this whole thing and say some American corporations are busting in and they will inevitably dilute the brand, but there was a classic choice here for Sherman; did it stick to its (newly rediscovered) roots and potentially collapse under losses and vanish completely from the High Street or did it try to appeal to a broader audience and revamp its sales at the cost to its adherence Mod style?

Clearly with investors involved, the priority of the business (which, frankly, as it always should be) will be to make profits. Of course Mod can live on whatever happens to its flag-bearing brand, but there is still some sadness in seeing such a legend now in such dire financial straits. Especially after the creation of the notorious Shirt Bar at the Carnaby Street shop.

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.

These shirts are, and this is the only word to describe them, fabulous. Whether contrasted red and black like the Italian DNA groove style or simply in solid colours, the military look has stuck around in Mod wardrobes since the very earliest sixties. Think Che Guevara - it's a bullish deviation from the ordinary; epaulettes, often with extra pockets and an excessive number of buttons that give a sense of the adventurer style that your average shirt can lack.

Where can you get one? Well they're not so common in the shops these days - and your standard military surplus might charge you a pretty penny for an ill-fitting second hand version. For the best look, probably go to iTailor - delivery takes around a month to arrive, but on the plus side you can design your own military shirt in minute detail and it will fit perfectly, both physically and financially. They only cost about £25.

Late update: I've just checked the DNA Groove online store and they seem to have ditched all of their military shirts from the catalogue - a disappointment, but iTailor can fill that niche easily.

If you're looking for your summer clothing fix ...

Slightly OCD. 

But then Mod wouldn't be what it is without this kind of vital info.

"Nautical" for I don't know what reason, but still, it's a quite stylish weekend bag.

Once again, this was actually not from any one of the usual suspects in terms of Mod or vintage shops, but actually from Blue Harbour via M&S. Which just goes to show even in the most unexpected places, you can find something Mod. 

It's all in the details. The deep blue contrasted with the red and white piping on the strap is quite bold, a pattern usually favoured by old-skool barber's shops, seaside rock ... oh and the Union Jack. It's an undeniably classic style and it's what attracted me to this bag over the black or brown leather bags that are usually offered by Ben Sherman and the like. One can imagine throwing it into the corner of your hotel room, opening it up to a neatly-packed set of perfectly folded button-down collar shirts and jeans, and maybe a pair of smart brown brogues, putting them all on and then going down to walk on Brighton Beach.

In fact, I don't need to imagine because I've basically done this already.

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. 


As a seasoned veteran of the Mod method, I'm writing from a modern day perspective on what I see as an old, but essentially timeless style. After fifty years of existence, male fashion needs to be kicked back into shape for the 21st century. Like an old Vespa, some of its elements are rusty, others downright broken. It requires stripping down and restoring, keeping its strong and robust parts while the scrap is cast aside. 


So throw away your River Island shirts and your sailing shoes. Here are the 100 things you'd be Mod to try.


I'll be crucified for saying this but parkas are, let's face it, a bit scruffy. They began as a convenient way of keeping your suit dry on the run down to Brighton on your scooter - back in the day when cars were too expensive for kids to buy. It wasn't meant to be part of the look and to be honest I don't think the old green coat is really that cool anymore. The idea is everywhere, even in the most mainstream retailers. However, as with much in the stolen mod wardrobe, it doesn't have to be this way. The beauty lies in the detail, as always. A subtly distinctive parka is awesome. I have read somewhere about a genuine 1950s Korean War coat - with a map sewn into the lining for the soldier to use if they got lost. I myself owned a black parka for some years. My favourite specimen however is Liam Gallagher's photo on the inside of the Be Here Now album sleeve; the man looks (somewhat unusually I might add) immaculate in a soft brown coloured parka and dark brown desert boots. There's Mod for you.

Is it just me or is Mod clothing, with the burgeoning power of the internet, becoming more prominent?

While the name 'Mod' is not necessarily that well-known, I do increasingly spot people wearing the gear. Not pixel-perfect of course (who is, save moi?), but bits and pieces here and there come together to pass on the Mod tradition of snappy, sleek dress sense. Tbh that's what is more important - not the brands or the individual garments, but the sense of inspiration as the elements combine.

Anyway the number of small boutiques I know about has grown and that is certainly thanks to the internet. As a movement always looking forward to new things while retaining the best of the past, nothing could be more appropriate than Mod's cult following harnessing the power of new media to propagate its message of style.

This Modfather Clothing is the most recent one I've spotted on the old world wide web. It's only three years old and it's located in Camden - I'm going to look it up soon, of an afternoon. Check out their site in the meantime.