CHARACTERISTICS OF MOD STYLE
Mod style has its roots in London, England during 1950s. Short for ‘modernist’ mod style was generally characterized by very bold and bright fashions. In this article we will discuss about the characteristics of mod style. When we consider the history of mod movement, the movement was first started from Britain where the mod style was first a subculture developed by teenagers. These teens wanted a new style and or image and want to break the formal tradition being worn by their parents. In other words the mods rejected the “faulty pap” of 1950s pop music and sappy love songs. They aimed at being “cool, neat, sharp, hip, and smart” by embracing “all things sexy and streamlined”, especially when they were new, exciting, controversial or modern.
Concerning about the characteristics of mod style, we can say that the mod subculture was generally associated with fashion, clubs, music, dancing, amphetamines and scooters. These are the significant elements of mod subculture or mod style characteristics. The mods or teens developed a style based on being hip, sharp dressers, with streamlined clothing in solid colors. Mod fashion or clothing is symbolized by very bright colors, geometric as well as color block prints, and short hemlines seen in miniskirts or shift dresses. Men wore tailored suits & button-down shirts with skinny ties. The mod style or movement has been described as streamlined, narcissistic as well as androgynous. Many styles were influenced by Italian fashions and pop art.
Considering the other features of mod style such as clubs, music and dancing, we can say that the clubs attracts more of the youths, those clubs during 1950s as associated with jazz and blues. They started listening sophisticated jazz music. And later on in the beginning of 1960s the clubs started playing more R&B; music. They more prefer to R&B; based bands such as Small Faces, The Kinks, The Yardbirds and especially The Who. This defines in brief of some of the characteristics of mod style. Another notable part of mod subculture or style is the use of recreational amphetamine. This was generally used to fuel all night dances at clubs such as Twisted Wheel in Manchester.
Mod style was also associated with scooters, and is one of the main characteristics of mod style. Most of the mods used scooters for transportation, particularly Vespa or Lambettas. The mods treated scooters as fashion accessory. Italian scooters were preferred because of their clean lined, curving shapes and gleaming chrome. For young mods, Italian scooters were the “embodiment of continental style and a way to escape the working-class row houses of their upbringing”. They customized their scooters by painting them in “two-tone and candy flake and over accessorized with luggage racks, crash bars, and scores of mirrors and fog lights, and they often put their names on the small windscreen.
