I am just green with envy.

Gosh jack,
my very own thread where to begin- I think for the sake of clarity I will break this down into bite size sections.

My first awareness of clothes was in the early 80`s - prior to this it was a case of what ever Mummy considred suitable-twice annual visits to Burtons - one summer wardrobe - one winter.

In the very early 80`s I became aware of bands like, the clash the damned, stiff little fingers all kinda punkish bands - perhaps past their best- although I think the Clash evoved into an even better band than their punk roots- would have suggested.

obviously this is where some of my clothing choices were influenced- because in mummys words" I was going through a rebellious stage" -I had to buy my own clothes with pocket money along with christmas and birthday money - other than what was needed for school.

At this time it was a case of scrounging around for cheap clothes that fit the criteria. so there was lots of hanging around surplus Army stores.

Ex army combat pants- some camoflagued some not.

ex army -"itchy wool" -battle blousons that could be adapted and customised as needed

some skinny - drainpipe- stretch jeans ( from smart r`s)

quite a few band t-shirts - from HMV

one pair of baggy black trousers with zips down the outer seam that had a japanese flag within - when you opened the zips

I saved and saved for my first pair of 8 hole docs in black - (would have got the ten hole but they rubbed the back of my calves) didn`t dare change the laces to any colour other than black ( see thread on clothing codes)

I remember once buying some mohair wool from  the local knitting shop and asking Granny to knit me a sweater- big and baggy was my insistance-well it came back big and baggy- but unfortunately- it was knitted in an arran sweater pattern ( it turns out it was the only pattern she knew how to knit)- kinda spoilt the whole look.

so ends chapter one - so far - so bad.

I will post later - how my sartorial chi - improved or not as the case maybe


forgot to mention the hair - I wasn`t allowed any other haircut but- a short back and sides with a side parting as a consequence to get anyware near a Punky hairstyle - I went through gallons of country manor hair gell from- boots the chemist- and my mothers sunsilk hairspray.

Last edited by Cheeky Monkey (2007-09-14 08:16:44)

The Mod/ska/rudeboy -years.( or to be more precise probably about 10 months)

Around the time the post punk music scene was on the wain - I became aware of a new energetic music - music you could dance to, music you could sing along to, music with a heavy input of brass and wind instruments, -or more specifically top of the pops - started featuring bands like -The specials, Bad manners, The selector, Madness , The beat, ub40 and the Jam -who had moved from being a punk band - to a Mod band.

watching the bands on top of the pops - now these were seriously cool guys many of them still wore doc martins which appealed -( remember I had saved for a long time to afford my first pair).

They also wore suits and ties, button down collared shirts , pork pie hats , braces ,jeans with turn ups , US millitary parkas,harrington jackets, tassel loafers and brouges( black) all with white socks.

I bought my first pair of Levi jeans -( indeed orange tab- from famous army stores)

a black harrington jacket ( cheap knock off) - later I also got a red one- these jackets had band patches carefully sewn on in strategic places -( actually they were glued on with fabric glue- I couldn`t persuade my mother, to sew them on for me - and a collection of button badges down the front- with the name of my favourite bands.

hung around the army surplus store- and got my first fish tail Parka- ( unfortunately not an authentic US millitary one but a cheap copy ( by winfields I think) red quilted nylon lining and a skinny piece of rabbit fur around the hood.
-Out came the old pump whitener and quick as a flash -a Who circle and arrow was scrawlled on the back - with suprisingly enough the who written in the circle.

sta press trousers - mail order from a shop called class - I think- ( advert in smash hits) also from a company called spencers some fleck trousers ( both with turn ups and narrow legs)

took some of my shirts- and cut off the bottom  button -from the front and the spare button ( sewn to the washing instruction label) and glued them to the collar points of the shirt ( again with fabric glue ) to give the appearance of a button down collar shirt. (very blue peter-no?)

started wearing my tie back to front so that the skinny length was on the outside.-( until I saved up for two skinny leather ties- my favourite being a black one with a screen printed "two tone man" on the front which started to come off the second time I tied it.

I think my first pair of loafers came from either dolcis- or freeman , hardy and willis -which my Father bought when I persuaded him they would be perfect school shoes.

I got a two tone suit -( the item which originally brought me here) when I persuaded Granny to buy me a suit for my Birthday-she gave me extra Birthday money and off I went .- the suit was green with a goldy thread interwoven -( in certain lights it looked gold but if you slightly adjusted your angle it looked green)- I wore it to go and see Granny and she said I looked very smart- well she would wouldn`t she.

with the benefit of hindsight it was probably more Bryan Ferry in his glam years with roxy music- than ska - but at the time I thought I was a special boy.(  mummy still thinks I am special- my wife just thinks I`m special needs)

loads more stuff I could tell you -but other than for me - it`s probably pretty boring.

If anyone is intrested I could write my next chapter probably best described as the wilderness years.

but I don`t wish to be percieved as more tedious than - I probably allready am.

thanks to Mr.Buff for providing the arena- to write this stuff.

CM

Jack you really are very kind you know- all these compliments.

Essentially I -suspect for me it was about creating some form of rebellion- lets face it you don`t have to dress like a member of -the clash - to like their music.

You have to bear in mind- I had a very conventional upbringing-typical middle class- ( although personally I don`t like using class as a description- too many assumptions made by others) - Daddy was a businessman-mummy stayed at home to raise the Familly- 8 years old -,off to boarding school-.

You see- boarding school is very regimented.-hell they were still caning at my school until I was in the 3rd year- even the prefects could dispense the slipper- for my first two years there.

Home was very regimented also.- "keeping up appearances"- what will the neighbours think.

for me all- this dressing up - was about rebelling against my circumstances - psycologists would no doubt call it - a need for attention (hmmmm)

anyway I will post more later - if you are intrested.

your post above is mind provoking - and keys into some of my own thoughts.

America is a young and vibrant country - but in comparrison to Europe it has very little herritage- It is a country made up of Immigrants -(often poor ones)-and as such they are looking for -something !-the majority believe in meritocracy -but there are bastions of society who are trying to impose a class system uponwho they percieve to be- their lessers- these would be the preppys and the wasps- who believe through money -they are better than the rest.

(heres a stark lesson for those people money-don`t buy you class)- these are the people who look down on ghetto bling- ( oh how crass- how ostentatious- but this is only the modern equivellant of their Camelot.

another stark truth - the Kennedy dynasty - 4 generations removed- from Irish peasant stock- JFK¬s father was little more than a bootlegger in the prohibition era- who purchased his position as ambassador to Europe.

You can dress as a soldier-It doesn`t make you one.

you can wear ladys clothing -it doesn`t make you one.( it makes you a transvestite)

You can wear a crown -It doesn`t make you a king.

This is perhaps the problem with the Trad forum - there are those there who dont want others to BUY in to their little club.
and those who get Ideas above there station need taking down a peg or two.

But where did these people who regard themselves as the bastions of American society start- well the majority came from 3-4 generations ago when there great great grandparents -boarded a ship with a third class ticket- bound for a new life - in the new world.

to put it in the American vernacular "guys wake up and smell the coffee"

rambling I know -but we like to create an Illusion with clothing - that doesn`t mean we live up to that illusion.

where preppy clothes all you want- no problem here.- but accept because you choose to wear preppy - It doesn`t make you preppy.

CM

to be honest Jack - I don`t have any big issues with anyone over there- although I haven`t ever posted there.

I just allways think if thats how people want to dress- fine by me - each to their own - and all that.

I accept there is pretentiousnus there but - so there is in everyday life - in the real world

I think perhaps some try too hard to convince-but people will draw there own conclusions anyway.

a little like you and I posting - I`m fairly sure there are many who think we are the same person-(sock puppets )

but you and I know we are not one and the same-I`m also not Mike ( where is he -I enjoy his sense of humour- if he is a yank -he does satire and sarcasm very well)

I also enjoy your dry wit .

I think the beauty of this place over "other places"- is no one really takes it at all that seriously.

Clothes are obviously the common denominator- but there is also lots of ribald hummour and banter.

I think it is important to try not to take things too much in ernest- and go with the flow.

Gosh I must be feeling phillosophical today.

so endeth the lesson.

I think what you say is true-It`s never good to see something you are passionate about- misrepresented or skewed- to suit others aspirations.

I think the word that sums it up for me is- "Authenticity"

Some there are authentic - some wish their version was authentic -and others still wish to change the nature of the authenticity, this is perhaps why it has become a mish mash - of views and the real authenticity is hidden within.

Some wish to make a statement with their clothing - no problem ( but unto thyne own self be true).

this is all getting very deep Uncle Jack - lets lighten the mood.- got any good porn links you want to share?- this is after all why the internet was invented.

Back to 'The Wilderness Years'?

These would be your time at Uni. or that difficult first job?

I spent most of my university 'career' in a B&B in Pimlico trying to get blown...

I'd kiss my mother & jump out of one cab at Paddington and then dive down the Underground as soon as she'd buzzed off.


You?

The wilderness years- not yet at uni.

somehow I fell into a blackhole of -following fashion- rather than musical inspiration.

I still had a great appreciation of "mod" music- and even evolved- back in time to prefer the music of the original "mod " sound with bands like the Who, the Animals, the small faces ,the yard birds, the Kinks, the spencer davis group ( lot of bands starting with the in their name in this era - wasn`t there)

But the trend in fashion had moved on to the new romantics.

well the problem for me -you see - was being at boarding school -contact with the girlies - was infrequent to say the least-we had twice yearly dances- one where we were invited to the girls boarding school (Summer term)-and one where the boys school reciprocated ( winter term) - all tightly controlled and Chaporoned.

( you were a bit of a hero if you could smuggle Illicit drink to the function- often secreted in the lining of your dinner jacket - rip a hole in one of the inside breast pockets let the bottle-usually Vodka -in the hip flask size bottle- slide down and be held in place by the stitching at the hem of the jacket- this technique -did cause the jacket to be weighted somewhat- so you would put your hand in the hip pocket and hold the bottle-and walk around like that- all the masters- probably thought we were being pretentious and doing Prince Charles impresions- I wonder if this is how Charlie learnt the habbit)


Other than that - the only other chances to mingle with the fairer sex was- exiat weekends - to schoolfriends homes- ( you only picked friends who had older sisters- and spent all weekend trying to impress them with your wit and tales of daring on the Rugby field- to get perhaps a chaste kiss on the cheek as you bade them farewell at the end of the weekend)

There was some "mingling" ( pronounce it with a soft "G"-as in ginger- and it takes on a whole new meaning)-on the annual school ski trip- ( these were inevitably organised by the more layed back masters ( usually sports masters)- so a blindish eye was turned to-moderate drinking - the odd sneaked cig -and more importantly fraternising with the enemy( I mean ladies).

anyway to cut a short story long.

It soon became evident to my keen eye -that ladies are fickle creatures  - and no matter, the merits of a well appointed harrington or the stylishness of white socks paired with tassel loafers and sta press trousers.
they liked the boys who dressed like their pop idols best.

They liked boys who looked like John taylor and Simon le bon from duran duran, or Tony hadley ,the kemp brothers and the saxophinist from spandau ballet.- Nick heywood from Haircut 100-limahl from Kajagoogoo- Phil Oakey from The Human league -you get the picture.

So it was into things ( and to my eternal and everlasting shame)- like Pixie boots.

burgundy high waisted trousers- flouncy shirts -sweaters tucked into trousers( I see Mr. Lauren is bringing this look back), baggy suits with shoulder pads

one reedeming Item of clothing -I owned ( and you really were in the cool club) if you had one was -an old RAF great coat ( all that hanging around army surplus stores in the earlier years paid off big time).

My first ever Kiss( involving tounges)- was whilst I was wearing a grey flecked suit- white point collared shirt-with skinny red leather tie -white socks and grey slip ons - and what I came to regard as my lucky underpants- she was the older ( by 18 months )sister of a great school pal of mine- who I had being wooing for at least 4  exiat weekends .

She also let me put my hand up her jumper and feel her left boob ( but only over the bra).

On another weekend I got to touch inside her knickers and finger her whilst she gave me an incredibly bad hand job - whilst my member pointed out of my unzipped trousers ( I was very carefull not to wash my right hand for the remainder- of the weekend so I could continue to smell her aroma on my fingers- the memory lingers on)

do you remember when you used to let your mates have a sniff of your fingers if you had got lucky with a Doris.


anyway enough from me just now - next chapter- the higher education years