As of late, we have had people here and there consistently ask us, “Why do you guys dress so fancy?” Not that we’re in strange Japanese designer clothes all the time or anything, but I think people have picked up on our non-jeans and t-shirt vibe, and the fact that at least two of us are wearing suits in almost all of our promos.
The answer to the question is a somewhat complicated one, but I think it can be summed up in a short explanation.
As a kid, I was always interested in suits. James Bond was not only a really sweet 60s action film for me, it was also a big fashion influence. I loved the fitted, classy looking suits that were so prevalent in all the films. It didn’t end there:
I remember being obsessed with the movie ‘Bullit’ as a kid, after my Dad and some of his friends had a BBQ/Movie night at our house. Steve McQueen’s clothes were just so sharp, stylish, and just well…sharp! It led its way into music too. For the longest time I would ask myself, “Where do you get such sweet streamlined boots like the one Bob Dylan is wearing in all his 60s pictures!”
There was definitely this aesthetic that I loved, but I couldn’t necessarily put my finger on. It was something very 1960s, but it went beyond your stereotypical cheesy Austin Powers Flower Power look that I hated so much. It was somehow classic and modern all at the same time.
Without giving you ten more paragraphs (I suppose I could save those for another post), all this interest eventually lead me to this fashion’s homeplanet: Modernism (or Mod for short). Describing what Mod is in one short paragraph is impossible. It was, and is a movement. It was, and is a style. It was, and still is, a mindset.
If you can remember back, as a reference, we’ve already been involved in some Mod related events (our feature on The Modcast for one, and of course our Mod themed Rock Hop show which as you can probably guess, was a Picture Atlantic brainchild). We’re definitely fans of the style, image, and general direction of Mod fashion, and it is…well… “Why we dress so nice.”
If you are interested seeing what I’m talking about, you can check out www.modculture.co.uk and learn about the music, image, style, history, and overall suaveness! Enjoy. I know I certainly do.
-Nik