In the fashion documentary The September Issue, Anna Wintour cited sixties London as one of the most inspiring fashion movements in the world- and I could not agree more. With an ever-growing youth culture, the city was hot and ripe with inspiration everywhere you looked. Mod was the movement, and the movement was swingin’.
Want to learn more about Mod culture and how you can get the Mod look today? Read on!
Table of Contents
Video Inspiration
To start, I want to get you in the mood for mod by showing you this eye-candy-filled video of sixties London. While the narration is kind of random and hilarious (and half the time the narrator is just rambling about nothing), I love, love, love the clothes as well as the vibe of the video – everyone looks flush with originality. Check out the video below:
Get the Look
Now that you’ve been primed with those lovely visions, it’s time to show you how to get the mod look from head to toe. First up is hair, so get your locks in gear.
Mod Hair
There are several types of mod hairstyles but the two most popular are the pixie cut and the fringe bang look.
“It girls” like Twiggy and Edie Sedgwick popularized the pixie cut during the 60s – it was perfect for the time because it was youthful and fun but still sexy and breezy – especially when in the company of well-groomed brows and sky-high eyelashes.
Meanwhile, fringey friends Anna Karina and Jane Birkin rocked the eyebrow-skimming bangs look with doe eyes and soft lips. Like the pixie cut, fringey bangs are youthful while still being sultry and alluring.
Makeup
As I mentioned earlier, a Mod girl is only as good as her over-the-top makeup. The mod makeup look is simple, but it does take a bit of practice.
For everyday mod, you can’t go wrong with a basic cat eye. To help you create the look, I found an easy to understand video tutorial that will show you how to do it.
While everyday makeup is nice, sometimes you want to be over-the-top, so in addition to the basic cat eye makeup video, I also found a great mod makeup tutorial to show you how to achieve the “authentic” mod look. This look takes a bit of time – but once it’s finished, it’s totally worth it. Check out the video below:
Shop the Mod Look
Mod fashion is crazy and all over the place, and it’s hard to pin down one all encompassing “mod” look. So, instead, I’ve pulled some basic items that you’ll need to start off your transition to ’60s chic.
No mod girl is complete without a pair of over-the-top false eyelashes, and an eyelash curler – so I included both in your lookbook. I also included my HG eyeliner that I use when I do my cat eye makeup – it’s smudge-free and never runs or anything, plus it’s easy to apply since it’s a pencil liner. I’ve tried all the major liners and Urban Decay’s eyeliner in “Zero” will forever be my favorite.
For clothes and accessories, I started with a style that originated in ’60s London – the mini skirt. I love the mini skirt because the trend started on the streets. Designers saw young girls showing off their stems, and were so inspired that they copied the look for the runway – and the rest is history. Flirty, fun, and awesome, this skirt is perfect for a sixties-inspired look. I also picked out some fun booties in a style that was popular during the Mod era. Lastly, I threw in some big pearl earrings for a Twiggy-esque feel.
Thoughts?
Do you guys love mod fashion as much as I do? Who’s your favorite icon from the sixties? Are you going to try rockin’ the cat eye? Whatever your thoughts, let me know in the comments!
Yeah, echoing what a couple of others said- the makeup and hair are good, but the skirt and boots are NOT mod. Not even a little bit. You’d do better to look up atomretro; mod cloth, and sometimes even forever 21. Tweed, stripes, houndstooth, and polka dots are the best prints. Peter Pan collars are a must for ladies. Cuban or kitten heels on either pumps or boots, but definitely not this style.
The mod look is perfect for pale boyish figured girls, but really anyone can incorporate it into their look. Fringe or pixies are great for big doe eyes!
Boyish figure like flat or what ? Sorry English is not my first language I’m just curious
So freaking awesome! The Mod look is one of my favorites 😉
I just love this post. Graphics are amazing. The mod look is always a unique and cool look. I love it! 🙂
I absolutely love mod, and think the makeup from that era is awesome looking. Unfortunately, my combination of super pale skin and downturned eyes makes recreating flattering cateye eyemakeup on myself all but impossible. Ah well. I’ll just continue to admire the look from afar.
I love that video! I put it on my own blog a couple of months ago. I wrote a dissertation this year about fashion retail in 1960’s london and just finished a collection inspired by 60’s london! the word mod actually collected a few different meanings throughout the decade, and though the american interpretation (miniskirts, bright colours, pop art, lots of eyeliner) is the one that has hung around the longest, the ‘original’ mod style was mainly rooted in menswear. the rare female mods often wore pants and sweaters! I love the whole era though. I really liked Cathy McGowan’s style and Mary Quant is pretty much my idol.
love the mod look! i think one night im just going to get really daring and do the make-up tutorial for a night out with my friends & see what people say! now if only i can figure out liquid eyeliner ;)!
xoxo lauren
SO agree on this. i loove the mod look! esp the make up :). my everyday make-up is inspired by this – esp the heavy mascara on the bottom lashes :).
I love the Mod look (Edie Sedgwick and Twiggy are two of my style icons), so this post is perfect!
What a great makeup tutorial, and I love the clothes!
I love love love this look! It’s why I got bangs 🙂 I love all things retro.