mod 2 d

 

 

a: £46 – Topshop, b. £25 – Quay @ ASOS, c: £17 – River Island

One of the key trends I’ve seen emerging this spring is Mod fashion. By Mod fashion I don’t mean Ben Sherman shirts and turned up Levis,  I’m talking about monochrome, kitten heels and swing dresses. Although mod fashion originated in the early ’50s as a subculture, it was in the swinging ’60s that it really became a fashion phenomenon. For the first time in the two decades preceding the second world war, teenagers no long had to give their wages to their families and had more disposable income to spend on music, fashion and make-up. For the women of the era, the trend was typically androgynous. Female mods of the era had short haircuts, men’s trousers and shirts that they’d borrowed from their boyfriends. As the decade went by the mini skirts got shorter, the eyelashes got bigger and eye make-up became more doe-eyed. By the end of the decade popular models, such as Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton, had a high fashion take on the trend, thus marking its end as a solely hip, underground trend and its beginning as a more commercialised fashion trend.

mod 4 re-done

 

a: Shirt: £36 – Topshop, b: £42 – Topshop, c: £60 – Aldo

This trend remains popular today because of its clean seams, chic colour palette and androgynous tailoring. Androgynous tailoring, by the way, which is so feminine you’d think the men were borrowing their clothes from the women and not the other way around. To incorporate this look into your wardrobe this spring/summer, you will have to swap your retro prints and bright colours for traditional, black and white, monochrome prints. Ditch the platforms, the mods were all about flats and kitten heels. Ditch the flippy, skater skirts in favour of some cleaner, smoother cut tailoring. Figure hugging dresses? Forget it; it’s all about the shift! However, a pair of figure hugging, smart, slim leg trousers is an absolute must for this trend. Also, borrowing a shirt from your boyfriend is completely fine. Although black and white are the traditional colours for this look, if you feel a little dull and drab don’t feel like you can’t add a pop of colour; after all sixties fashion was all about having fun. If you also feel the shape of the clothes may be a bit boring and plain, you can be a bit more playful with the accessories, for example: one of the aspects of this look that I personally love is the sunglasses. Fashionable Mod women had larger than life ‘sunnies’
with thick and round frames, although this may take you out of your comfort zone (especially those of you unwilling to part with your Ray Bans), if pulled off it will look incredibly chic.

mod collage dmu

 

a: £19.99 – Zara, b: £50 – Dorothy Perkins, c: £10 – Asos, d: £40 – Asos.

Although being a ‘Mod’ was much more of a life-style than a fashion choice, if you wish to become an ultra modern Mod, without changing your music tastes/hangouts/social circles, then keep reading for information on how to do it. Firstly, you’ve probably already got items in your wardrobe that resemble the sixties fashion and Mod fashion – anything black and white, mini or low heeled is good place to start. I’d recommend just buying one or two pieces to add to what you already have as this is a difficult trend to pull off, due mainly to its androgynous theme and lack of colour/print. Try something simple like a shift dress to begin with, if you decide you like the look and want to replicate it more then I suggest buying a few other pieces like a jacket or some sunglasses. Here’s a selection of this season’s best picks and information on where to buy them to help get you started. Once you have you’ll be ready to go forth and be a ’60s siren!