Dear EJ
Instead of the manly pursuit of watching the Champions League football (the real game is tonight's anyway) I chose to watch the final instalment of British Style Genius. The show looked at a number of key street style movements which occurred in the aftermath world war two, beginning with Teddy Boys and ending with chavs (are chavs really the last bastion of Great British street style? I really hope not). My favourite of the looks featured were the mods. The Mod look was one of cool, streamlined, smart suits and the amount of care and thought which went into getting the look really appeals to me. There was a definite sense of aspiration, these youths didn't want to live the lives of their parents, they wanted to break away from tradition and created something special. There were a number of catalysts which helped this street style movement grow but one of closest ones to my heart (because I was a spoilt youth myself) is the fact that teenagers had greater disposable income than ever before. They relished their leisure time, going to nightclubs, listening to music and collecting records - I would be content in life as a Mod.
Which street style do you admire most and why?
Steve
Hola Steve!
I am clearly more manly than you (should I be admitting that?) as I was enjoying watching Chelsea lose (forza Roma!). I've managed to miss this entire series actually so hopefully they'll repeat it on BBC4 sometime.
The men of Manchester... wait, I'll start that again. The clothes orientated men of Manchester all seem to tend towards a mod-inspired look. Sharp haircuts and a particular type of tailoring are popular... a look carefully balanced between smart and casual. I love it!
I've always been drawn to people who favour tailoring, but done their own way. This doesn't seem to be so much a style tribe though, rather a certain type of male who you meet from time to time. Someone who manages to find that elusive vein of men's vintage... someone who was wearing waistcoats and bow ties before you'd even learnt how to tie a regular tie.
As for so-called chavs, I have to say I've been noticing more and more darn stylish ones lately, albeit stylish in a different way to how I normally like. A lot of them seem to be into the limited edition trainers I covet myself (I actually sought out and bought my current favourite trainers after seeing them on some lad's feet outside the Arndale) and some quality casualwear.
Ok, that's enough from me for now. I'll see you and Princess Anne tomorrow
EJ
x
3 comments:
it's a shame that the series has now come to an end, it's been some great tv and most people i know have been glued to it and learnt.
my grandad was a teddy boy so i know all about it, we have photos of him and it's just great to think that someone in my family was apart of a gang ( not in a bad way though, he must have been part of one of the friendlier neighborhoods!) chavs would be one of the bad ones, im also glad that i was too young to experiance the "casuals", now thats what happens when young people have too much money.
i wonder what will be next? it can;t just stop at chavs, bring back every man wearing top hats!
I try my best not think too much about style. I only own one pair of trainers: white leather converse. One day I wake up and I feel like an outlaw, the other I dress for a Gatsby dinner party regardless of my destination. Mood and humor dictate my look. The contemporaneity of the cut and fit is also important.
To anyone who missed it, the entire series is currently available on BBC iPlayer. :)
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