Brighton: how Mods were a "complete rejection of what went before"

As Martin Pel, curator of fashion and textiles at Brighton Museum, says: “Brighton is the spiritual home of the mods and has been since the 1960s. If they weren't in London, then they were in Brighton. They emerged in London in the late 50s and gravitated towards Brighton,”

And it’s a move celebrated in the new Brighton Museum & Art Gallery exhibition The In Crowd: Mod Fashion & Style 1958-66. Running until January 4, the showcase, sponsored by original Brighton Mod brand Ben Sherman, promises to bring to life the bold style, youthful rebellion, and cultural impact that defined a generation.

As Martin explains: “Mod was a term created in the media in about 63 or 64 and it became the media term covering everything teenage fashion but the Mods were really much more diverse than that. The movement came out of the jazz clubs and coffee bars in Notting Hill and Soho in the late 50s. They were termed modernists because it came out of modern jazz and they became the mods.

“But what it stood for was a complete rejection of what went before. It was the first youth culture and they turned everything around. You have to remember that teenagers just didn't exist before that. Obviously there were young people but before the Mods, it was like Quintin Crisp said – they were little kids and then there was an embarrassed silence and they came out the other end as adults. Teenagers just weren't around. Young people at that time didn't have any money but then in the post-war world you got to the point of full employment. These young people were living at home and they had money and they didn't have anything to spend it on. So it became about music and fashion and shopping. It was a mindset. It was rejection of everything that went before but at the same time suddenly they were all wanting to look incredible for each other, especially the boys. That was the first time that men dressed for other men, wanting to impress. Men had always traditionally dressed for comfort or for utility and basically wore clothes until they fell apart.”

And that's reflected in the costume collection at the museum where probably just ten per cent of the collection is men’s clothing.

“But then suddenly with the Mods there was this mindset that they wanted to dress for themselves and be part of the world on their own terms. So many people think of the 60s and think that the revolution was in women's wear but the real revolution was in menswear, and I think it was quite courageous for men to step outside how things used to be. Until then you thought of fashion as almost a byword for womenswear but now being a Mod for the first time really allowed the men to engage with fashion too.”

And that's maybe the explanation why there are still millions of Mods around: “For the original Mods it must have been such a great time, to be feeling that they were part of the world and that they were significant and that their voice was heard. A lot of them were working class but through clothing they were able to turn themselves into something more than society expected. It must have been a really thrilling time for them and they just didn't want that to go away. And so the movement has stuck around. It is one of the only youth cultures that has really persisted. Mods seem to be perennial. But I think it's because of the style of the clothing, a style that anyone can wear. It's very smart, it is tailored and it is all about the detail, and those are elements that are always part of fashion. It's a great look.”

The exhibition will feature more than 35 dressed mannequins showcasing rare and early Mod outfits drawn from the collection of Roger K Burton, an expert in vintage fashion. The one-of-a-kind pieces will give visitors an up-close look at the revolutionary style that challenged the norms of the time.

With over 50 years of experience, Roger has styled films including Quadrophenia and Absolute Beginners and worked with cultural icons such as David Bowie, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.