Mods & Rockers Outfit Ideas
A popular theme for fancy dress parties is mods and rockers. Mods and rockers are often talked about together as these two groups of young people from the sixties literally detested each other. The Mods most often wore suits, had parka coats and rode on scooters. The rockers, on the other hand, wore jeans and leather jackets whilst riding their motorcycles. The rockers thought the mods were weak snobs and the mods thought the rockers to be behind the times and out of touch with the modern culture of the 1960s.
Both subcultures had a different taste in music and their fashion choices were greatly influenced by this. Rockers listened to 1950s rock and roll from people like Elvis, Bill Hailey and Eddie Cochran but the mods listened to 60s bands like The Who, The Beatles or The Kinks as well as ska music. The two groups often came into conflict all over Britain but more infamously at places like Brighton and Margate which led to them being seen as violent, unruly troublemakers. However the clothes that they wore still have an impact on fashion today. Here we shall look at some mods and rockers costume ideas using authentic 1960s vintage clothing and retro inspired pieces to help you get the look you need for your 60s mods and rockers fancy dress party. The real question is... are you a mod or are you a rocker?
Get The Mod Look
For fancy dress mod clothing, an easy option for men is to wear a smart retro suit. The key is to keep the silhouette slim and flattering, as most 1960s clothing was very form-fitting. You could wear a complete matching suit or just narrow fit trousers with a contrasting blazer. If you want to look really smart wear your suit with a penny round collar shirt that has a high collar stand. You could even add some retro cufflinks to the shirt, we have some great Vespa scooter and mod target styles. For something a bit more casual you could wear it with a roll neck jumper or a polo shirt. You should wear some smart formals shoes such as winkle pickers, Chelsea or desert boots. For outerwear opt for a neutral coloured mac, a lightweight Harrington jacket or a khaki green scooter boy parka coat with a fur trim hood and the all important fishtail at the bottom. To finish off the look you could add some retro style sunglasses. Another important part of the mod look is the hair. If you can’t quite commit to getting a bowl cut, you could even try wearing a wig!
For the scooter girl mod look, one of the most iconic outfits was a black & white two-tone shift dress with a 60s style pvc baker boy hat. We often have original 60s vintage dresses for sale. If you don’t want to wear a shift dress, go for a mini skirt instead. Pair it with colourful opaque tights and knee high boots. Bright elaborate prints and patterns were emblazoned across mod dresses, blouses and skirts so don’t be afraid to wear something bold. In the late 70s to early 80s there was a mod revival. Bands like Madness and The Specials’ sound and clothing were inspired by the ska music and mod fashion of the late fifties to early sixties. So a costume with the two-tone look would also be great for the mod costume theme. To finish the look, give yourself some era appropriate hair and makeup. Twiggy’s pixie cut hairstyle was a popular choice amongst mod women. The beehive is a great alternative for those with longer hair. Twiggy also popularised the doll-eye makeup look. Apply some graphic liquid liner and lashings of mascara to make your eyes the centre of attention.
Get The Rocker Look
Not forgetting the rockers, a 60s rocker fancy dress look is fairly straight forward too. The classic rocker look was heavily influenced by Marlon Brando in The Wild One. To dress up as a rocker you just need some straight leg jeans, a plain black or white t-shirt, a short black leather jacket and a pair of sturdy leather boots. If you don't want the expense of real leather then a cheaper alternative is to buy vegan leather instead. It’s great value for money and looks almost as good as the real thing. The rocker hairstyle, kept in place with Brylcreem, was usually a pompadour which was a popular style with 1950s rock and roll musicians. If you want to go the whole hog you could even get a fancy dress Elvis wig!
Rocker women wanting to dress up in 60s clothing can wear something very similar to the men. Again, all you need are some jeans, a t-shirt, leather jacket and boots. Another alternative it is look worn by Sandy at the end of the film Grease. Pair some tight black leggings, an off the shoulder top, a belt and some red heels with your leather jacket and you’ll be the one that everyone wants at the party!
Whether you decide to be a suited and booted mod or a rebellious rocker for the night, we hope that this has given you a better idea of what to wear.