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from Part V - The Beatles as Sociocultural and Political Touchstones
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 January 2020
The history of the Beatles’ fashion is summed up in the famous “Mocker” statement that Paul McCartney gave to the press in 1964. This response quickly found its way into the shooting script of A Hard Day’s Night. In the film, when Ringo Starr is asked whether he identifies as a Mod or a Rocker – subcultures whose styles were integral to clashing identities that erupted in bloody conflict in the spring of that year – the drummer answers, “I’m a Mocker.” That dry rejoinder, which sidesteps the politics of pledging allegiance, is the story of the Beatles’ changing fashion. Throughout their tenure as a group, the Beatles try on popular styles. Without seeming to take themselves too seriously, they mix elements that suit their needs, then discard them when they don’t. “It wasn’t like we were following a trend; we were in the trend,” remembers Paul McCartney, recollecting the early days. Just as they did with musical innovation, once the Beatles mastered a fashion, they were on to the next one.
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