Fashion never forgotten Can you imagine dressing in exactly the same way as your parents? (1) The different ‘looks’ were started by the new rock and pop bands, who often came from the UK. Four British people remember the excitement of being part of these fashion movements, which they still see alive in retro fashion today. Mod fashion started in the early 1960s. Most mods were fans of the rock band The Who. They often fought with ‘rockers’, who were traditional rock and roll fans with leather jackets and motorbikes. Alan, the mod ‘In the difficult economic times before the 60s, parents expected teenagers with jobs to pay rent. (3) The mod look wasn’t cheap – the classic outfit was a slim-fitting suit with a shirt and thin tie, and pointy leather shoes. There was a more casual mod look, too. Although it borrowed a lot from Italian and French style, we liked to give it a very British character, with Union Jacks and RAF emblems. It’s a fashion that’ll always be popular with people who like to dress smartly.’ insight Intermediate Student’s Book Unit 1 pp.10–11 © Oxford University Press 20 14 1 Hippie fashion started in the USA, but in the London of the late 60s, the designer boutiques of Carnaby Street and the King’s Road made it more chic. It was popular with fans of the Rolling Stones and The Beatles. Carol, the hippie ‘I sometimes spent a lot on hippie-style clothes – I had a fabulous purple dress that cost a fortune! But for the real hippie look, I bought things in second-hand shops. Long skirts and flared trousers seemed to be everywhere, in all kinds of bright colours. (4) I can see a return to the hippie look in the ‘festival style’ young people wear to music festivals today.’ insight Intermediate Student’s Book Unit 1 pp.10–11 © Oxford University Press 20 14 2 Punk fashion became popular with the British punk bands of the late 1970s, the Sex Pistols being the most famous. Punks were anti-pop music, anti-government, and … anti-everything, even fashion! Jack, the punk ‘You might think all punks were angry and aggressive, but a lot of us were just having fun and enjoyed dressing in ways that would shock people. We wanted to have a kind of fashion that was cheap and ‘do-it-yourself’, so we avoided buying things from fashion shops. (5) Piercings became fashionable with punk and the hair was an important part of the look. You still often see people with a Mohican haircut today.’ insight Intermediate Student’s Book Unit 1 pp.10–11 © Oxford University Press 20 14 3 The goth look started with the ‘gothic’ rock bands of the 80s and 90s, which came out of the British punk scene. Much of the style comes from the Victorian period in Britain. Gemma, the goth ‘It’s easy to say what the most important thing about goth fashion is – black! It can be leather trousers, long dresses, boots or gloves, but black is the first choice of colour. (6) You can find some great goth clothes in vintage shops. I loved goth culture as a teenager – it’s perfect for those times when life seems sad and serious. The goth style seems to be more and more popular these days, especially with all the interest in vampire books and movies.’ A002002 insight Intermediate Student’s Book Unit 1 pp.10–11 © Oxford University Press 20 14 4.