Bowie Style

some of that locally in Bromley, but not very good. You’d have to
go right up to Shepherd’s Bush or the East End.”
Between 1963 and 1966, London became the
style capital of the world. Galvanised by the
resounding thud of the Beatles-inspired beat boom,
Britain’s first post-war generation cast off the
National Service mindset in favour of a riot of selfexpression.
Carnaby Street was awash with
boutiques, scooters roared down busy city streets
and the state of the nation debate centred on the
length of young men’s hair.
David Jones, already on intimate terms with his
bedroom mirror, was perfectly poised to join the
cultural revolution. He was obsessed by stardom,
taste and style which, in true Mod fashion, would
change with the weather. His attention to such
matters gave him his first taste of media controversy
when, in November 1964, he was invited onto a
television show to defend the right of young men to
grow their hair. His first concern, though, was carving
a niche for himself on the music scene.
Unfortunately, it was the era for groups, so David
was forced to throw in his lot with other musicians. It
was a frustrating period for him, with success
proving more elusive than he might have imagined.
“I didn’t like riding scooters,” admitted Bowie. Though that