Northern Soul Fashion

[imogenm]

Hello,

I wondered if anyone may have any Black Music or Blues and Soul Magazines dating from anywhere between 1970-1978?

If anyone happens to have any copies I am looking for any fashion advertisements / postal order advertisements that are featured?
I have attached an example for reference. 

Thank you!

[Blackpoolsoul]

1 hour ago, imogenm said:

Hello,

I wondered if anyone may have any Black Music or Blues and Soul Magazines dating from anywhere between 1970-1978?

If anyone happens to have any copies I am looking for any fashion advertisements / postal order advertisements that are featured?
I have attached an example for reference. 

Thank you!

This person may be able to help you

http://www.andyburnsdesign.com/2015/

[Billy Jo Jim Bob]

3 hours ago, imogenm said:

Hello,

I wondered if anyone may have any Black Music or Blues and Soul Magazines dating from anywhere between 1970-1978?

If anyone happens to have any copies I am looking for any fashion advertisements / postal order advertisements that are featured?
I have attached an example for reference. 

Thank you!

I remember the adverts and bought some of the clothes at the time. 

I'm sure there was a thread on here a few years back that showed and discussed some of these adverts. 

@Sourcewill be able to help on the search engine I think

[imogenm]

27 minutes ago, Billy Jo Jim Bob said:

I remember the adverts and bought some of the clothes at the time. 

I'm sure there was a thread on here a few years back that showed and discussed some of these adverts. 

@Sourcewill be able to help on the search engine I think

That would be great, would love to see the thread! Thank you.

[Mike]

1 hour ago, imogenm said:

That would be great, would love to see the thread! Thank you.

been quite a few over the years most can be dug out via the search

here's two

and

 

 

[Tomangoes]

And just FYI.....

Many many followers were in Burtons and Jacksons tailors getting bespoke made to measure clothes. 

Everybody tried to be a bit different if they could...

Ed

 

[Bo Diddley]

Hi,

I think this advert is from 1980, so possibly outside your remit. However, may give some members a kick!!

Cheers,

Kev Bod

[Span]

I remember the Spencer bags, and had 3 or 4 pairs made to measure around 1976 _ 1978 including a pair of 40 inch patchwork denim. Never saw another pair ( unsurprisingly when I think of it ) but wasn't that the point, we just wanted to be different !!!

[imogenm]

16 hours ago, Source said:

been quite a few over the years most can be dug out via the search

here's two

and

 

 

Great! Thank you very much 

[imogenm]

15 hours ago, Tomangoes said:

And just FYI.....

Many many followers were in Burtons and Jacksons tailors getting bespoke made to measure clothes. 

Everybody tried to be a bit different if they could...

Ed

 

Would you say this is where most people got their clothes? Is there any other particular shops you can remember? 

[Tomangoes]

46 minutes ago, imogenm said:

Would you say this is where most people got their clothes? Is there any other particular shops you can remember? 

As with all fashion style, it has a short life span, even if it gets revived periodically.

The outlets listed were tailors who sold off the peg clothes as well as made to measure.

So, probably dozens more similar tailors across the country.

As you are aware, one-upmanship...was a key factor in the northern soul scene, even if watered down a tad now.

Suffice to say, wearing clothes with a unique edge, even if a similar style, gave a subtle feeling of individualism, I guess.

External pleats, inverted pleats, high waist with zips or buttons, it just went into every detail you could imagine.

Obviously the longer this trend went on, the more bizarre the tailoring.

Happy days on reflection. Maybe not so much for the seamstresses and tailors!

[Zoomsoulblue]

This is how the leaflets were - usually thrown on a few tables 

[imogenm]

12 minutes ago, Zoomsoulblue said:

This is how the leaflets were - usually thrown on a few tables 

This is great! Thank you so much for sending these pictures - were these distributed at events?

[Zoomsoulblue]

Sometimes at events - I brought a few pair of baggies so they use to come with leaflets- I’ve still got my denim baggies and long leather patchwork coat ox blood cost £49 from Dave pink in Cambridge still got the receipt - the patch work denims had one patch where you could stash you’re gear / wrap - also when blazers were worn they usually had a soul badge this was sawn on with white elastic thread - again to slip a deal or a few pills behind Especially if you traveled to South Yorkshire, old bill the worst 

[Stephen Houghton]

18 hours ago, Span said:

I remember the Spencer bags, and had 3 or 4 pairs made to measure around 1976 _ 1978 including a pair of 40 inch patchwork denim. Never saw another pair ( unsurprisingly when I think of it ) but wasn't that the point, we just wanted to be different !!!

I had a denim pair too,it rained once and they wouldn't stay up lol

[Stephen Houghton]

Just now, Stephen Houghton said:

I had a denim pair too,it rained once and they wouldn't stay up lol,they had a picture of zoot off the muppets with a saxophone on the leg 

 

[Span]

The most expensive pair I bought from Spencer's I designed myself , 42inch bottoms, 5 pleats down the side & 6 small pockets on the back ( well I was only 17 ) cost me £50 ( was earning £26 a week ) and first time I wore them was to a mates wedding , ran for the bus  and caught my foot in them, took the knee clean out of them and never wore them again .   Absolutely gutted

my mates still remind me of it when were out !

[Fish Fingers]

To the OP.....

I was at school for the early days of Northern Soul so this was my view.

Most people identified with a clan. You were a 'soulie' or a 'punk' or a 'heavy rocker' etc. It was far more regimented than today. You chose your clan and adopted the style (friends/clothes/hairstyles etc) and didn't mix much with the others.

There was a greater need to identify as other 'lifestyle options' were severely limited due to tight finances. Holidays/restaurants/cars etc were needs must rather than your choice. But clothes and records were relatively attainable along with weekly admission to a club/disco. 

A lot of people got stuff from their local towns markets. We would also go to the underground market in Manchester. 'Fashion' stallholders would catch onto the latest trends quickly and start knocking clobber out at low quality but cheap prices. 

But having said that, people didn't have that much disposable income. Designer labels were not really a thing, but as mentioned above individuality was. 

Most people on the Northern scene were from working class backgrounds and many had menial, tough jobs. Saturday night was the escape and time to push the boat out and to feel a million dollars. Add to it the exclusivity of Northern Soul and you would feel great.

*Hopefully someone will point you to a documentary that showed just that angle. 

I once saw / read something on fashion in Liverpool being similar to Milan. But it was the working classes wanting to feel special on a Saturday night in Liverpool after grafting in a factory all week that was different. 

Still applies today..... If you see most of the girls at the weekend out and about draped in Prada/Gucci/Moncler etc many of them will be from ordinary working class backgrounds, but with just more disposable income (or debt) than in the 1970s. 

Just filling in a bit of background that needs to run in tandem when discussing 1970s fashion in working class England. 

[Billy Jo Jim Bob]

On 20/08/2021 at 09:37, imogenm said:

Would you say this is where most people got their clothes? Is there any other particular shops you can remember? 

As with all fashion it came and went as styles go. Some were ahead of the curve as fashionistas are today. Some lagged behind and remained with the older look. Many of the clothing suppliers attended or advertised at venues but also in news papers like 'Black Echoes' which covered soul music and the soul scene. 

Many people did use these outlets like Spencers, but at the time the 'soul look' was kind of the street fashion of today, so it spread into more mainstream fashion outlets as they tried to capitalise. The high street shops like Burton's previously mentioned did it, but so did independent shops and it did all intermingle with the fashion trends of the day. I got my leather trench coat from Mr Sweenys in Chesterfield and I thought I was the dogs at the time. My parent thought I looked a two-hat. 

Street markets were also popular and there were many traders that would produce the latest designs for you but with a 'twist' where you could take a standard pair of trousers add as many pocket flaps, pleats, side pockets etc as you wanted. 

My standard garb at one time was Oxford bag trousers (as wide as possible), 3 star jumper, long leather trench coat and what we called Spreader shoes (they were probably called something different in other areas).

When I look back I think WTF !! However, it was 'of its time', but like most street fashion it became on trend and picked up by the mainstream and like Magpie's you pick and choose what you wore and how you looked. The soul scene was definitely both about fashion and music.

Some says it was the era of bad fashion, but the 80's were far worse believe me 

 

 

[Geeselad]

On 24/08/2021 at 07:44, Fish Fingers said:

To the OP.....

I was at school for the early days of Northern Soul so this was my view.

Most people identified with a clan. You were a 'soulie' or a 'punk' or a 'heavy rocker' etc. It was far more regimented than today. You chose your clan and adopted the style (friends/clothes/hairstyles etc) and didn't mix much with the others.

There was a greater need to identify as other 'lifestyle options' were severely limited due to tight finances. Holidays/restaurants/cars etc were needs must rather than your choice. But clothes and records were relatively attainable along with weekly admission to a club/disco. 

A lot of people got stuff from their local towns markets. We would also go to the underground market in Manchester. 'Fashion' stallholders would catch onto the latest trends quickly and start knocking clobber out at low quality but cheap prices. 

But having said that, people didn't have that much disposable income. Designer labels were not really a thing, but as mentioned above individuality was. 

Most people on the Northern scene were from working class backgrounds and many had menial, tough jobs. Saturday night was the escape and time to push the boat out and to feel a million dollars. Add to it the exclusivity of Northern Soul and you would feel great.

*Hopefully someone will point you to a documentary that showed just that angle. 

I once saw / read something on fashion in Liverpool being similar to Milan. But it was the working classes wanting to feel special on a Saturday night in Liverpool after grafting in a factory all week that was different. 

Still applies today..... If you see most of the girls at the weekend out and about draped in Prada/Gucci/Moncler etc many of them will be from ordinary working class backgrounds, but with just more disposable income (or debt) than in the 1970s. 

Just filling in a bit of background that needs to run in tandem when discussing 1970s fashion in working class England. 

You can't talk about fashion, without context. 

[Zoomsoulblue]

I brought this on a Saturday, 4 March 1978 - going to Peterborough all-nighter not even sure if it was St Ives - but they may have shut by then - Me and my mate traveled by bus up from South London to Cambridge then on to the nighter - he also brought a patch work leather but all brown mine as per photos is ox blood - still weighs a ton - went to the Casino in it once left it in the coat room up up stairs - did not expect it to be there in the morning but it was True piece of NS history 

[imogenm]

23 minutes ago, Zoomsoulblue said:

I brought this on a Saturday, 4 March 1978 - going to Peterborough all-nighter not even sure if it was St Ives - but they may have shut by then - Me and my mate traveled by bus up from South London to Cambridge then on to the nighter - he also brought a patch work leather but all brown mine as per photos is ox blood - still weighs a ton - went to the Casino in it once left it in the coat room up up stairs - did not expect it to be there in the morning but it was True piece of NS history 

This is amazing! Thank you so much for sharing - what a great story. Would love to learn some more about the coat, will send you a direct message

[Fish Fingers]

@Imogenm

This is the documentary I mentioned in an earlier post, it as initially shown in 1976 on prime time tv. It gives you a feel for what was going on then....

But it's important to put it in context of what was going on nationally/mainstream to get an idea of its underground appeal... 

[Zoomsoulblue]

Me on the outtakes with the flat hat on

[Zoomsoulblue]

Full nighter set ready to go

[Zoomsoulblue]

Wife’s skirt and trousers plus jumper

Early 1981 - 100 club t shirt

[Tomangoes]

The three star jumper...

Although I saw a few of the type shown previously, I had no idea where you got them from.

I had to make do with 3 stars in a line from Lester's in Donny. This had the latest fashions on a few months time lag.

No idea what 3 stars represented then...or now for that matter. A bit bay city rollers style really.

Ed

[Geeselad]

Just seen a young kid,maybe 17, in patchwork jeans. Maybe a revival is upon us. 

[Oldsoulman]

Blues and Soul 1974

 

Blues and Soul 1976

 

Blues and Soul 1978

[Tomangoes]

Third advert in max waist 36....

If you were 36 then, you were a chunky. If you are 36 now...you are lucky 

 

Ed

[Petesi]

In Stoke on Trent the shop we all went to for baggies, crombies, bomber jackets etc was Chawners in Hope St Hanley, it was fashion central for the area Lol.

[Hornet]

22 hours ago, Petesi said:

In Stoke on Trent the shop we all went to for baggies, crombies, bomber jackets etc was Chawners in Hope St Hanley, it was fashion central for the area Lol.

Hayden’s in burslem run it A close 2nd ,

[Ekim]

There was a small, short-lived shop called Glad Rags, which was a few yards down the street (the locally famous Hope street !!!) from Chawners in Hanley. They had a workshop in the back where there made their own clothing. Around 1974 they were selling corduroy baggies and short bomber jackets in various colours. 

For Gibson brogues, loafers etc., Brassington's in Hanley, Longton, and at that time, Shelton, was the place to go. The Hanley shop still sells Loakes.

Quote

 

 

[Bunderthollox]

On 24/08/2021 at 11:35, Billy Jo Jim Bob said:

Would deffo buy this if it hit shops again 

 

 

 

 

[detroit]

outside wigan me in patchwork jeans

[detroit]

outside wigan

[tosh]

Anyone ever buy Flemings from Scotland Road Liverpool, made to measure jeans good material and well made.

Had a couple of pairs but nothing too mad.

[Fish Fingers]

On 19/09/2021 at 19:27, Tomangoes said:

Third advert in max waist 36....

If you were 36 then, you were a chunky. If you are 36 now...you are lucky 

 

Ed

Amazingly I do still sometimes wear a pair of trousers that I got just after I left school! 

The zip sometimes chaffes my neck, but otherwise quite a decent scarf. 

[ColinP1961]

I see Dave Pink's in Mill Road, and The Leather Shop in Gwydir Street, both in Cambridge already got mentioned. Also in Cambridge I bought both high waisters, and another pair of bags with "tunnel" belt loops from Waites. There was a stall on the market that sold nothing but Solatios. I had some made-to-measure beige cord peg-legs made by Spencer's, they were the last thing I ever had made to measure because the fit was terrible. Fully agree on a lot of the look just being main stream fashion at the time. I personally liked the clothes, which I regularly saw worn by many younger fans at football matches, but knew little about the music in the mid 70s, but I was still at school.