The Soul Stylists: Six Decades of Modernism - From Mods to Casuals [Kindle Edition]

That there is a link between American R&B and British male fashion is inescapable - and this book seeks to draw a line from the immediate post war years to the present. If you were part of any of the movements described here you will find much to bring a smile to your face - but for those who missed it, you won't find any pictures to enlighten you. It is an incredibly perverse choice for a book about how people look - and that sets the tone for the book.

Hewitt has clearly researched his topic, and the sections on the original Mod movement are very interesting, but may frustrate those who lived outside London. There are many anecdotes which come with a very elitist tone - but doesn't this deny the huge number of working class kids who followed the trend without ever being a "face". Succesive style are given the same treatment.

So we move From Mods and Motown, through Skinheads and Ska, via Northern Soul and the 2 Tone thing to Casuals and ???? - yes Casuals - exactly how did they follow the modernist tradition? and what was their musical link? It doesn't work I am afraid.

I can't help feeling that this book has Paul Weller's name on it to create credibility. Hewitt seems to have fallen between 2 stools - he portrays Mod and it's successors styles to be an elite lifestyle choice, but at the same time he is telling a story which is inescapably working class and thus accessible, in some form, to all.

Buy this by all means, but there are better books on Mods in particular - and they'll have pictures too.

Having looked forward to the publication of this book for ages I was extremely disappointed to read the same tired old opinions from so called "faces," such as Farley and Mahoney.

There were adverts in the music press asking for recollections and photos but yet all we got was the rentaquotes from the same journo friendly people. Also the inclusion of some photos would have helped.

The opinion of the 'man in the street," should've been included. For instance the bit on Casuals/Soul Boys was absolutely dreadful..way off the mark, but that's what you expect from the likes of Sampson, Farley and Mahoney.

As someone who has been there, done that - lived to my best abilities the modernist ethic, I found Paolo Hewitts compendium a none the less refreshing read. Somewhat London-centric and dwelling too heavily on a sort of "found" philosophy, could be two criticisms of the content - my early days as a young modernist/soul-stylist/whatever, were spent in mad abandon, roaring around Northern council estates - we were certainly stylish but a little less ponderous than some of the commentators in this book would have you believe. It is interesting to find out more of the scene that instigated a lot of my teenage beliefs - but most of the characters interviewed seem a little too sober to be believed - it was FUN, we were certainly "cool" and all the other attached epithets that go hand-in-hand, but I remember as much of the good times and laughing a lot, as I do the clothes. Great times, adventures, brilliant music that would live with me forever - but I've never been to John Simon's shop...