On the road with Alain Delon

The start of a new year and decade is always a time in which one looks towards the future with optimism, hope, perseverance, faith, and happiness. It's the start of a new stage in our lifes, and we should look back and analyze our accomplishments, our strengths and weaknesses; and at the same time we should establish new goals to reach out for and improve some areas we may have to.

The beginning of 2010 marks the start of a 365 day/10 year journey along an amazing road called "Life". A road which we'll travel to grow as persons, accomplish our goals, give the best of us to our famiy, friends, and other citizens of the world. There may some bumps and dangerous curves in this road, yet if we remain positive, objective, and proactive we will overcome them. And of course we'll have the opportunity to admire the great landscape and some outstanding settings, it's important we enjoy each of these moments.

During the early 60s, Alain Delon, was photographed driving a convertible car along the road in France. Wearing a white suit and portraying a confident attitude he posed for the camera.

So let's start our roadtrip along 2010 and the 10s...


Photo: Flickr

Happy 2010: A New Year & Decade

New Year's Eve is always such a special ocassion that one needs to look dapper and sleek throughout this night. And for key moments in our lives like the end of the 00s and start of the 10s, there's nothing that can beat the elegance and class of a tuxedo. Below a photo taken back in 1979 at some club in Paris that shows the power of a tuxedo, notice this one's jacket has a "mosaic" pattern on it.

This year New Year's Eve is a "milestone", since it's not only the end of another year, it's the end of a decade, the 00s. A decade which will be remembered by all the significant events that happened in history, the evolution of fashion (the constant revival of trends from previous decades), and of course our own personal history. The last year of the 00s, 2009, proved to be quite a challenge due to the circumstances in the global economy, fashion wasn't exempt, yet it appears somehow that we've all excelled this challenge and look forward to the future with optimism and perseverance.

I would like to thank each and everyone of you, my readers, for your support throughout this year, and tell you that without you this blog wouldn't be what it is today. Your feedback and comments within this last year have been of great importance and help to me. I can't go on without saying that it has been during 2009, that Retro Vintage Mod Style has experienced an amazing and unexpected growth, and that I'm really thankful to all of you for making this possible.

On the eve of a new decade and year, I would like to wish you and your loved ones the best for the 10s and 2010; may all your dreams and goals be fulfilled, may your life be filled with happiness, peace, and love, and last but not least, may you have lots of stylish outfits that channel the great styles and style icons of previous decades.

And like ABBA sang 30 years ago in 1979, Happy New Year!

Photo & video: L'Officiel Hommes and Youtube

Like A Rolling Stone

What can I say about The Rolling Stones that hasn't be said? Not really a lot, as I would be repeating what others have said, yet I will anyway. Along with The Beatles, The Who, James Bond, the Mods, and Carnaby Street, they are among the best that the UK offered to the world in the 60s. Besides being the rock band with most years of existence (since 1962) in musical history, they are credited for composing and performing some of the most popular rock songs ever.


Songs such as: "Satisfaction", "Angie", "Emotional Rescue", "Like A Rolling Stone", "Brown Sugar", "Honky Tonk Women", "Miss You", "Let's Spend The Night Together" and "Paint It Black" are some of their hits.


Below a photo of the band taken around 1966-1967, in which we can see its original members: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Charlie Watts, and Bill Wyman. Each of them wearing outfits that represent fashion during this time in England. Not only have The Rolling Stones set the standard for "the life of a rock star", but they have also had an influence in fashion during these decades.


Photo: Taringa

Happy Christmas

And so this is Christmas....I would like to wish all of my readers a Merry Christmas and the best during this holiday season.


As we all know Christmas Carols play an important part during this time of the year, we have the "classic and traditional" carols and the "contemporary" carols too. One of the latter is John Lennon's 1971 song "Happy Christmas".


Back in 1969, in the middle of the Vietnam War, John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono launched a billboard/advertising campaign called "War Is Over". Ads were placed in major magazines and billboards in world capitals such as New York, London, Paris, Rome, Berlin, Los Angeles, Toronto, Athens, Amsterdam, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. They were blank ads with only the phrase: War Is Over, in bold letters and beneath it: If You Want It / Happy Christmas From John & Yoko.






Then in 1971, Lennon and Yoko paired up with the Plastic Ono Band and the Harlem Comunity Choir to release "Happy Christmas", whose video you can watch below.






Photo & Video: Flickr, Youtube

David Bailey & Catherine Deneuve

David Bailey besides being an icon of London's Swinging 60s, is one of the greatest photographers in fashion history. His photos are a vivid and timeless representation of the 60s. Still remembered after more than 40 years, he is said to have been the inspiration for "Blow Up".


From 1965 to 1972 he was married to French actress, and one of the most beautiful women in cinema history, Catherine Deneuve. Both were photographed below attending an event in London around 1967. David Bailey is wearing jeans, a suede jacket, a shirt, and a scarf; while Catherine Deneuve opted for a short black dress.




Photo: Flickr

The Orange Nehru Jacket

Around 1966-1967 menswear was taken by storm by the "Nehru Jacket". Inspired by the jackets worn by India's Prime Minister at the time, Sir Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, these jackets became a staple in every stylish men's wardrobe.

Part of their success I believe has to do with the fact that the ethnic, hindu, hippie, and bohemian trends were developing during this years, and considering that the jacket's aesthetic blended well with the Mod clothing of the era.

Below an original version of the Nehru jacket in bright orange with the buttons placed on the side.


Photo: Flickr

The Prince of Cool

For most of us the "King of Cool" will always be Steve Mc Queen, yet a photo like the one below shows that there is a "Prince of Cool", and that is Serge Gainsbourg.


Wearing a 3 piece suit, which has a made a comeback this season, a pair of wrap around sunglasses, and smoking a cigarette (his trademark) Gainsbourg posed for the camera in the early 70s.



Photo: Flickr