During the early sixties there were great changes in America, particularly, in the civil rights movements. This meant black popular music became a lot more accepted. Soul and Motown were the main musical styles providing good fast music with a catchy beat which people could easily dance to. These artists who sang for these labels such as Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson performed in good suits and always appeared very stylish carrying on the tradition of the jazz musicians of the decade before. Clubs in London picked up on the popularity of this music and started to provide venues where young working class people could go to and dance. The youngsters who were attracted to by this style of music would naturally imitate their idols kicking off a trend of always dressing very stylish. Fashion was of most importance to these working class people who were known as the Mods.

Music and fashion were an obsession for the Mods; they were recurring topics for many Mod discussion and debate. They were very much attracted by the obscurity of certain soul songs or the individuality that wearing original items of clothing brought with them. This was the symbol of the change.

Style and fashion was essential to the Mods, looking smart at all times became the signature of this subculture. Many shops and boutiques opened in London providing the look. Black Music played a huge part in developing the Mod as it was at the all-night clubs in London where they would play this early form of dance music. At the clubs the Mods would meet in their new designer outfits. The boys wouldn’t be checking out the girls but rather the other boys.

Looking good was crucial so they would be comparing themselves with everyone and the lad who was dressed the sharpest would instantly gain the admiration and respect of the others. Mods would fund their lifestyle by using the profits from their often unremarkable day jobs.

Unlike other sub-cultures the Mods didn’t dress in opposition to society. Most people in Britain in the Sixties dressed in suits and so did the Mods. They separated themselves from the masses by wearing higher quality suits. The Mods didn’t dress to stand out from society but rather to infiltrate it. A lot of Mods would have good jobs just like the rest of the people but the rest wouldn’t spend their whole weekends dancing at night parties and clubs.

The scooter was the preferred mode of transport for the mod but they could rarely afford a good one so they chose to add mirrors or remove them in order to set themselves apart from the rest. Infact the modernists were the firs sub-culture to customise their clothes. This would involve anything from widening or narrowing pockets or adding fury linings to the hood of their parka jackets. The parka jacket was also a symbol of the mod but not because its style value but its effectiveness of keeping the elements from their expensive clothes underneath.

Social change was relevant to this topic because modernists signalled an era of consumerism. They were obsessed with what was new and trendy, things would be in fashion and out of fashion in a matter of weeks. The youngsters in this particular early sixties sub-culture had wardrobes of designer suits they only used a few times and possibly no more. An image that was unattainable in past times of rationing and poor economic performance was this form of consumerism. It was revolutionary, as those with the greatest proportion of spending were working class teenagers.

All things must come to an end and so did this sub-culture. Mods obsessed with originality and coolness were severely affected by the media taking notice of their movement. Once they became mainstream a lot of original Mods started to stop seeing the attractiveness of their lifestyles and gradually they went out of fashion. Throughout the next few decades the tradition was continued with Casuals, Skinheads and Northern Soulers. Like the original Mods they all were obsessed with American black music and style.