Will the Mod pad prevail?

This summer, my friend Stéphane recommended me to a TV scout because he thought I would be the perfect candidate for a reality show that was being launched on the Quebec Home Decor cable network CASA. Ma Maison Bien-Aimée (My Beloved House) is a concept based on the British television show May The Best House Win. The American version is known as Four Houses and can be seen on the TLC network.

The premise is pretty simple. Four contestants visit each other’s homes and give a score out of ten based on different criteria like originality, style and livability. The highest score wins $1000. If I lived across the border, I would have had a chance to add a 0 to that $1000.

I was flattered that they showed interest so I decided to tempt faith and meet up with the exuberant Lili, the TV scout in question. Even if at first I approached the process with a healthy dose of caution, Lili was so enthusiastic and jovial that it was hard to say no to her. After a tour of the loft, a few photos and a quick interview, I asked her what my chances were to be chosen for the show. “Oh Pat! Not only are you in but you’re going to win!” (Her words. Not mine.) 

Alright! So where do I sign? Here’s my chance to show how a 21st century Mod lives. Granted I am proud of where I live because I put so much time, money and effort into it. But I wasn’t overly cocky and confident, like so many reality TV show contestant act. My approach, attitude and “strategy” were certainly unconventional in that aspect. I went in with only two goals in mind: have fun and make people laugh. The money was a distant third. Without revealing right away if I won or not, I believe I accomplished my mission.

Let me introduce you to my competition. First visit was to Antoine’s condo. Antoine is a French ex-pat that decided to put up roots in Montreal. One of the ways he makes a living is by renovating, redecorating and renting out the condos in his building to students and business people from abroad.

 

He has a very European style that mixes modern design with antiques. Out of the three contestants, he was by far my favorite place to visit. I would also say that his taste is the most similar to mine. When you have a Bang & Olufsen sound system, a Breuer Wassily chair and a Le Corbusier Chaise Longue in the living room, you get thumbs up from me. 

There were a few things I didn’t get: the black and whites glass tiles that are velcroed to the white carpet, the drum set at the end of the bed and the wood bench near the balcony. And can someone explain to me why it’s trendy to lean paintings and frames against the wall instead of hanging them? Aside from that, I really dug his place and actually felt guilty by the end of the show to have only given him a score of 7.

 

Next was Linda. She lives in Pincourt, a suburb that is a 45 minute drive from Montreal. 

She completely gutted and renovated, with the help of her contractor boyfriend, an old cottage that they turned into a contemporary country home. She has a million dollar, breathtaking view overlooking a tranquil bay. I felt she had mass appeal and was probably my biggest competition. Again, something was off the mark. In the corner of her country living room, she had two oversized gloomy gothy paintings of scary cyborg babies. Can you say out of place?

Last but not least was Nicole. How can you not fall in love with Nicole? This young grandmother of 4 grandkids reminds me of my own dear mother. 

Her small 50s bungalow reflects exactly who she is: a welcoming and family oriented woman. When I first saw her cosy little brick house, I was hoping to step into a time capsule. 

Sadly, it is what it is, a cosy and warm home, filled with family pictures and a cat collection in the living room. I have nothing against that type of living arrangement but it’s a decor that I’ve seen hundreds of times.

Finally, I was the last one on the list. By then, we had all come to enjoy each other’s company and the other contestants started to size me up, with my witty humour (again, their words, not mine) and my charming ways. By the end of the second day of shooting, Nicole even asked me where I got my clothes. I believe that’s a good sign.

I was not present when the other contestants visited the loft so I had to wait until last week to see what they finally said in my absence. The show’s host/narrator started by introducing my place as a “Retro-Mod-kitsch-Vintage-Scandinavian” pad. In a nutshell, that’s what my loft is. The fact that I live in a 1906 cookie factory doesn't hurt my chances either.

When I welcomed the trio, I warned them that in order to pay the mortgage, I had a few things that they need to pay to use. For example, a dime will let you use the pay phone, a penny will let you have a gumball, a few nickels will feed the parking meter for a while, a quarter gives you one play at the pinball machine and the taxi meter besides the toilet needs to be activated when you use it. 

If I wasn’t going to win the grand prize, at least I would finish with a pocket full of change. After viewing the show, I saw that the payphone and parking meter were fed. Perfect! My plan worked!

I know that one of the more popular surprises in the condo is my fifties chrome cash register on the kitchen counter. Linda’s reaction when she opened the cash drawer was priceless. When she realized that it was where I stored my cutlery, she burst out laughing.

But I wasn’t immune from criticism too. When Nicole, who is afraid of heights, had to access the mezzanine using a ladder, I knew that it was going to cost me a few points. And let’s be honest. A four foot high ceiling is not everyone’s ideal for a bedroom.

So?  Did my wacky 60s inspired decor play in my favor or was I too "out there"? Maybe I simply was dismissed as being a  second class ticket and seen as a tacky Austin Powers wannabe?

Well, my friends, it seems that Mods have proven yet again that we are trend setters and know about style and taste because… I won!

Here are the finals results. Out of a total possible score of 30:

1) Patrick: 24

2) Linda: 20

3) Nicole: 19

4) Antoine: 16

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To add a cherry on top of the whole experience, I just learnt that I also won the public’s vote on the CASA website with a score of 4.8 stars out of five.

The reason why I can write this post is in part because I won the show. A few weeks ago, my Mac went kaput! Now I’m writing to you from a brand new Mac Book Pro. Rejoice! Parka Avenue lives on!


* Some of the photos are the property of TVA and Quebecor Media.

The Boating Blazer - How Mods made the striped jacket a fashion statement

The Australian group The Easybeats in 1967

Mod fashion has taken its cues from a variety of sources and searched for inspiration from a myriad of different places. Basically, if it was cool, Mods sought to adapt it and make it their own. Musicians on Jazz albums were copied and actors in French film were imitated. A tennis polo shirt became a Mod icon, a US army parka became a second skin on scooter outings, wearing a cycling shirt became a fashion staple and even bowling shoes were considered perfect for the dance floor.

Carnaby Street 1967 - Photo by Dezo Hoffmann

Billy Gibbons in The Moving Sidewalks

One undeniable influence was the American Ivy League look. When it comes to looking smart and cool, 60s American university students with their cardigans, merino sweaters, button-down Brooks Brothers shirts and Bass Weejuns penny loafers had mastered the look. Add to that the uniform of the time honored sport of rowing and you have a recipe for some colorful Mod fashion.

From the book The Ivy Look

Ah… the famous boating blazer. The combination of multi colored stripes, golden buttons, college crest on the breast pocket all make for a rather bold statement when out at a Soul all-nighter. Like many pieces of clothing that became part of the Mod wardrobe, it has seen its share of modifications and adaptations. 

Scan from The Modern Man catalog based on Carnaby Street in the 60s

"Henley - A dashing blazer - gay Maroon and Yellow stripes on Light Grey. For the brave only."

For one, most of the Mod boating blazers have 3 buttons when the authentic ones from the 50s and 60s are more than likely to sport two. The contemporary version will see some covered buttons instead of the traditionnal gold ones and the extra ticket pocket on the right hand side makes it all the more Mod.

Eric Clapton in 1963 when in was in The Yardbirds

The Who's John Entwistle looking dapper in his boating blazer

Keith Moon sporting a daring 4-button number

Mod Revival band Squire

It is hard to tell at what point the boating blazer simply became a striped jacket but gone are the patch breast pockets with the university crest or the yacht club name on it. The contrast piping often seen on the edge of the lapel has been left to the past decades. But that doesn’t mean that a prime vintage example should lay dormant in a closet!

Boating Blazer display from vintage clothing store Bobby From Boston

Original Mod Peter Daltrey in 1965

During the Mod Revival, the boating blazer was still part of the uniforn. No matter where you stand on Quadrophenia's contribution to the resurgence of the Mod mouvement in the 80s and its equivocal  depiction of Mods in the 60s, we can't deny that it influenced many of us. Take this iconic image of Jimmy riding his Lambretta with his cocky attitude wearing a beautiful example of the blazer in question. How many of us wished we had a Leslie Ash holding on to us on the seat behind us?

And this photo of Dave (actor Mark Wingett) who made us all wish we could look this suave and stylish.

Like many questionable fashion choices made in the 80s, some women (not many that I knew) borrowed from their boyfriend's closet, evident by this catalog ad from Carnaby Street's Mod emporium The Carvern. 

"The Boating blazer - for blokes really, but girls wear them too!"

Personally, I like boating blazers… a lot. The trick is, pulling off the daring look without passing for a circus ring leader. It is also fair to ask yourself if there is one point in your life when you should simply avoid the look altogether.  Granted, when you hit 40, it’s not a look that is easy to pull off. You don’t always have that college state rowing champion figure that you used to have. Nonetheless, there are a few occasions, when well-coordinated, that you can still look sharp and stand out.

My good friend Christophe wearing a stunning green and blue number. The pocket square is a nice touch too.

I consider the boating jacket more part of semi-formal wear. I rarely wear mine with a tie but that's the beauty of the boating blazer, you can dress it up a notch by wearing one. I usually substitute the tie for a nice knit polo à la John Smedley, an open button-down shirt, a turtleneck or a plain Fred Perry polo.

From the book The Ivy Look

The jacket offers a wide range of possibilities of trousers to wear. Neatly pressed pants, chinos or even Levis all go well with it. I like to wear pants that will match one of the colors seen in the jacket. You can go with a lighter shade or a darker one, depending on what you have on hand. White Levis are a favorite of mine. They give the stripes of the jacket the attention they deserve. The same goes for the shoes. Loafers, saddle shoes, top siders, desert boots, Chelsea boots or brogues are all acceptable in my opinion.

Light summer jacket by La Rocka - England

Instead of  wearing men's clothing with its rather square lines, today's savy Mod lady can parade in her own striped blazer, the cut being much more flattering to the figure. My wife bought this short jacket from Canadian retailer Tristan & Iseult. The retro influence is undeniable and it looks great with a skirt or part of a more relaxed and casual look with a simple pair of jeans.

Many Mod friendly retailers like Merc, Fred Perry, Gabicci and Pretty Green have come up with their take on the classic blazer. If budget and big celebrity hyped brand names are not a concern to you then you might want to consider Pretty Green. Does the quality warrent a £450 price tag? That's debatable. I have to admit that my mate Dominic does look quite debonaire in his.

One of my favorite internet one-stop shops is by far Atom Retro. They carry two quality brands that offer the desirable blazer. The first is Gibson of London. The quality is apparent and can rival any of the previously named international renowned brands. This is not the type of garment that will have the seems split while you're doing the shing-a-ling on the dance floor and you don't need to worry about losing buttons in a dark club. 

The attention to detail is what sets it apart from the cheap copies you might find in large surface stores. The working cuffs, the covered buttons, the slim lapels and the ticket pocket are all there.

  The lastest arrival at Atom Retro is this Madcap England jacket. I've written about UK based Madcap in this post about cycling shirts and in this one about jumpers, so you know I'm partial to the brand. Well, fellow readers, I don't think you'll be disapointed with this one. This 3-button jacket, with the top button really high, sixties style, could have been taken straight off a young Steve Marriott's back.

If you never had the opportunity to own one, here’s your chance. The good folks at Atom Retro have provided this Madcap looker as a raffle prize to the Parka Avenue readers. The jacket looked so good that I had to buy one for myself! So I can personally attest to the quality and fit. Trust me, you want this one!

But that’s not all! Two additional prizes of two £20 vouchers at Atom Retro are also up for grabs! The contest will be held until November 1st 2012. You have more than one way you can enter the contest. One, go and like the Parka Avenue Facebook page. If you’re already a member, simply share the Boating Blazer post off the Parka Avenue page.  Follow me on Twitter and you have yet another chance of winning. Already following me on Twitter? Then simply retweet this post or mention the contest and add the #parkaavenue ashtag. Finally, leave a comment below and you’re in!

If you don’t believe that Lady Luck is on your side and you can’t stand the suspense, by all means, visit the good folks at Atom Retro and buy yourself one right now!