(This article was editted by me before putting it into this blog because some of the things were phrased wrong) , original article is here : [ http://www.uppers.org/showArticle.as... ]

Mods defend their fashion and style ferociously, as with anything the style is individual, there is no strict formula. Despite all of the different interpretations however it is not difficult to spot a mod; you definitely know one when you see one.

This applies for any mod, female or male, but aren't so much as "rules" to the real mods, but more so they're neccesities for them to look good and feel good when you're all modded up

In the 1960's when the subculture began in London, things were a bit more black and white especially for the girls, flipping through old photographs or books such as the Mods book it is plain to see that the female mod had an androgynous look to her, usually short cropped or bobbed hair, minimal makeup, simple almost frumpy clothing, back then their goal was to emulate the boys.

Here are the basic necessities to the mods

RULE #1 Confidence is the best accesory
The sharpest mod has a cool calm about them, a certain poise. You have have the look right, know you look best, and know you don't have to prove it to anyone. Already self assured.
This confidence, perhaps quiet arrogance comes from experience, from doing your research yet forming your own opinions and style. It is undefined yet ever present. There is no need to explain yourself or defend your look. Make a statement with poise and confidence. Show off.

RULE #2 Do it correctly or not at all
Either the clothing is worn wrong or perhaps being mixed fashions from different parts of the decade, but every piece you wear makes a statement. The same goes for those who don't bother to tailor their clothes, or have properly fitting suits, or wearing skirts or dresses that are too tight or hang too loose. Again, why bother then? It's all about looking slick, in your own way, and when the skirt, shirt, or trousers don't fit, why bother again?

RULE #3 Quality is key
This is quite possibly the most important of the three rules. Quality is definitely key. It is better to spend a large sum of money on one dress or suit that is in good condition and looks good on you than to spend the same amount on an entire truckload of clothing that has small holes, stains that wont come out, torn lining, or generally so far gone that its beyond repair.
This may sound obvious, but quite often you see someone who has the hem of her skirt or dress hanging down or doesn't seem to notice that stain in the armpit. It is getting more and more difficult finding good quality mod clothing now, smaller boutiques are your best bet however be prepared to pay for it. Another option is to find yourself a good tailor and have clothes made, that way you are certain to have top of the line quality and there isn't a danger of walking into a club and seeing three other girls with a similar outfit. Tailoring is of course very expensive but becoming more and more of a necessity.


Generally mods are a mysterious group, they stand out of a crowd in a positive way, no other subculture pays such scrupulous attention to authenticity and detail. It takes experience and time to get the look just right, and to build a proper wardrobe. The key is to find your own style while being aware of these basics and remembering the philosophy of the subculture.
Look your best, ride the best bike, and conduct yourself with the utmost poise and class.

As written on this page already, "Effortlessly cool is a detailed process", and when you start getting into modernism, it's already in you


Keep The Faith

- Farah

Britain, 1977. The country was in a state of despair. Much like today, the Labour party was sinking miserably lower in the nation’s eyes, certain to be ousted at the next available opportunity, to be replaced by the first female Prime Minister and her notorious Conservative cronies. However, as for the music industry, a revolution was taking place. Glam rock had all but died out: perms and platforms were no longer in sight, now traded in for pins and piercings. Punk had been unleashed, thrilling the youths and terrifying the adults. Now nobody was to conform, laws were made to be broken and anarchy was most definitely in the UK. A walk down the local high street could not occur without seeing spitting youths with sharp gravity-defying hairstyles and customized blazers strutting around in rebellious self-confidence. Yet from this inferno of adolescent outrage, something else was beginning to stir; something unseen since the days of the Beatles, a revolt against the revolt.
Some four years previously to the so-called year of the Punk, a rock opera album had been released by the former Mod band The Who: Quadrophenia, which told the story of a young Mod called Jimmy in 1964, and his conflict with his four inner personalities. Until the release of this album, Mod had become almost a taboo subject, as those that had experienced the very British phenomenon had since became the lethargic Hippies or the extremist Skinheads, and now their loyalties lay elsewhere, or even considered themselves too old to associate with youth cults anymore. Yet in the aftermath of the blitz that was post-Glam and now Punk, fashion had became a rude word. However after 73’s Quadrophenia, with its booklet of 60’s sharp-dressing Mod photographs and glamorizing lyrics, the Mod style was thrust into the nation once more. Some short years after this, in the small town of Woking, a young teenager called Paul had discovered The Who’s defining single, My Generation, and influenced by both the style of Mod and the energy of Punk, saw a direction for his then four-piece band, known as The Jam.
Yet Weller and co. were not alone in this; in London, at least two other groups, oblivious to the existence of each other, were openly performing as Mod bands. Billy Hassett’s The Chords and their East-end counterparts The Purple Hearts. Around 1977, both could mildly fill a venue of curious youngsters, avid band followers and even the few young Mods that were beginning to appear around London in the period, isolated by their lack of enthusiasm in Punk. Slowly, their fan bases began to grow, as did Army surplus stores sales. The Jam were enjoying meagre success with the punk-inspired sounds of their debut album In The City, yet for the Seventies Mod there was little choice. Fans would travel across the city for just two short hours with a band that followed Mod. Slowly, but surely, a new Mod scene was beginning to develop. It seemed that The Jam, Chords and The Purple Hearts were not alone in their fascination: Secret Affair, Squire, Back to Zero, and also many “bandwagon” Mod revival bands began to appear, such as The Lambrettas and The Merton Parkas. In 1979 Secret Affair released their debut single “Time for Action”; lyricist Dave Cairn’s rallying call to the thousands that were to become Mods in the late Seventies. Shortly afterwards came what is often cited as the major influence of youths into the Mod revival: The release of Franc Roddam’s film adaptation of The Who’s album Quadrophenia. In order to give Mod to the masses, the Mods Mayday ’79 album was released and subsequently the March of the Mods tour.
Adjacent to the Mod revival came the onset of other youth sub-culture revivals: the Teddy Boys, Skinheads, and the new breed of Rockers, so different to their leather-clad greaser types of the Sixties, now long haired, rock-denim wearing Iron Maiden fans. Ska revival groups also began to circulate, the more popular o

The Mods are a widely known British youth sub-culture, consisting mainly of working class teens, predominantly of the male gender, although there has been a linked fashion of the "Modette". This movement has inspired many thousands of young men and women not only in the United Kingdom, but across the globe, in areas of the world such as Australia and the USA, over generations and many decades, and in at least three periods of time. However, to truly understand this very British phenomenon, it must be first traced back to its very roots: the streets of London, England, at the turn of the 1960’s.
It is often stated that both the Mods and their rougher, tougher, counterparts, the Rockers, emerged from the rise of the Teddy Boy movement in the mid 1950’s, during the primary wave of what is widely considered the first ever “youth music”, that of Rock ‘n roll. However, this theory is widely disputed by Mod purists, in favour of the concept that the Mods, or Modernists as they were originally known, sprang from the dissatisfaction post-war teens found in their bleak, working-class environment, and longed for an affluent, smart, clean lifestyle as opposed to the humdrum society in which they resided. Originally the Modernists were not a teen cult, but merely a way of thinking, and in the ideal Modernist world, smooth steel would replace crumbling brickwork, bright colours would step in to fill the grey drizzle, and fast-paced adventure would fill the gaps the dull monotony of their lives had left. Yes, the Modernists one and only main principal was that of moving forward, an idea that remains to this very day.
Another theory of the beginnings of the Mods is that many teens were left uninspired by their elders taste for Traditional, or Trad, jazz music, and instead found an outlet in the rise of the Modern jazz, or Mod music. Whichever the case, it led to a tradition that has shaped many lives to this very day. In both aspects, the British youths of the early Sixties, both the Mods and the Rockers, were the first generation to escape being disciplined by the once compulsory National Service, and instead found well-respected (and well-paid) jobs, and whilst living with their parents, found that they had large amounts, at the time, of money that was their own, and with which they could purchase whatever clothing or items they desired. This disposable income, a privilege that their parents had not experienced before them, allowed them to style themselves into individuals, rather than the dull suits and dresses that their elders were clad in.
Around this period, a large range of Italian imports were flooding into the country, including various clothing and also the legendary two-wheeled transport associated so strictly to the Mods. Specifically, these youngsters found themselves attracted to the slim, fitting style of Italian designer suits, with their narrow lapels and 5” side vents, giving them a tighter, sharper image than many others. Along with this clothing came the rise of the motor scooter trade in Britain, usually either the sleek, jet-like Innocenti Lambretta models, or the feminine, breast like curves of the Piaggio Vespa. This granted the rider a sense of individuality, and prevented them from rubbing shoulders with the mundane general public of which they tried so hard to distance themselves from. Also, unlike the motorcycle range on offer, which was adopted by the Rockers, the engine was covered up, giving an image of cleanliness, which suited the Mods to the ground. The Mods now had one general rule, to which any individual had to abide in order to become a Mod, and this was of miniaturization: short hair, narrow lapels, clean-shaven, slim ties, tight clothes, and the aforementioned small scooters, as opposed to the large motorcycles. Another vital aspect of the Sixties Mod lifestyle was the drugs; pills to be more precise. Both alcohol and cannabis were easily available to the adolescent public, yet both