Mod Style The Clothes and Brands, Explained
Mod is one of the most enduring looks in British menswear: born in late-1950s London, revived by Quadrophenia and The Jam, and brought back again by Britpop. This guide explains where it came from, the pieces and brands that define it, and how to wear it now, from an official stockist of every label in it.
The short answer
Sharp, clean and British. The mod wardrobe is a Fred Perry twin-tipped polo or a knitted polo, a Harrington jacket, slim trousers or dark jeans, Clarks Originals Desert Boots, and a parka over the top when the weather turns. Everything fits close, nothing is loud, and the details matter.
Where it started
London, in the late 1950s. The London Museum traces the mods to young Londoners in the late 1950s, who took their name from "modernist" and the modern jazz they listened to. They spent their money on sharp, Italian-influenced suits, shirts and ties, shopped on Carnaby Street, danced to jazz, soul and rhythm and blues in Soho clubs, and rode Italian Vespa and Lambretta scooters, with an ex-army parka over the top to keep the suit clean. By the mid-1960s mod was one of the defining youth scenes in Britain.
The revivals
Quadrophenia, The Jam and Britpop. The look never really went away. The 1979 film Quadrophenia and Paul Weller's band The Jam sparked a full mod revival, with the parka, the Fred Perry polo and the Desert Boot at its heart, and in the 1990s Britpop bands such as Oasis, Blur and Ocean Colour Scene brought it back again. Each revival kept the same rules: fit first, clean lines, and nothing that shouts.
Fred Perry
The polo every mod owns. Fred Perry was founded in 1952 by the British tennis champion, and the mods took up his piqué polo in the 1960s, usually buttoned to the top, which is how the laurel wreath became a badge of British youth culture. The M12 twin-tipped polo is still the one to start with, and the Harrington jacket and knitted polo complete the look. Fred Perry fits true to size. Shop Fred Perry · Fred Perry sizing guide
The jackets
A Harrington for every day, a parka for the scooter. The Harrington is a short, zip-front cotton jacket with a stand collar and a tartan lining, named after Rodney Harrington, a character in the 1960s TV series Peyton Place who wore one, and it is the jacket most people picture with a Fred Perry polo. The fishtail parka was the practical choice on a scooter and became the symbol of the look in Quadrophenia. Take your usual size in both, with room to layer over knitwear. Shop outerwear
Knitwear
Knitted polos and fine crew necks. A knitted polo or a fine-gauge crew neck is the smart mod alternative to a jacket, worn over a shirt or on its own. Lyle & Scott began as a knitwear maker in Hawick, in the Scottish Borders, in 1874, and its knitted polos, merino crew necks and lambswool quarter zips suit the look perfectly. Most of the range is true to size. Shop Lyle & Scott · Jumpers and knitwear
On your feet
The Desert Boot. Clarks Originals launched the Desert Boot in 1950, and it became a mod staple through the 1960s and again in the 1979 revival: a suede ankle boot on a crepe sole that works with slim trousers or turned-up jeans. The Wallabee and the Desert Trek are the alternatives, and all three fit true to size. Shop Clarks Originals · Clarks Originals sizing guide
How to wear it now
Clean, slim and considered. Start with a twin-tipped or knitted polo buttoned up, add slim dark jeans or tailored trousers, a Harrington and Desert Boots, and keep the colours to navy, black, white, bottle green and burgundy. Fit matters more than any logo, so get the size right and keep everything neat. If you like the look, it sits right next to the terrace style of the football casuals. Shop mod clothing · Polo shirts
Common questions
What is mod clothing?
Where does the word mod come from?
What brands do mods wear?
What shoes do mods wear?
What is a Harrington jacket?
What is the difference between mods and casuals?
Still unsure
Ask the team and we will help you build the look. Tell us what you are after and your usual size, and we will point you to the right pieces, because we are an official stockist of Fred Perry, Clarks Originals and Lyle & Scott. If the size is not right, exchanges are free, and UK returns are £3.00 within 14 days with a pre-paid Royal Mail label. Contact us · Shop mod clothing
Written by the Spiral Seven buying team · Updated 23 September 2026 · Official stockist of every brand in this guide
