Mod Style Icon- Sir Bradley Wiggins

Standing Out

Rarely does a sports star convey the personality or individualism that cyclist Sir Bradley Wiggins does. The 2012 Olympic gold medallist and first Brit to win Le Tour de France is almost as famous for his long sideburns and rock-like style as his phenomenal sporting achievements.

It is sometimes hard to distinguish cyclists from one another in a crowded race with helmets and bright coloured jerseys filling the peloton, but Wiggins manages to stand out with his instantly marketable look. He has further distinguished himself in popular culture for his self-proclaimed status as “a mod” and professed love of scooters, guitars, and mod-associated bands such as The Who, Oasis and The Jam. Besides this, he has become one of the most high profile mods in the current public eye despite not being a musician like the more traditional representatives.

The Mod

Mods rose to prominence in the 1960s as a youth subculture that had a shared interest in modern jazz and a clean-cut fashion sense which has gone on to inspire future generations. They are notorious for their love of Vespa scooters and their distinctive haircuts. During the 60’s they had a well-publicised rivalry with “rockers” who were perceived to be less fashion-conscious and more masculine.

Modern Status

Such is his prominence as this figure, quintessentially British and mod brand Fred Perry have used him as a face of their recent advertising campaigns, stating that he has been a lifelong fan of the brand and that he designed the range himself.

(Fred Perry)

Bradley is able to pull off the mod look because of his tall slim build from cycling- no mods want to be associated with pot-bellied older men. But part of being a mod is carrying a certain attitude too, which Wiggins displays in his no-nonsense and self-assured dealings with the press. He has shown no mercy in swearing at journalists when he disagrees with the line of questioning or if he is asked about cyclists and drug use- a refreshing approach for many fans of the sport.

He manages to bring together all of these traits and create a style that is completely different to the famous sports stars we are used to in this country, and different is cool, making Bradley a modern-day icon of men’s style.

Re-create the look

To put a style like this together you can head to Mainline Menswear and find Fred Perry, Adidas Originals and Pretty Green– clothing brand of mod Liam Gallagher- and create looks like these below.

The going-out mod look

The everyday mod look

The dressed-down mod look

The best thing about these Wiggins inspired looks is that they are 100% Great British and help celebrate everything positive about British design and style. It’s said the original mods were based on a fashionable group of young London-based men, will Wiggins now be at the forefront of a mod revival?