When it comes to mod fashion, you can source your inspiration from just about anywhere. But one of the best places to find some outfit inspiration is from film and television.
If you’ve been stuck in a rut when it comes to putting together mod-inspired looks, checking out some classic films is a great place to start.
From penny loafers and Italian skinny suits to desert boots and fishtail parkas – these are some of the best films to watch if you’re wanting to gather mod fashion inspiration, see some mod icons or just change up your look.
Quadrophenia
It wouldn’t be a list of iconic mod movies without Quadrophenia. Whether you’re into mod fashion or not, Quadrophenia is an iconic film everyone should be familiar with. Set in the 1960s, it focuses on the riots between the Mods and the Rockers in London’s Shepherds Bush.
The fashion in Quadrophenia lives on decades after the film’s release. There are two items in particular that are staples in both Quadrophenia and the mod scene today, Fred Perry polo shirts and Clark’s Desert Boots. Both items are easy to wear and super simple to incorporate into your everyday look making mod fashion easy to nail in your day-to-day.
To Sir, With Love
To Sir, With Love follows an engineer who signs up to teach kids at a school in London’s East end during the 60’s. This one has more mod fashion for the ladies but the men are still dressed equally sharp.
From shift dresses to mod skirts, cropped hair and everything in between, To Sir, With Love gives you a look into the lifestyles and the fashion choices of teenagers in East London during the late 1960s. A great film to check out particularly if you’re looking for some female mod fashion inspiration.
Blow-Up
Blow-Up is filled to the brim with iconic 60s fashion, and that, of course, means the film also features mod fashion quite extensively. Set in the 60s in London and follows a fashion photographer looking to capture the ‘real world’. Blow-Up, whilst featuring a range of mod fashion does have more women featured than men.
Think bold-geometric shapes, colourful nylon stockings, ballet slippers, mini skirts, men’s style shirts and short, cropped haircuts. There are some male Mods featured in the film, when they did appear they wore top hats, skinny scarves, mohair jumpers, pea coats and shirts with skinny lapels.
Blow-Up is a great film to source inspiration from, particularly if you’re looking for more mod fashion inspiration for women.
We Are The Mods
We Are The Mods is a newer release film coming out in 2009, but that doesn’t stop it from being an excellent source of fashion inspiration for anyone wanting to really take their style to the next level.
Following Nico and Sadie as they explore 60s mod culture in Los Angeles. Polo shirts, skinny ties and eyeliner aplenty are exactly what you’ll find within We Are The Mods. A great place to start your foray into mod fashion or the perfect place to get some extra inspiration if you’re in a rut. We Are The Mods is a great way to see how mod fashion can be achieved outside of the United Kingdom.
A Hard Day’s Night
This 1964 classic is an imaginative comedy based on the lives of The Beatles, right in the midst of Beatlemania. There’s tons of 1960s mod inspiration in the film. From fashion to music and everything in between there’s a reason it’s still a classic in the scene decades later!
Skinny ties, slim suits and penny loafers are what you can expect from this one, a staple no matter where you may be on your mod fashion journey.
The Girl on a Motorcycle
As with many mod-esque films, this one captures the need for escapism from the middle-class perfectly. Newlywed Rebecca abandons her husband, hops on her motorcycle and heads to Germany to visit her lover.
There’s lots of great fashion in this film, and as it was released in 1968, it’s emblematic of the mod era and showcases mod style perfectly.
Find The Best Fit For You
When it comes to really finding your style in the mod subculture space, it can take a lot of trial and error. These films are a great place to start whether you’ve been dressing in mod fashion for a while or you’re new to the game.
Use them as a starting point to find what works best for you and what you like. From desert boots and penny loafers to polo shirts and fitted suits, these quintessential mod films will give you a real taste of what 1960’s England was like.
