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Vintage 1960s Cherry of London pale beige MOD suede jacket double breasted plus scarf, fine leather period beige gloves & sunglasses

 

"I'm the hippiest number in town and I'll tell you why....
But the main thing is unless you're a fool,
Ah you know you gotta know, yeah you know, yeah you gotta be cool...
So the action lies with all of you guys,
Is how you look in the other, the other, yeah, the other cat's eye..."

So went Zoot suit by The High Numbers (WHO? you cry? Yes, exactly) my 'Spirit of the Age and Garment'  song which shows the massive importance of style to the Mod culture, though for guys was little different for the girls. 

This is about a size UK 10 in modern sizing; may fit a smaller UK 12 depends on your shoulders.

And Mod had been a movement - Modernism so called because of Modern Jazz clubs they hung out like The Flamingo in  Wardour Street - since the late 1950s. So the idea that Mod girls wore mini skirts and go go boots, at least to start with, is an anachronism. Mary Quant didn;t 'invent' the mini skirt until 1965. So what did they wear? Well, for example, straight cut pants (a little narrower than those I am wearing but generally high cut waist not the lower hip cut that came in again, later 1960s), pencil skirts , knee length dresses (or just above post Jean Shrimpton's 1965 Melbourne Cup shocker) Breton tops, and berets and headscarves, and fairly flat shoes either with small stack or kitten heel, or ballet flats. They did have heeled boots, but not the stack platform white go go boots (yet). They tended to be ankle boots with kitten heels or again small stack or flat, though there were longer boots (if you want to check one particular style of those look at Sandra Barry and the Boys on Pathe on you tube ...the 'Boys' became hardcore Mod band The Action). And one thing most Mod girls had as an essential in their wardrobe for many years, was the leather or suede coat, straight cut, single or double breasted. 

There were fitted suede coats too, often with fur trims, so called princess or Cossack coats, but they generally again didn't come into fashion until after 1965, with Dr Zhivago and Anna Karina in Alphaville, Emma Peel in the Avengers etc). I have a few of those listed, but the straight cut suede coats was the staple for many years, and they were VERY EXPENSIVE. The Mods cared not, the more kudos. The guys were spending 30-40 guineas on mohair made to measure suits, a tenth of a year's income for a young man. And suede and leather coats, similarly for the girls carried a similarly hefty price tag fast fashion and mass produced leather/suede from the developing world simply did not exist. So a suede coat like this one By Cherry of London, a relatively high end label based in Eastcastle street supplying boutiques in Carnaby street and Oxford St department stores, would have set you back around 25 guineas (One £ and one shilling; a denomination used for higher end goods....which Mods wanted. They'd sneer at cheap stuff that did exist, sold in the likes of Woolworth, and puff out their chests and say 'this ain't your seven and sixpence'. Mod was a working class aspirational movement, and why shouldn't they have the best clobber? Scruffy middle class students were looked down on, as were rockers, the more traditional 1950s rock and roll subculture who rode motorcycles so had black leather functional jackets and even trousers. Not so the Mods: they were all about being clean cut (Clean living in difficult circumstances as Pete Meaden The Who's manager stated) and because the Lambretta or Vespa their vehicle of choice had side panels and was a cleaner vehicle, they particularly went for suede which shows oil stains badly. They didn't care their vehicle weren't greasy. So even white jeans became a thing, and pale beige suede Hushpuppy desert boots for guys and similar for girls. 

And IF these suede shoes are your size and you like them, well I can sort those for you too but PLEASE do not take if they don't fit, they are lovely and I want them; they are Peter Kaisser and while probably later than the Mod period they are classic in excellent condition and in keeping with the styles of the time shoe wise. I will put something else lovely in as a free gift of equivalent value and apt; and you will only get the shoes if you really want them and they are a fit Cinders.

So this suede jacket by Cherry would have been around 25 guineas, and that's around £750 in today's money.

 

So you have to see this Cherry of London jacket, as quite the status symbol at the time for a young woman. Green was particularly popular in suede and leather, or like this one, suede and leather. 

Now, it's in pretty good condition apart from the odd tiny stain. I am reluctant to try and clean it with suede cleaner as it could leave a bigger marks. The small stains would not deter me from wearing. A specialist suede dry cleaner may be able to sort it. But otherwise its pretty clean looking, so don;t let this deter you as many from this period, because they have been so well loved, are pretty minging tbh. And by contrast you wouldn't look at this and say it needs a dry clean at all. The marks are mainly a few small dark spots on the lower right sleeve (spilled coffee splash? Hey imagine that could have happened at the Bamboo coffee bar a Mod haunt for eg all part of the history!) 

Then, every Mod girl treasured their head scarves and often they were given as free gifts with suede coats in particular, right through the late 1950s to late 1960s. Worn round the neck they'd keep hair products make up and skin/hair oil off the collar off your coat. On the head they'd keep your hair nice on a windy scooter ride. So in that tradition I have selected a lovely one, and while it is later period, it certainly has a Mod vibe in red white and blue graphics. Again such graphics were introduced to Mod culture by Pete Meaden when the High Numbers became The Who and they sported roundel targets (the idea came from Peter Blake's 'First real Target' painting not the RAF) , arrows and block colours etc. So its in the spirit of 1965 Mod. Then the sunglasses well they are modern, Mango (MNG) but lovely retro early 1960s and in white, popular with Mod girls throughout though styles changed.  Plus a pair of matching leather gloves.

Hope you enjoy my Ai backgrounds here recreating the Scene club, The Railway Hotel Harrow (check out the High Numbers gig there on you tube its FAB!), The Bamboo Cafe, etc in the video to give some context atmosphere!

So remember Modern Jazz kittens, It's all about "how you look in the other, the other, yeah, the other cat's eye..." and if you want the authentic Mod girl look this is an essential in your wardrobe. And those lovely extras styled to go included in the deal.

 

Vintage 1960s Cherry of London pale beige MOD suede jacket double breasted plus

£245.00Price
Quantity

    2016 ASCENDANCE JEWELLERY AND FASHION ACCESSORIES

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