Another Unlikely Alliance

This one has nothing really to do with me.

Sorry.

I have always been amused and intrigued by the ways in which subcultures have adopted fashions from other walks of life having almost no relation to their own. One of the most prime examples being the punks addiction to Doc Martens. For someone of my generation the two seem synonymous but they  were not mutually exclusive, rather a result of Doc Martens versatility.

We find in history different permutations of this. Most recently I have been perplexed and beemused by the use of Parkas and Carhart beanies. What started as a uniform for the scraggly alternative boy has now filtered into the closets- tucked alongside the Tory Burch bags and wedged sneakers- of the Upper East Side younger women.

Witnessing this unfold- i.e. having lived long enough to possess a context for Carhart beyond the 'Ladies who Brunch'-has brought some questions. How exactly did they come about, especially in a world, this nefarious fashion world, where practicality most often takes a back seat. A question I have no real answer to.

A week ago the Criterion Collection was streaming for free on Hulu. The burgeoning film junkie that I am took a holiday from the world and tried to cram in as many pretensiously deemed classics as I could. To say the least I had a ball of a time. During the marathon I happened to watch Quadraphorenia. The film is based off of the Who's rock opera of the same name. The protaginist is a British youth, Jimmy, struggling to establish an identity amoung the Mods.

Movie Poster FeaturingProtagonist 

I could spend a good amount of time discussing the plot, Sting's cameo, or the fantastic soundtrack. Instead I will recommend you watch it for yourself. I'm gonna talk about some Parkas. I have never worked on a show with Mods, this has simply meant that my knowledge of this subculture is limited to the stereotypes that have survived thanks to nostalgia. Album covers come to mind, but those hardly include outer wear, and, to be honest, I haven't devoted hours to studying them.

Sleek, mini-skirts, tailored suits, are what I assume most people think of. Never would I have included Parkas. I can't say I ever imagined what the Mods wore as coats, but if pressed I would have suggested something along the lines of the sleek dress jackets that dominate Men's runway shows year after year. Classic for a reason.

Parkas Galore Running From the Brighton Police
And Below The Mod Motor Gang

This is why when watching this film I was particularly struck by the prevelance of the Parka. Shot after shot depicted gangs of Mods riding vespas in a sea of green underneath their sleek suits sheltered from the outside world. Curious after watching the film I looked up why this was. While they were associated with anti-war movements, I wouldn't expect the lax political beliefs to get in the way of style. In fact I would assume the opposite. Fashion can be an outlet for political expression. A group so defined by their attention to tailoring seems out of place in the baggy day wear of the troops abroad. I was surpirsed to find that they were in fact used to protect their clothing. The word practicality doesn't strike me as a popular one in the Mod's vocabulary.

Years after their popularity, it seems Parkas have been again brought back by another unlikely group. A testament to the fact that durability can sometimes overcome and outlast aesthetics. While the prescence of Mod fashions have been diluted, their influence is undeniable. However, none have remained as untouched as the Parka. A surprisingly timeless look.