Guest Article: Why Does Bradley Wear His Polo Shirt Like That?
Bradley Wiggins; have we seen too much of him now? The answer to that would be yes, unless you are British. Thank god the British road race strategy blew up in their faces. Had Cav won the Olympic road race we really would all be in a spot of British bother. @blackpooltower has a theory here and it explains some twiggy things about Wiggo.
VLVV, Gianni
It has been widely noted, both here and elsewhere, that Bradley Wiggins is not just the first Brit to win the Tour, but the first mod too.*
For the unfamiliar, mods are followers of a style code that has been described as “narcissistic and fastidious”** (sound familiar?) and is every bit as demanding and passionately adhered to as The Rules, so a little compare-and-contrast seems in order. But first, some history:
Mod style began in London in the late 1950s when working class boys with office jobs started to spend their new-found cash on Italian tailoring and good haircuts (and amphetamines, but let’s not dwell on that).
A slim silhouette, sharp lines and fine detailing were crucial (as were getting f***ed up and fighting with horrible untidy rockers, but again let’s not dwell on that).
So, to compare, here are a few mod style rules and their Velominati equivalents. They may lead you to conclude that the Velominatus is the mod of the cycling world. For more detail on these, check out Mods! by Richard Barnes.
1) Carry nothing in the pockets of your (slim, narrow lapeled, single-breasted) suit, lest you spoil the line. And don’t put your hands in your pockets, for exactly the same reason.
Compare: Rule #30 No frame mounted pumps.
2) Casual sports shirts are worn buttoned to the neck.
Compare: Rule #82 Close the gap.
3) Ties are slim and dark. No reason why, they just are.
Compare: Rule #37 The arms of the eyewear shall always be placed over the helmet straps.
And, if any doubt remains, take a look at this sample post from www.themodgeneration.com/forum with its clear Rule #27 parallel:
Trousers not too short and not too long!
The break should never be below the top of the shoe. Nothing worse than trousers that crumple over your shoes.
And for Steve’s sake NO buttonholes on the lapels.
*Merckx’s neatly layered hairdo notwithstanding
** A Concise History of the British Mod Movement by Melissa M. Casburn
Now I see. Very neat and tidy chaps. Quadrophenia featuring Sting as the Mod leader.
Rule compliant Vespa!
And ofc one of the master with the student of all things mod…
That’s funny. I was never much of a fan of The Who growing up but I’ve been really getting into them lately since reading more about Pete Townshend and more so about him as a song writer. I was just reading a history of The Who yesterday and it went into great detail about their Mod roots. The once went by the name The High Numbers which is Mod jargon. I’m actually listening to Quadrophenia on Spotify right now.
Weller looks nonplussed as he is rarely bettered in the sartorial department. I think this was taken at special bash Adidas put on at the Olympics for their sponsored athletes. The featured band was the Stone Roses who could never be described as mods or sartorially sophisticated..
From what I’ve read, Wiggo is very uncomfortable with the level of press and media he is getting off the bike. See this from the Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bike-blog/2012/aug/17/ride-with-bradley-wiggins?INTCMP=SRCH
Nice to see him adopting the leisure pursuits of Anquetil as well as his tour-winning strategy.
During the olympic closing ceremony, I sooooo wanted to see ace face Wiggo leading the scooters on a Yellow Lambretta, to Kaiser Chiefs version of Pinball Wizard. I have thought about it everyday since. Loving that we are the mods (we are the mods) of the cycling world.
“Fuckin’ grease monkeys. Terrific! All right, lads! Bonzo!”
Perhaps his favourite movie character is Spud?
@TBONE
Your leisure is my pleasure
@meursault
I bet Bradley wanted to be on that scooter too. Sky wouldn’t allow it. Yeah, we are the mods of the cycling world.
@the Engine
Indeed it is, like, man. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O6bWb7oEuE
Interesting parallels you draw blackpooltower. We’ve also been likened to The Chap (google it, can’t link from mobile). And although I agree as a fan of Wiggins, The Who, and Sting (The Police, not solo), Ibe always fancied myself more of a Rocker. Give me The Clash, some Levi’s, and a beer please. (although by my use of the word “fancied” above I may have just contradicted myself).
@Marko I guess have started a somewhat Mod “outdoors” look with Patagonia. The Clash — Yesss!
Ah, The Clash. First time I saw them was in ’82 at the University of Houston Hofheinz Pavilion. Thanks for the flashback.
@wiscot
“Even abroad, he couldn’t escape the press attention. He was photographed earlier this week smoking a cigarette and enjoying a glass of wine…”
As an ex-part-time-smoker (Nat Sherman MCDs only), this made me rather envious.
I hate it when I catch myself using dangling modifiers. How many years did I berate students for doing this very thing? Eighteen?
@blackpooltower: nice job, a well caught comparison!
@Deakus hard to beat Paul Weller…..enjoy, mates
<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5ipGhzrIi3s” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen>
That definitely didn’t work…..
oh well what you shoudl’ve seen was a live performance of The Jam doing “In the City”. It’s okay you all have access to youtube on the interwebs
Would be nice to take The Story of the Clash, Vol. 1 out for 4 hours in the saddle. But I do not catch myself wearing earbuds while riding.
Fun read. More grist for the mill; may I suggest a Tolkeinian angle, i.e., Geraint Thomas is a hobbit:
@PeakInTwoYears
Hopefully, you’ll get over it.
@wiscot
The thing is where I am now like, right here, people really do talk like this, man.
Ooooh – look what I found – gold – solid fucking gold:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMLoUTBy47U
@the Engine
Yes, irregardless.
@the Engine
And as far as I can see Weller is the absolute essence of Compliance in the this – right down to the Flanders hairnet.
@the Engine
There should always be Toga Ladies at the podium!
@the Engine
So you’ll have had your tour then?
@the Engine I suppose you’re lucky. If Spud was from Possil or Ferguslie Park, you’d wouldn’t be able to understand him at all! Here’s one of Frank’s West of Scotland relatives dealing with a tardy pizza boy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t4zW1dCN-0
@graham d.m. Not seen that clip before. Gold. Thanks. (‘Sound Affects’ has been one of my go-to albums since 1981.)
@wiscot
+1
@wiscot
You’ll have seen this then:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMLoUTBy47U
@mxlmax
i ride along the road in this photo on my commute to work and back. if it wasn’t a soon to be added rule violation i’d bore you with links to the Strava KOM’s i hold along it.
I’ve mentioned on another thread that when the weather is really shitty and i’m struggling I sometimes shout BELL-BOY as I ride past The Grand Hotel for my own entertainment. The rest of the ride is always good when i do it.
@Nate
What the? I didn’t want to post the style council, I wanted to post Geraint Thomas’s LOTR cameo.
try
@minion
Wot’s that you say? They’re taking the hobbits to isengard?
“Stewpid hobbit is Too Fat to Climb…”
@King Clydesdale “Mods are pussies” reminds me of Vyvyan from The Young Ones– BBC comedy
Are those a modern version of the Oakley Frogskins Wiggo is wearing?
@G’phant
Fucking yes! One of the best albums ever, by anyone. In The Jam’s catalogue it’s followed closely by In The City.
Brilliant article @blackpooltower! Damn it though, now I wish I had hair again…
The Beatles! Four Mods if we ever knew 4 Mods.
@graham d.m.
@King Clydesdale
Great movie!
American Mods ??
@brett Andy Schleck makes a good frontman.
@Oli I was wondering the same thing. I had a pair in 8th grade, for a day, and lost them at the ski resort. Still bummed over that one.
@G’phant isn’t it amazing when a record is still completely awesome 30 years later!
@brett Thank you for getting the video to behave and actually show up! I’m pretty useless on a computer, that was my first attempt ever at “embedding”, or whatever the cool kids call it.
Can’t wait to get home from work and watch these youtube vids, damn office internet blockers. Early Jam live, it doesn’t get much better. Saw them at Wembley arena 1982, on the farewell tour, still awesome.
@unversio
Close but…No, definitely not.
Great piece @blackpooltower! After becoming a pseudo punk in Sydney on first hearing the likes of the Pistols, Slits, Siouxie and the Banshees, Xray Spexs to name a few. I then heard The Jam’s “In the city” in high school. The spiked hair, razor blades and torn clothes were quickly replaced by stove pipes and winkle pickers. The Jam was and still are one of the best bands ever. The Style Council did release a few gems though they tended more on the pop side. Paul Weller is still putting out some killer albums to this day. Picked up a great boxed set of The Jam – Direction Reaction Creation – everything ever released, complete albums plus every “b’ side and another 22 previously unreleased tunes. A must for any fan! Enough of my reminiscing about my youth.
Wiggo, is pretty cool and respects his influences! Oh yeah, read any of Colin McInnes’ books as well!
@unversio
Nipple lube!
I fucking loved that show when I was a teen. Awesome.