A men's t-shirt featuring a Mod target roundel. It was made popular by Keith Moon of The Who but has since also become associated with The Jam, Paul Weller, Vespa and Lambretta scooters. The term ‘Mods’ denotes the members of a youth sub-culture which emerged in London, UK in the late 1950s. Its popularity peaked in the early/mid-1960s. The Mod-culture embraced the fashionable bespoke suit (preferably Italian & imported), & the music of Afro-American Soul artists. The Jamaican musical-genre Ska was also adopted by the UK Mods. The original scene was notorious for its espousal of amphetamines (purple hearts), which often fuelled all-night parties. Mods were also infamous for their hostility towards & conflict with the rival culture known as ‘Rockers’ who wore black leather & rode motorbikes. The term ‘Mod’ has since come to denote all things modern, smart & fashionable. There have been several revivals of the Mod-cult, notably in the UK in the 1970s, & in the US in the 1980s. The fashions & logos from the Mod-era still crop up in youth culture today, most ubiquitous being the famous ‘Parka’ long-coat & the RAF-style target-symbol.
