Sub-Cultures have been at the center point of our society since the 50's when the Teds arrived on our streets. Since then many fashions and fads have been and gone, however one thing that makes Britain really unique is the fact that we still have several thriving Sub-Cultures. Two of the main Sub-Cultures still around today are Mod and Skinhead. Mod is all about being effortlessly cool and being as unique as possible, whilst taking inspiration from the past and blending that with your own twist from the present. Skinhead evolved from mod in the late 60's and has since undergone a few revivals; the look has stayed similar to its origins just like Mod, but it has evolved too with people wearing pieces different ways and in various styles.One item that has been synonymous with both movements has been the Harrington jacket: a jacket that has been worn by pretty much every Sub-Culture to date, from Casual to Punk, this is a timeless piece that finishes off outfits perfectly giving them that solid working class look.
I recently received the Adaptor Clothing Harrington Jacket in Navy Blue and this is a classic, well crafted piece which will fit into any Mod, Skinhead or fashion conscious persons wardrobe in an instant. The jacket is Teflon coated so the rain just runs off which is ideal for this time of the year. The fit is spot on and the jacket has complimented every look I have added it too! Getting the classic pieces right is key with a clothing brand and Adaptor have done just that with their Harrington Jacket.Mod began in a time when the Teenager had more money than their parents for the first time in history! Post War oppression had ended and the kids were out in force and dressing very
differently from the rest of society. Jazz cafes and clubs set the scene in the late 1950's and Modernism was born. Then, slowly but surely more and more mods began to arise and the scene began to take real shape. African-American music was popular with the mods of the day and was played around the clubs and pubs. Celeste Hardie, Ray Charles and Martha Reeves and the Vandellas to name just a few and that's only just the tip of the ice berg. Then along came Brit Beat with bands like The Who, The Kinks and of course The Small Faces taking center stage. This gave the scene it's musical versatility. Early SKA played a huge part in the birth of mod too. The likes of Desmond Dekker and Toots and the Maytals set the bar for the other artists to follow.
Mod today is a very broad church with many bands and artists being associated with the scene. Many looks and styles are also now associated with the Sub-Culture and this is what makes it so unique! After the 60's had been and gone and 'Flower Power' saw the next generation of teen enter a different universe, the 70's began and so did the likes of Glam Rock, but that's a different story. At the end of the 70's three young lads from Woking, dressed in black Burton's suits emerged and Mod as it was known entered it's next Re-generation. The Jam had arrived! A few years passed and the Jam's first two LP's went down well with fans. There was something brewing. 1979 brought us 'Quadrophenia' and 'All Mod Cons' which I believe were the two main ingredients which sparked a national revival! Parka's and target tees covered Britain like a big duvet filled with youth excitement and a sense of belonging. The revival swept the nation and if you ask the guys and girls who were teens and young adults at the time what it was like, they will be positive it was their version of mod!
Some years later Brit Pop and the likes of Oasis and Blur arrived and mod underwent yet another makeover! Here we are in 2014 and it's safe to say Mod is in safe hands with the younger generation bringing their own paisley covered cards to the table we have years and years of this wonderful Sub-Culture to look forward to! One thing that remains constant is the likes of the Harrington Jacket no matter what generation of mod get hold of it, it will always remain! Thanks to companies like Adaptor, our Sub-Cultures cloth is in very safe hands!Like Mod, Skinhead has undergone a few revivals in it's time. The skins took inspiration from mod and began to team up military footwear with their Levi's instead of the more subtle Clarks Desert Boot of the mod. Monkey Boots and Dr Martens were key. Braces met the Ben Sherman shirt head on and formed a much more rustic work-wear look. Initially the skins were known as 'Hard Mods' with their cropped hair and no nonsense approach to fashion. They created another staple Working Class look. The music the skins listened to was similar to that of the mods too. They shared their love of early SKA and the likes of Al Barry and the Cimerons and The Upsetters were fan favourites.
Along with the Mod Revival came the 2-Tone movement. This was the Skinheads revival some ten years after their creation. Like Mod, skinhead had never really gone away. 2-Tone produced bands like The Specials, Madness, The Beat and The Selecter to name a few. This introduced the new generation of skin to the high-octane, energy filled Jamaican born beat that is SKA. My personal favourite band to come from 2-Tone was The Beat, their SKA sound had so many other influences and ideas to it, that it became more than just SKA for me. Skinhead is still a very healthy Sub-Culture today and is up there with mod flying that flame of good taste and Working Class elegance.
So no matter what Sub-Culture you are fortunate to be a part of, the Adaptor Clothing Harrington Jacket is for you. It doesn't just stop there Adaptor have a huge range of branded goods for you to check. Their own range includes some tasty knitted polo's and a rather nice turtle neck jumper too.
Grab yourself one here, and check out the rest of Adaptor Clothing's lineup!
