Frankly, I did this post a couple of years ago and there seems to be a lot more choice now! Amazing spread of prices and patterns.
The time is once again upon us to start considering which of these beauties you're going to start wearing. Although the stylish among you probably already are wearing them.
Frankly, I did this post a couple of years ago and there seems to be a lot more choice now! Amazing spread of prices and patterns.
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1. A crombie
Get yourself to any decent menswear shop and see what’s on offer in terms of ovecoats. You might have to pay a bit of dosh, but opting for a crombie this winter should be an investment - not only are they comfortably heavy, robust against the cold and stylish with many different shades to choose from, they also have a v-necked collar so you can incorporate as much stuff into your look as you want. For more on this, see 2. 2. A paisley scarf Goes well with 1, thanks to the open collar of most crombie coats, this is also part of a classic skinhead look. As I mentioned in the last post about winter gear, seek out the autumn shades, keep it warm. Oranges, reds and yellows ought to be your aim, especially if you’re opting for a dark coloured overcoat, as they show up much more vividly in the dark mornings and evenings of the season. 3. Dr Marten boots Oddly enough, perfect for trudging about in snow or sludgy ground during this time of year and contribute strongly to the overall skinhead / punky vibe. Also coming in a range of ridiculous colours, although I usually go for darker ones or they run the risk of looking a bit too clownlike. Also easily cleaned and tidied up, unlike, I found recently, suede desert boots. Been slightly asleep at the wheel on these recently so here’s a quick update.
The theme appears to be Jimi Hendrix - although you wouldn’t know it from the extreme lengths PG have gone to make it clear. Apparently they now sell vinyl and pin badges. All of these things also have the additional qualification of being “Authentic Hendrix”, although given that it’s unlikely Jimi Hendrix personally approved all of these individual items to be released exactly 46 years after his death, we can safely assume that this statement is for PR purposes only. Unless his long-lost son is signing them or something, which would technically make them a “Hendrix” product I suppose. Despite my cynicism, PG have actually done well here - the overall impression is moody and autumnal with lots of deep reds and oranges, with a darker and moodier tone to the collection, which is definitely strongly passable as Jimi Hendrix tribute. There are some silly orange parkas and bizarre other things, but there is some solid stuff there too, especially the scarves and shirts. It’s pricey, but it’s certainly rock and roll and it splits from the mainstream in all the right places. A while ago I wrote a short post about Supernova Scarves, the inspirational online scarf shop, based near Turriff in Aberdeenshire, making (all in the UK) quality silk scarves of a distinctly Mod flavour for the very decent price of £30 or under. Now I post again, having been exposed to their wares first-hand and having been very impressed! The scarf looks and feels great - silky smooth of course, summery white paisley pattern (good plan, despite the frankly crap weather here) and slightly tassled at the ends. The fabric itself is relatively compact too. Sounds like an odd thing to say, but I do have another scarf from elsewhere whose material can be quite voluminous, slightly ruining the overall look when you try to wear it. Not so with this one, the material is perfect.
So I can now say with a certainty - go to Supernova Scarves for all your Mod scarf needs. That being said, they also do pocket handkerchiefs and ties in silk too! I also think it’s appropriate for me to mention here as well that none of this would be possible without the internet. Supernova Scarves is a tiny business based well over five hundred miles from where I live and yet anyone is able to peruse their entire collection at their leisure on the website and order a scarf to their exact tastes for less money than it would be to travel into your nearest Pretty Green and buy off the shelf something that might not be as edgy as you’d want. For a Mod on the lookout for great stuff and for connecting small businesses and boutiques with the Mod community out there, the internet is the ultimate tool. No more are we at the mercy of diluted-for-the-mass-market products with a price tag of hundreds of pounds hidden in an awkward corner of a high-street shop once every few months. For fashion enthusiasts keen on cultivating a stylish, yet individual look, the internet is pretty much the Mod ideal. That's what I reckon anyway, but then I can get a bit carried away sometimes... Thanks again Belinda from Supernova!
I am going to say it; the best place to find yourself a silk scarf is in the side-alleys of Rome. Not only are they of an exquisite quality silk as standard, made in Italy itself, but they also cost only about €25, less than half the price of a Peckham Rye. However, since we don't all live in the Eternal City, we'll have to content ourselves with what we have available here. A few examples below.
Divided however, on how to wear one; folded over as one would a tie obviously (not like some ways which just sit around the neck like some kind of bizarre Elizabethan collar) but should it be under or outside the shirt? Outside the shirt, I was reliably informed by the seller in Rome, was the “French” way (which might not be such a bad thing). Yet under the shirt feels very aristocratic somehow and I’ve rarely seen photos of the famous Mod icons wearing a scarf this way, Paul Weller for example usually wears his outside the shirt quite prominently. That’s what I’ll go with for now. |
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May 2018
AuthorMod blogger and style advocate. For all the latest pearls of wisdom, read this blog! |