“Are You a Mod Male or a Mad Man?” asks the USA's Southeast Missourian

More views on the Mod scene from around the world - this time we bring you an article from the USA that has just appeared in the Southeast Missourian: -

“Hello Cape Girardeau, Missouri and beyond.

We just can't seem to get enough of the Mod style, short for Modernists. The early '60s style originated in Britain as the style of the common people and was the style of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. It's not a '60s song but I can't resist, "Every Girl's Crazy 'Bout a Sharp Dressed Man".

Most consensus of Mod style feel "Mad Men" is the Mod style, and it is. I see the Mod style as the Madison Avenue style like Don Draper, sleek and neat, and the British style like Paul McCartney, sometimes referred to as the Mop Top style. The Mod style is also Steve McQueen, he wasn't born in Missouri but I'm proud to say, he grew up in Missouri.

If you need casual jeans, make sure they are super skinny, Drainpipe jeans and just touching the top of your brogues, Chelsea, or Chukka boots. Think long and lean. Otherwise, forget jeans and wear trousers, black or suit trousers with slim cut legs and button-up collared shirts. Shirt Jacs were great and the polo style knit shirts. Turtleneck sweaters were a must.

Color is important for your shirts. You need bold colors, color blocking, op art, stripes; three-button sleeve knit shirts and the English flag shirts. Don't forget your knit skinny tie or bold skinny tie on dresser shirts. Maybe you would prefer a patterned button up oxford cloth shirt.

The Harrington zip jacket, a tweed coat with an Alpaca collar, or a Nehru jacket (a jacket without a collar or lapel). Hats were fun, swagger hats, newsboy caps or English hats, or pinwale cotton corduroy hats.

For the Madison Avenue Mod style, you need your white shirts and French cuffs with cuff links were the style to wear. Ties were skinny but not knit or bold art. Suits and sports shirts should have three buttons and narrow lapels - that's important and so is a pocket square. Sweaters like the polo and turtleneck but especially the cardigan are an important wardrobe staple. You can even add a mohair sweater, pullover, coat sweater or cardigan and then again, there's cashmere and camel hair. My husband is glued to Don Draper's cardigans, he wants them all but you couldn't give him a pair of those necessary pointed shoes. That's okay, you need those pointed shoes or a smooth toe well-shinned black oxford with your suits and sports coats, but they did have loafers for the sweaters, and not penny loafers.

Trench coats were big, solid and miniature plaid, poplin and cashmere. And those great hats. Make sure your swagger hat had a center crease and a nice band.

If you're going for British look, grow your hair out a little longer. I know you've got this handled, the Mop Top look. If you're into McQueen style not short or not long, just a little ruffled. We've all got the Madison Avenue Don Draper hairstyle down. Take your choice but Mod is everywhere with reproductions from Brooks Brothers custom, to Banana Republic, to true vintage you can find in your community.

Don't get ahead of yourself in this style of the early '60s, we're not talking Jaguar's, we're talking Vespa's.

Have fun. Be classic, be you, wear vintage.”