London fashion week, one of the key events in the industries calendar, took place in February, boasting 59 catwalk shows and 24 presentations over 6 days. But how much of it has relevance to female mod-culture over a certain age?

Women have a wealth of choice when it comes to looking for decent outfits for everyday wear. But it can become more challenging when you're of a certain age, heavily influenced by mod-culture with particular requirements for good quality, reasonably priced outfits not only for day wear, but special occasions too.

Recently I became frustrated at not being able to find a suitable attire for my son's wedding. As a sixties mod I have tried to be faithful to my roots, so didn't want one that fitted into the traditional "mother of the groom" category. I refuse to be type-cast into wearing items that society feels I should be wearing as a mother and in recent decades, a grandmother. Of course I never wanted to look like mutton dressed as lamb either and whilst I do wear sixties looking stuff occasionally I try to choose clothing that isn't necessarily obviously sixties copies. I want outfits that set me apart from those stereotypes as an older woman and allow me to carry on the traditions of what being a mod was about in the first place. But, as I reached middle age and beyond, it has become difficult to retain my roots in mod fashion wear. I have fought hard not to become that older person opting for something "safe".

I am always amused by London Fashion Week. There is a self-indulgent snobbery about it. Whilst there may be one of two outfits that catch my eye as being fun and different there is little to offer women of a certain decade from the mod culture stable. It seems that I am not alone in my thoughts.

A recent discussion on Facebook caught my attention when Sharon Kirkup, a fashion conscious friend from Manchester, complained strongly that there was very little choice for a middle-aged mod like herself. "I want clean lines, I want good cloth and I want sharp tailoring" she said "I don't mind a little bit of vintage mixed in with the modern, but not head to bloody toe in the stuff" she screamed.

Her comment had obviously caught a nerve as a lengthy debate ensued. One of her friends added "Even worse now Fred Perry and Ben Sherman have stopped doing women's lines. How can they say there is no call for it?" Others agreed "There is nothing out there at all."


A few obvious shops were offered as possibilities, like Warehouse, River Island and websites such as modclothin.com. Even Carnaby Street was mentioned. The street was the hub of mod fashion back in the sixties and still associated with the mod culture today. But it offers very few suitable shops that cater for the mod female shopper. There is of course Sherry's an original from the sixties located in Ganton Street and Marlborough Court, but their selection is limited, with the quality bordering on fancy dress and prices not reasonable for what's on offer.

I was curious to find out more from Sharon and why mod fashion is so important to her these days?

" I was raised on a council estate surrounded by poverty. My parents did the best they could for me and my two sisters. My mum was a mod and she was known for her great looks and her immaculate dress. She believed in the mod mantra. Clean living under difficult circumstances, it was her ethics, her pride. She raised us with this mantra, we were the best dressed on the estate. As a teenager living in a seaside town I would watch the mods come to town, strutting their stuff and watching the chrome shine. I was hooked. I am now a successful middle-aged mod and those ethics have never left me, personal appearance, pride in one-self and looking your best is important, I truly believe it has encouraged me to be the person I am today. "

What are her thoughts about the demise of Ben Sherman and Fred Perry's women's clothing range?

"It's an end of an era. Saying that, I think these two companies have read us wrong. Their ranges lately have not being of the quality a female mod is looking for, they both lost the clean lines, quality cut, good textiles and eye for detail, almost adopting the grunge look. They lost it, and now they have given up trying. "

So what does she think mod women of her age are looking for?

"Quite simply, beautiful tailored clothing, we have the money and we demand a range which can cater for a female mod day, scooter friendly attire, which should be smart casual with a slight Italian influence. Evening wear which shouts style and class and day wear which makes us feel good. We like our labels and we have an obsession with being part of something. That's why we are mods. So Fred Perry and Ben Sherman have now gone we now need to find a label which we can immediately identify as 'mod' and more important - quality."

So where does Sharon normally shop?

"I have been using a tailor in Manchester who can tailor beautiful clothes, but at a price. To get 'off the peg' clothing the future looks bleak. The internet has made the world smaller and I have ordered online from Italian and French lines, but I hate not being able to try on before I buy."

There are also online 'mod' websites, but again, they cater for the younger female, as I don't want a dress with big arrows on it, or black and white ensembles. Great for fancy dress but certainly not a middle aged mod.

And what are Sharon's thoughts about London Fashion Week. Do they offer any hope?

"The collections in 2011 were strong with colour block clothing which influenced some great dresses for fashion in the high street. The fashion did have a sixties feel to it and in particular Next and Marks & Spencer did themselves proud. However, LFW still caters for the under 25's and under size 8 which does not represent the population as a whole. We will have to wait and see how the high street responds this year, but I'm not going to hold my breath. I fear the year with dread when I see what's on offer."

So what do other mods of Sharon's generation feel? I turned to a dear friend Shelley Oldman who told me how she and her sister Heidi were considering putting together some designs of their own.

"Heidi is a seamstress with a degree in knitwear design technology and has some great ideas. Heidi and I always had an interest in fashion, specifically following our own styles. We both spent hours designing clothes as young children, just as a hobby. As teens we were able to wear our Nans' and Aunts' 60's shift dresses, many of these were hand-made. Actually when you watch documentaries a lot of the female mods say they would often run something up on the machine to go out in. Would be interesting to find out exactly why this is? Perhaps people didn't have the money then nor did they have more time and the inclination to do that kind of stuff? Maybe the reason was not being able to find exactly what they wanted or were they interested in taking an idea and making it their own?"

"These days few people sit down at a sewing machine to make something. We seem to have less time and a preference for getting someone else to provide services for us rather than do it ourselves. Can there be some truth therefore, that finding suitable fashion for women has always been a challenge?"

"Both of us look at what other women are wearing on the scene and think, yes that has potential. I like it enough, but it would benefit from, for example, smaller patterns on the fabric, change in pattern direction, better positioned darts and general finishing. Customising and adapting to 'now' is something the Europeans tend to do much better than the Brits or Americans. I found it easy to buy clothes I wanted in Spain. They are very smart and always dress to the max. No-one goes out in evening a sloppy Joe. In Italy it's the same, well-tailored clothing and beautifully cut shoes. In the UK we've become a throwaway society, which extends to fashion. Quantity over quality. Ludicrous amounts of clothes and shoes in wardrobe, none made to last. No concept of finishing. I can count shoes and boots I have on maybe 3 hands. I try to buy something stylish and durable. Occasionally I need something fast or inexpensive and have to compromise with something from High Street store. I may get away with it in a dark room, but deep down I know inside that what I'm wearing isn't properly made or lined, it doesn't therefore feel right and generally after 3-4 washes isn't smart enough to wear again. So I'd be looking to make stuff that lasts, that can be mixed and matched and accessorized and that won't look ridiculous in 10 years time."

What does Shelley feel about London fashion week?

"It has very little to do with real fashion for real people. To me it's about pushing the boundaries of creativity to the absurd and making a statement. Perhaps designers take ideas and tone them down for a mass market but that market rarely seems to cater for women of the age group we are talking about. Even those chains that formerly did like Karen Millen, Jane Norman, Oasis now seem to oscillate between the very young and dare I say it, vaguely frumpy"

© Words Val Weedon/ ZANI Media