'Eventually I just couldn’t stand being in a room full of it. It was embarrassing.'

I always start with the music. For all its faults, the mid 80s mod scene was heavily into R&B, blues and jazz (plus soul and ska). By around 86 or 87 the Latin thing came in - although ironically, a lot of the big mod tracks were by artists who have done a hell of a lot better before and/or after the Latin soul/boogaloo fad. But still, a lot of good Latin tracks were discovered or rediscovered.

Towards the end of the 80s British R&B became the big thing on the mod scene - the beginning of the end really as most of it was shit. By the 90s all sorts of forgettable, dated crap was getting dug up.

Fortunately I think eventually the pendulum swung back, at least to a certain extent, plus the bigger events can have different rooms thereby catering for all tastes.

Last edited by Yuca (2022-03-04 12:34:05)

Back on-topic to some extent, names that consider themselves to be 'iconic' or 'heritage' or 'classic' (you get the picture) seem to feel an overwhelming need to lay it on with a trowel.  Clarks' do it.  Baracuta do it.  Ralph Lauren most certainly do it.  Even Brooks have dabbled.  There are others.  You can find images on Ebay every day of the week of clothing items you wouldn't accept as a gift, often at ludicrously inflated prices. 
Perhaps this is why a name like John Smedley remains reasonably popular.  It's still low-key.  Long may it remain so.
As for Sebago, they're now available in a rather poncy shop on our local high street.

An independent shop called, I think, 'Project', in Belper.  I looked in, just the once, last autumn.  Bugger all at high prices.

Ah. I’ll make a point of cruising the independents round here. See what turns up.

Right back on point; presumably via the power of algorithms (whatever they are), my Pinterest feed this morning was full of blue loafers. Most of the outfits clearly didn’t work - “Look at my shoes everyone - THEY’RE BLUE!!’’  But a few looked okay. Not Ivy. Kind of pseudo French style. Light stonewash turned up jeans, no socks, stripe Tee. They stopped short of the pastel jumper casually draped over the shoulder. But you get the idea.

Last edited by Spendthrift (2022-03-05 03:40:29)

Online can be brilliant for buying, I just bought some stunning shoes direct from Sanders at only about 40% of their original price, that I'd never find in store no matter how hard I looked. Arrived within two days.

Also buying direct online will provide more of the proceeds to the manufacturer than indirect in store.

Last edited by An Unseen Scene (2022-03-05 04:49:17)

Fully understood!  Hope we are all well.

Yes, black or brown leather shoes.

Blue or white is nice for canvas sneakers.