My mam brought these back from Naples.

Yes - Lennon style rounded shades, but in the classic Italian way, they are x10.

About double the size of the usual ones and even with a kind of leopard print.

I’m sure all you savvy music peeps out there are already doing this, but to anyone who’s still clinging onto the old ways, a quick message.
 
A few months ago, my (laptop-based) music library was wiped again. This is probably about the third time this has happened. The first and second times involved a bath and a can of tomatoes respectively, but that is a story for another time. The point is, this loss is really annoying and it actually made me think there must be an easier way of remedying this than performing the rigmarole of loading each individual CD back onto my iTunes library and spending hours making sure everything was correctly ordered.
 
My girlfriend had for ages had Spotify and ran rings around me choosing the music playlists for any particular event – e.g. a house-party, a dinner, etc. And, for when you were out and about, away from wifi access, she could download playlists, songs or albums and save them to listen to on the journey. I was impressed. So next time my music library was broken, I decided enough was enough and signed up for a free trial.
 
As you can guess what comes next, I won’t bore you with the “it changed my life” stuff (although it actually has), but basically I cannot think of anything more cutting edge and Mod than Spotify. I don’t now need to actively manage a whole shedload of songs on my iTunes (paying £10 or so to download or, buy in-shop, an album). I have access to almost everything, from Quincy Jones to Steve Cradock. From Madness to Joe Meek, at the touch of a button for £10 a month or so. If I read something online or someone mentions some niche band or tune, I can be there in an instant, listening to their whole album.

As a music lover I can tell you I understand the attraction of vinyl so I’m not saying throw it all away. CDs I can leave to be honest, but vinyl has a mystery about it, especially since the album artwork also ends up being nice and big. Plus some of those bits of plastic might be valuable someday. But it’s not like you take a vinyl player with you on your daily commute and it certainly isn’t the case that you own everything by everyone such that you can just whack it on while you cook the steak.
So I say give it a try. I meanwhile, will rejoice in the collapse of the giant record cartel and music for the millions.

A great Steve Mariott pic here. When I was younger, I loved this pic so much that I had it on my wall. 

If anyone is deserving of the name of "Modfather" (that is, other than Paul Weller), then I think Steve is them. In fact, Weller has always said that the Small Faces were his mod inspiration - so much so that he feels Steve ought to be re-named The Modfather. So perhaps Weller is the Modfather, but Steve Marriott is the Grand Modfather. Or something.

Anyway in the original picture, I think his shirt is actually blue with a golden-yellow collar, which explains the contrast difference here (a combo well-worth trying on iTailor, thanks for reminding me). Along with this, he also wore a brown/khaki suit on the original cover of the first album (which is reproduced below).

To be fair, I could take or leave the suit, but the glasses were (and still are) cooler than anything I'd seen before. They made the piece.

I mention this not just because of the Steve Marriott connection (and because I haven't said anything about the Small Faces for quite a while) but because while I was browsing the other day on Atom Retro and found that they are actually selling the very same shades worn in that pic. These are truly incredible days we live in.

There's quite a groovy colour scheme going on here.

Obviously we'd all prefer a button-down collar and a three button suit (and probably ditch the skull lapel pin), but can't fault the overall look.

This might not be relevant to everyone - but here's a fun infographic.

Couple of decent ones here. I like the wide, minimalist style (as always).

One of these days I'll shut up and buy one. But for now, I'm going to stare.
​
Update: These watches are about £15,000 each. Scratch that.

You probably never thought a clock could be Mod.

​Well, ok perhaps not really. But it's important to remember that just writing "The Who" and drawing arrows all over something doesn't make it cool. 

This thing has a sparse minimalism and great use of big spaces that makes it feel kind of retro and it'd look at home in a sixties-style pad, even if it's not literally Mod.

Old skool, but again a super smart one. 

Another bizarre one. Quite smart tho.

Pellicano and their 'associates' down in Palermo are doing Baker Boys hats.

Given where the hats are supposed to originate from, this is probably as close to the real thing as you're going to get.

​Razors not included.

Elegant, dark, not too fussy. Probably expensive. Suede strap? 

Somehow it's the combination of the suit (although a DJ here, I would have preferred obviously a 3-button), the sunglasses, the gloves and the boots that really makes this image.

​We’re almost at that stage in the year where going around dressed like this is a viable option.

I can't seem to find this on the website, so I can't give you a place to get it. The price is a ludicrous £649 apparently. But then, as I said, this could be rumour.

But it's nice - classic simple face without extra "sports" dials etc. and a smooth finish without looking too bulky.