Mod's a word that's thrown around often in the fashion world (eBay sellers, I'm looking at you). Known for its clean silhouettes, shorter hemlines, space age prints, stockings with round-toed pumps and overall simplicity, mod fashion is now in its third or fourth (or fifth?) reincarnation.
The first wave came in the form of that wide-eyed French baby doll look Brigitte Bardot popularized (short skirts, big hair); that segued into what we now commonly associate with mod fashion. Vogue dubbed it “youthquake” (yep, like the album) in 1965 and Twiggy was their poster girl.
Recently, the spring/summer 2007 runways of Chanel, Miu Miu, Stella McCartney and many more all had an obvious mod influence, with an abundance of seemingly effortless mini-dresses, mini-skirts, swinging coats, swept up hairdos, minimal accessories and an emphasis on the bare leg—everything looked like it came right from the closet of Edie herself.
The problem is, it's really easy to look over-the-top or costume-y when going mod. (Maybe, for instance, it's not such a good idea to pair that pinafore or jumper with those knee-high patent leather boots and big plastic earrings.) The safest way to play with the '60s look is with the simple details, like these two girls here. These outfits may not look it right away, but even their dresses carry mod influence in the colors, the patterns, and the hemlines.
The cute girl on the left wears a dress with a fun, Pucci-inspired print, in a turquoise-and-yellow pattern. Her smattering of accessories—thin necklaces and a couple of bracelets, simple metallic flats and single flap purse—tones down and counteracts its loud (but cute) pattern. Sure the cut of the dress isn't exactly mod, but it's a fun spin in juxtaposition to the unmistakable '60s-ness of the print.
Cute girl on the right has the same idea: mod pattern (this time, black-and-white boxes and squigglies) on a classic, three-quarter-sleeved dress, no accessories (a watch, but we'll overlook it) and a black, uncluttered, no-frills, kitten-heeled shoe.
They totally complement each other's outfits—they're human accessories! Those metallic bottles of beer complete the look—but then, bottles of beer complete everyone's look.
