Fashion

In the early days of Northern Soul nights, the threads weren't a million miles away from the Mod nights of the time- sharp, button tailored Ben Sherman suits abound. However, as the scene developed, nights became wilder and revellers didn't want to ruin the clothes they had spent a fortune on at the local club. After a while, Northern Soul fashion focused more on Jeans, wide-fitting trousers and t-shirts. The move towards more functional fashion did not mean people couldn't show individuality, badges and patches were used to show you were part of the group, many emblazoned with the now infamous 'Keep the Faith' slogan and black moved hand. 

How Northern Soul Sparked a Fashion Revolution

Wider than wide flares, nipped-in knit tanks and appliquéd patches people have come to associate with the era were more than just a statement of belonging. Northern Soul fans needed clothes that wouldn't overheat in the clubs. As the clubs got bigger, the clothes got baggier; light and loose fitting, high-waisted, ultra-baggy Oxford Trousers with tight, sporty vests became the go-to uniform for boys.
Early 70's, you would find women wearing A-line skirts, fitted shirts with a round collar and platforms. However, when girls stared adapting to and experiencing the music, they found more fitting clothes. 

Girls on the scene held the advantage for breathability in the overly-crowded clubs; full circle skirts that fell to the ankle would swirl as they twirled, exaggerating the skilled movements. 

Hair was often kept cropped, echoing across from that different style strand that emerged out of Mod, Skinheads. Girls and boys wouldn't automatically know what to wear when they first entered the club- no mainstream media outlets were prepared to endorse what was seen by elders as first and foremost a drug-fuelled scene. 

Fashion designer Yvonne Duckett (who also worked closely with Elaine Constantine, director of 'Northern Soul') describes her first experience of Wigan Casino, aged 14 in Northern Soul: An Illustrated History "We'd obviously come wearing the wrong clothes. It was so hot in there and I was wearing a green polo-neck jumper. Under the fluorescent strip lights you could see my white bra all night and I was definitely self-conscious about it." The entire fashion movement were peoples way of expressing freedom and equality.