If there's one decade we could nibble on over and over again, it's the fabulous sixties and all it has to offer. Beneath the headache of flamboyant florals and psychedelic swirls lie the clean lines of the often repeated look of the crisp, minimalist mod.
Mod Fashion Revival
We've seen it before: the shapeless shifts, the multi-coloured flats, the geometric prints, the plastic bangles and the walking cubism. But this time around, we've left behind the paint-by-numbers flamboyance and we're left with merely the essentials. Never mind emulating your grandmother's lamp shade - let this look of the past take you flying into the future.
A-Line Dresses
For frocks, this season's "it" shape - the mini-dress - has been knocking at fashion's door for a while. But the mod-inspired miniature shift has now taken on an A-line cut, ditching the skin-tight and bubble looks of the 80s in favour of the sculptural style born in the 60s. If anywhere at all, waists are popping up under the bust line or loose at the hips, creating boxy or tent shapes that are just begging for a twirly dance-athon.
Embellished Necklines
The seams and gathers that usually busy about your middle have gone for a hike up north, setting up camp around your neckline. Defined yokes and cinched collars give an otherwise shapeless shift a little definition and mock turtlenecks, bows, ruffles, rolled collars, pretty peter pans and bold boat necks are as prim and proper as the dresses beneath them.
Style Simplicity
Ditch the fussy details for simple, eye popping accents like a bold-colored boot or a simple coat topped off with a covered, oversized button.
Hiked Hemlines: Mighty Mini Skirts
Hello thighs! Mastering mod means hiking up those hemlines and embracing the two pretty stems poking out beneath you. 1960s shifts are known for their derriere-skimming lengths so don't be shy and get shorty in a mini skirt or dress! Since these boxy shapes hang far from the body, there's no risk of getting into "what was she thinking" territory - just slip on a pair of opaque or textured tights and don't forget your knickers (Britney).
The cropped look has trimmed away at outerwear, too, bringing back the 1960s mini coat with its three-quarter sleeves and big-button detail. Found in basic black or bold rainbow solids, the cropped jacket is baby-doll adorable. This coat should come to a halt at hip-bone height - or for a longer take, around mid-thigh - and should mimic the same boxy cut of its mini-dress companion.
Ankle Boots
Boots have also been hacked down to miniature proportions, with ankle boots leading the pack. Worn with caution, these impish booties look sweet at the end of wool-legged gams sticking out under a structured mini-dress, and the flat styles will finish off a pair of straight-legged denims with chic success. So long as you avoid the Hollywood starlet trend of pairing peg-leg pants with four-inch-heeled ankle boots that conjure up witch-like images, and steer clear of below-the-knee skirt hems, you and your booties will be frolicking in style.
Mod Means Modern
The word "mod" is derived from "modern," so don't forget what that six-letter word is all about. Think minimal, streamlined and bold. Ditch the fussy details for simple, eye popping accents like a bold-coloured boot or a simple coat topped off with a covered, oversized button. Round, turned-down collars care of Peter Pan and straight, geometric cuts care of 60s pop art are clean, unique and utterly mod.
Your colour palette is anything but limited, diving from black-white contrast to the richest hues in the rainbow. The 21st century take mod does skip over the pretty patterns of yester year, though, opting for daring solids in stiff fabrics that stand free of the body line. And the rockadelic metalics dominating this season's evening wear have found their way onto the boxy styles, too, giving rise to the coveted silver mini-dress and luxurious fabrics with a hint of sheen.
So march on down to the salon, demand a bob, and prepare yourself to go short, structured, bold, and mod mod mod!
