Living as a Mod in the 21st Century

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Having a bespoke Mod suit made: Part II


Only 42 days after meeting with Mr. Sethinamvong from Bangkok's Prince Henry Tailors, I received my suit via UPS. Just like with the previous suits I ordered from them, I'm gleaming with anticipation. I feel like a 10 year old at Christmas. The timing is perfect because I will get to wear it for the first time at the Slackers show. A 4-button hand made Mod suit is exactly what I need to go see this great New York ska band.



What makes a Mod suit stand out? It's attention to detail. In fact, it's all in the details. The fabric is  black lightweight wool with a thin grey stripe. It's perfect for dancing the night away. Two 5-inch vents compliment the back. The single breasted 4-button jacket is slightly shorter then the previous one I had made to give it a more distinctive English look. I had the buttons covered to add a touch more flair. The sleeves have 5 buttons but I didn't think of mentioning to my tailor that I wanted them to be functional. Shame on me! I won't make that mistake twice!

I asked that my lapels be 2 inches wide. That way I can be hired as an extra on the set of Mad Men at a minute's notice.


The pocket flaps are 2 inches wide and slightly slanted. The extra ticket pocket makes a true Mod statement. And this one is functional! I saw a decent looking Ben Sherman houndstooth jacket on sale this weekend and I was disappointed to see that the ticket pocket was in fact just a flap.


The pants have the traditional frogmouth pocket and front crease. I made sure that the pants were tapered with a 7 inch opening at the bottom.

I will most likely wear the suit with a white Oxford button-down shirt and a plain colored tie. I will certainly not wear a tie with an intricate pattern that will contrast with the pin stripe. As for the shoes, a nice pair of winkle pickers, chelsea boots or brogues will complete the look. I will most likely end up with my trusty black suede Clarks desert boots.

You want to find out more about the distinctive Mod suit? I urge you to have a look at this very interesting clip by the BBC.

The mod suit - British Style Genius

To find out when Prince Henry Tailors will visit your city next or to place an order directly from the internet, make sure to hop over to their website.

http://www.princehenry.biz/

To all my Montreal Mod and Skinhead friends, they will visit our fair city on November 30th (12:30 pm onwards). They will greet us at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Montreal, 208 Saint Antoine West. Let me know if you intend to go and we can meet-up. I have a few shirts I would like custom made.

Now go on and suit up!

7 comments:

  1. Looks like it turned out quite well Patrick!

    ixnay on the desert boots w/ the suit tho I say ;)

    you didn't mention loafers as an option, but I'd swap dessies for something like this:
    http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_R-5kp8rvgMA/S2eLXVVOo8I/AAAAAAAAK8U/eIEjND-d6DA/s1600-h/Hudson.jpg

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  2. Great point! The "penny loafer" or the tassled loafer has been a staple in any Mod wardrobe since the beginning. I used to own a pair of DM loafers and they lasted me almost 15 years. You reminded me that I should be looking for a new pair. I have an affinity for Loake loafers.

    http://www.loake.co.uk/Shop/resources/email/img/Loafer-pic.jpg

    I'm not familiar with Hudson loafers but from what I can tell, they seem to be great value for the money.

    Thanks!

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  3. Great blog! Our blogs are on a similar wavelength w/ the clothes/music angles. Keep up the great work and dilligent search for great clothes!

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  4. Thanks! Please share your blog link with us and tell us a bit about it. Go ahead and network away!

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  5. Ah thank you sir! Here tis:

    http://anorakthing.blogspot.com/

    Nice suit b.t.w! Always nice to have actual functioning ticket pockets!

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  6. I think weller did some Hudson designs a few years ago.
    Saw those on ASOS browsing for shoes last spring and bought them online. I like them because they have a thin and narrow sole.
    Not such a fan of chunky soled shoes myself, though I did find a pair of vintage long wing brogues the other week and couldn't leave them at value village ;)

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  7. Patrick, what about a pair of Bass Weejun loafers? They were the choice of many original mods adopting the Ivy League look from America. A timeless classic shoe that look equally good with a suit or jeans

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