'Fuck Joe Hawkins! He's not a Smooth - I am!' He touched his Fair Isle sweater with it's multi-coloured wool hugging his athletic frame. He fondled his satin jacket. Symbols maybe. But insignia too. ''We've been arsin' around on his ''Magpie'' kick like we were a fan club for some stupid movie star. We're not! We're us - Smoothies and Sorts. We're not Brass and we're not suedes anymore!''
The above quote comes from the 1973 PULP PAPERBACK ''SMOOTHIES'' by RICHARD ALLEN. It was the most recent installment in a series of books that chronicled the exploits of YOUNG WORKING CLASS MEN in the UK. ''SKINHEAD'' started the ball rolling in 1970, followed by ''SUEDEHEAD'' and ''BOOT BOYS'' in 1971. By 1973 the 'POST MOD' configuration of STREET FASHION had evolved into a recognisable 70's style that more closely mirrored the mainstream as it took on influences from 'CELEBRITY ROLE MODELS', the prevailing COUNTER CULTURE and recent developments in TAILORING from SAVILLE ROW and MAINLAND EUROPE. The term SMOOTHIE was evoked to describe this 'SOFTER' look. In London a man called JOHN SIMONS ran a series of menswear shops {THE IVEY, THE SQUIRE, VILLAGE GATE}.These sold the 'IVY LEAGUE' clothing that had been adopted by young working class men and adapted by them {with the influence of AFRICAN AMERICAN and JAMAICAN street styles} to create the look of the aforementioned SKINHEAD/SUEDEHEAD. He noticed how things were changing and the clothes he sold began to move away from the CONSERVATIVE U.S Look
''The flared look started to come in about 1971, as the lapels and trouser widths got wider, shirt collars became deeper and ties were fatter. The jacket had the pinched waist, there was a tight waistcoat and the trousers were much tighter around the arse'' {1*}
THE FASHION OF FOOTBALL
The PEACOCK REVOLUTION that had occurred in men's tailoring had failed to travel down to the 'YOUTHS ON THE TERRACES', but FLARE FOOTBALLERS like ALAN HUDSON of CHELSEA FC were now splashing their cash in fashionable boutiques on THE KINGS ROAD and SAVILLE ROW TAILORS like TOMMY NUTTERS. Others like GEORGE BEST and MALCOLM MACDONALD opened their own boutiques and the fans began to take notice:
''The rigid brutal skinhead look was becoming an anachronism. The football supporters hair was getting longer, and jeans and trousers were getting wider and wider. Suddenly, the hardest footie fans were wearing what amounted to palazzo pants with turn- ups. These were known as 22-inch parallels and were available in denim and gabardine''.
Reading FC supporter SIMON DOONAN {2*}
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS supporter {and future DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS frontman} KEVIN ROWLAND also witnessed the changes:
''Hair was growing and the shirts were first to go. People started wearing wide collars and then penny rounds. Before long, the fancy shirts looked wrong with the parallel trousers, so the trousers had to go and into flares we went. Then came the high heeled boots, polo necks, and Budgie jackets. This was 1971, the year of transition. The 'hairies had been wearing this kind of stuff for years, but now we were. By 1972 I had sort of long hair and a great big coat and big wide trousers and big shoes. If I wasn't wearing toppers then, it was big boots with what looked like a wooden heel. Feather cut hair, all massive blow dried. I had a great pink tweed trench coat that was massive. Great big lapels out here, but flared right out, great big pockets. It might have been from Take Six. It was the start of that 70's look, which was quite similar to the 40's look. The wide lapels and the wide high-waisted trousers'' {3*}
COME IN BUDGIE!
Former teen pop idol turned actor ADAM FAITH also did much to disseminate high fashion peacock clothing to less well healed youths when he landed the lead role in a TV show 'BUDGIE' playing a small time crook/wide boy with a taste for 'QUALITY SCHMUTTER'. The program {which was broadcast during 1971/2} had great impact and kids were keen to emulate him on every level
The most notable item of clothing associated with the character was a short ZIP-UP CANVAS JACKET with large 'RABBIT EAR' lapels, two vertical zip-up pockets and contrasting striped horizontal panels on the front body. The jacket was designed by ANTHONY PRICE and produced by STIRLING COOPER. It was first worn midway into the first series {in May of 1971}
In later episodes Faith wore a similar jacket in suede with contrasting panels on the upper body and around the zipped pockets. These could be brought in the 'UNDERGROUND' retail outlet KENSINGTON MARKET and soon after variations became available in street markets and high street retailers up and down the country. Another notable clothes related event took place in an April 1972 episode when Budgie emerges from a branch of TAKE SIX wearing a BLUE SATIN SUIT JACKET {two buttons, large lapels} and dumps his previously cherished ZIP-UP PATENT BOOTS in a bin. Training shoes are now his footwear of choice, but these would be superseded by GREEN CLOGS and the viewers were taking note and throwing down their cash for similar items
SUPER FLY GUY'S
SHAFT starring RICHARD ROUNDTREE kicked off a new wave of BLAXPLOITATION movies in 1971. These had an enormous influence on the hair and clothing choices of BLACK BRITISH YOUTH:
''I was sixteen when SHAFT came out and that was one of the most exciting things in my life up until then. What happened was that Shaft and all the other films gave us a manifestation of blackness that didn't come from Jamaica. Suddenly we had a whole new look. Overnight, we went from tonic suits and razor cut hair to AFROS,FLARES and TANK TOPS''
Music Journalists LLOYD BRADLEY {4*}
The Official Trailer for SUPER FLY {1972} starring RON O'NEIL
In Jamaica those fabulous new styles from the US GHETTO were also having an influence and the 60's RUDE BOY gave way to the flamboyant 70's STICKSMAN. This was seen on UK Movie screens in 1973 via THE HARDER THEY COME starring JIMMY CLIFF. Many that saw it were further influenced and empowered from the involvement of RASTA LOCKSMEN
''I started to go to a club called The Co Op. There were a load of lads from Wembley and that's where I first noticed the fashion. It was things like the CAP SLEEVED T-SHIRTS, HIGH-WAISTED TROUSERS with SIX BUTTONS, PATCH POCKETS and BIG FLARES. I got into that and the DUCK-TOED and the STACK HEELED SHOES. It was more of a RUDE BOY thing, what the REGGAE GUYS were wearing''
DJ ASHLEY BEEDLE {5*}
GATSBY AND THE 30's REVIVAL
Hollywood actor ROBERT REDFORD stared in THE STING {1973} and THE GREAT GATSBY {1974}. Both movies advanced the cause of the revival of 30's modes of dress and the already popular round bodied peaked Baker Boy caps were renamed as the 'GATSBY CAP'
''My school trousers were made to measure. They had to cover my shoes. They were 32inches wide. They weren't flares, they were OXFORD BAGS, they were straight. It was 1930's really. It was GATSBY. We didn't realise it at the time, but the whole style we wore was 1930's''
menswear designer BARRIE K. SHARPE {6*}
THE GLAM AND THE GLITTER
The FOOT STOMPING sounds of The GLITTER ROCK bands that came through in 1971/2 were generally to the liking of 'THE YOUNG DUDES', but the full 'get up' that went with it was 'A TOUCH TOO MUCH' for most to emulate. Some became dedicated BOWIE BOYS, but for the most part it was the girls who adopted LUREX, LAME and the glam make-up schemes:
''Smooths wore their hair in long scalloped, shoulder length phalanges - Rod Stewart meets Mick Ronson - which echoed the long floppy rounded collars of their shirts. As a committed glam rock devotee, I thoroughly approved of this theatrical development. Though very clearly a diluted high-street version of the original Roxy Music/Bowie GLAM ROCK style, smooth seemed like a progressive, positive direction for the hard, hostile, poofter bashing world of footie. I saw a dim distant light at the end of the tunnel''
SIMON DOONAN {7*}
''Although some of us kept our hair at suedehead length or a little longer, many of the lads aped David Bowie's Aladdin Sane look, with long hair cut shaggy down the back and spikey on top''
Hull City Fan SHAUN TORDOFF {8*}
A clip from TUNDE'S FILM - an independently made drama shot in EAST LONDON in 1973 - The armature actors are wearing their own clothes
Silent Unedited Pathé Newsreel Footage of Football Fans from 1972
THE SMOOTH MALE WARDROBE:
Shirts: Pointed / Spear / Dagger Collar. Penny Round / Spoon / Beagle Collar. Sometimes with Two Hole Blouse Buttons and / or 'Poet' Sleeves - Purple, Pastel, Floral, Paisley, Polka Dot, Striped, Geometric Print, Sheer with a Floral Lace Pattern
Ties: Wide 'Kipper' Style - Floral Paisley, Geometric Print
Knitwear: Woolen Scoop / V Necked Tank Tops {Short Bodied Ribbed Waist Optional} in Wool / Acrylic . Horizontal Rainbow Stripes, 3 Stars, Fair Isle, Argyle Diamond Knit - Cable Knit Crew Necks - Fair Isle Yoke Crew Necks - Multi Paneled Crew Necks in Football Colours - Long Sleeved Zip-Up Cardigans with collar and logo on Breast Pocket in Football Colours - Polo Necks -
Three Button Casual Polo Shirts -
Scoop Neck,Tight Sleeved Sweatshirts
Suit Jackets: High Padded Concave Shoulders, Long Center / Side Vents, Two Button, Wide Lapel, Nipped in Waist - Gabardine, Prince Of Wales Check, Tweed, Herringbone, Pinstripe, Tonic, Velvet
Casual Jackets: Tight, Short Bodied, Zip Fastening, Rounded Collars - Wool lined 'Lumber' Style in Suede , Denim or Check - 'Budgie' Jackets in Suede or Cotton with Contrasting Rounded Tulip Collars and Pocket Panels - Leather Patch Pocket Safari Jackets - Levis Denim Jean Jackets - Bomber Jackets in Leather, Nylon Satin or lightweight Vinyl
Coats: Long Double-Breasted Ulster Overcoats. Wide Lapeled and Half Belted in Harris Tweed. Double-Breasted Leather 'Shaft' Trench coats in Brown and Black Leather, Suede or Blue Fur Lined Denim - Single and Double Breasted Sheepskin Coats - Snorkel Parkas
Trousers - High Waistband with 2 Button Fastening - Wide Legged Parallels - Bell Bottom Flares - Oxford Bags - Checked 'Ruperts', Corduroy, Needlecord - Denim Jeans
Shoes: Clumpy, Stack Heeled, Block Heeled {Wooden}, Flared Heeled, Platform Soled, Round Toed, Almond Toed, Spoon Toed, Block Toed - Italian 'Crossover' Leather Striped 'Solatios' - Boxtop Basket Weave Vamp 'Norwegians', Wedge Soled 'Toppers', 50's Style 'Creepers', Trainers { Adidas Stan Smith, Adidas Samba, Gola Harriers }
Hats: 'Gatsby' Baker Boy Peaked Caps in White Linen, Tweed or Tartan - Peaked 'Bobble' Caps in Tweed or Knitted wool
THE SMOOTH FEMALE WARDROBE:
Boys Shirts or Blouses in a Similar Style
Trousers in a similar style to the boys and Flared Trouser Suits in Stretch Jersey
Scoop Neck Woollen Tank Tops: Rainbow, Polka Dot, Geometric Pattern, Cherry / Hearts Motif, Horizontal Zig-Zag Striped, Lurex, Fair Isle, Jacquard, Crochet -
Skinny Ribbed Sweaters - Sweaters with Ribbed Cuffs and Waist
Chunky Cable Knits
High Waist Pleated Knee Length A-Line Skirts in Checked Wool, Suede and Corduroy {Front Fastening Popper Studs Optional}
Long Sleeve Dresses, Bib Pinafore Dresses - Stripes, Checks , Floral, Geometric or Polka Dot Print
Men's Style Suit Jackets in Bright Checked Tweed - Canvas Dannimacs
Short Fitted Jackets with Wide Rounded Lapels, Patch Pockets, Padded Shoulders and Tie Belts in Wool, Denim, Suede or Shearling with a Fur Collar
Furry Pile Jackets with Elasticated 'Clinched' Waist and Cuffs - Light Weight Nylon Bomber Jackets
Double Breasted, Wide Collar Trench Coats in Leather, Suede, Wool or Denim
Striped Knee High Socks
30's retro T-Bar Mary Jane Shoes - Chunky Round Toed Slip-Ons - Peep-Toe Ankle Strap Platforms - Cork Soled Clogs/Wedge Sandals - Scholl Wooden Soled Exercise Sandals
JACKIE MAGAZINE CIRCA 1972
BOOT BOYS from 1972 and SORTS from 1973
THE END OF AN ERA
By the middle of the decade the look was less clearly defined. DENIM and KHARKI GREEN ARMY SURPLUS clothes became common and the overall shape was looser and less tailored in appearance. An approximation of Smoothie clothes could be commonly found on the high street and had become standard dress for the everyman and woman. Some had retained elements of The SKINHEAD look and identified as BOOT BOYS. CROMBIE COATS and DOCTOR MARTIN BOOTS were worn with WIDE LEGGED JEANS {at 'half mast'} along with smooth shirts and knitwear. The main protagonists were of the 'footy fan' persuasion and the resulting image was more SUPER YOB than SUPER FLY
NEL PULP COVER FROM 1976
AND ON TO THE SOUL BOYS AND CASUALS
Away from the terraces, a more cutting edge street style emerged from the PRE-DISCO club scene. The look was primarily based on 1950's U.S CASUAL WEAR and was initially seen in clubs based in the South East of the UK. Short haired punters tore up the dance floors to a steady diet of underground SOUL and FUNK imports in a functional uniform of flat WINKLEPICKER SHOES, PLASTIC BASKET WEAVE SANDALS, PEGGED TROUSERS, HAWAIIAN SHIRTS, BASEBALL JERSEYS and DENIM DUNGAREES
LONDON SOUL BOYS - 1976
LIVERPOOL CASUALS - CIRCA 1978
* Quotes from:
{1} The Look - Adventures In Pop and Rock by Paul Gorman
{2} Saturday Night Fever Pitch by Simon Doonon
{3} The Look - Adventures In Pop and Rock by Paul Gorman/The Fashion Of Football by Paolo Hewitt and Mark Baxter
{4} The Soul Stylists by Paolo Hewitt
{5} The Soul Stylists by Paolo Hewitt
{6} The Allcity TaxiTalk Show Youtube Channel
{7} Saturday Night Fever Pitch by Simon Doonon
{8} City Psychos by Shaun Tordoff
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