My favourite year for Mens style , ‘1986’

My Reiss Jacket from 1986 , I wasn't able to go out for a month, because of the expense!I didn't have the heart to get rid of it . And here it remains .

Linen and cotton mix , and I felt a million bucks when it was on , worth that feeling alone .

What was it about 1986 that's stuck in my mind all these years dear reader ?

I remember an article in a newspaper just after , maybe 1987 , which had an interesting illustration of Mens style pre 1987 , and after .

It appeared in of all papers ,The Sun' and it showed Mens style being ;Chinos , brouges

and ties , and how now it was the era of 'Madchester' and kickers ,baggy jeans et al had ascended, booting the preppy and probably the original smart / casual look into styles hinterland.

The look can was encapsulated and can be easily seen in two points of reference. Firstly ,the cover of ' Dexy Midnight Runners '

forgotten album ' Don't stand me down' ;perfectly illustrating the preppy /Ivy look that was prevalent at that time, ( but only for those ' ,(In the know' . )The second, is a slightly more modern , but just as revealing , the ' costumes' worn in that difficult to watch, but brilliant satire on American capitalism' The wolf of Wall Street ' .

So , who knows where the original preppy look came from ? There wasn't any social media then ; ( thank goodness) , the only ' influencers ' were the kids on the street . I do remember it followed quickly on the heels of the tracksuited 'football casual 'look of 83 to 86 , and perhaps was a reaction to this , with jackets and chinos , replete with diamond socks and loafers, replacing the sportswear , which sadly permeates much of (at least the working class style today) , favoured by the young and older folks . ( more about that in a later blog )

So why that year ?

I thought this preppy style was second to none , I loved the sea of loafers , faded jeans , blazers , blue and black , and of course the Reiss jacket , mine , (pictured) , I seem to remember costing me nearly a months salary ,I was working at Benetton Birmingham at the time . unfortunately it was lent it to ' a friend ' who went on the lash in the town , and the inside still bears the vodka stains . However, as there was a ' taxing ' of clothes culture back at the time , I was simply relieved just to get it back !

I fondly remember making pilgrimages from Birmingham? to 'American Classics ' a tiny store back then at the bottom of the Kings Road ' London . The only place it seemed in the UK that you could buy the 'holy grail' of jeans , original 1950s, Levi's , faded and bartered but looking terrific with that navy blazer , white t , and ox blood loafers .

In fact , there was also a 1950s influence coming in as illustrated as the guy in the leather jacket on the left of the picture below , this was also the time that I saw ' Rebel without a cause ' at the arts Cinema in town , who can forget Deans red Harrington jacket ? And that amazing hair ?

I heard recently on a brilliant podcast ' articles of Interest' that fashion and style is often a way of 'telling the time' . Maybe that's why I kept this jacket all these years .

, Sometimes I wish that 1986 just stayed being 1986 . And I look back on this year with fondness and nostalgia.

One of the best years of my too quickly passing youth and a style that absolutely still influences my choices today .

(The Dexys album was actually released in 1985 , but Mr. Rowland was always ahead of his time ! You can see him in a terrific Madras jacket, red polo and loafers, if you type the name of the album into the net . It faired quite poorly when it was released, although now , as often the best things are , is being rediscovered and hailed by many as an absolute classic. )