from the late 1950s until the mid 1960s, ivy league clothing was considered desirable mainstream apparel for middle class adults in the us. in britain during the mid and late 60s, the mod subculture combined the latest italian fashions with the attire worn by the heroes in contemporary american films such as steve mcqueen, james dean or paul newman. particularly popular were the grey flannel, tonic, or houndstooth suits, polo shirts, chino pants, argyle socks, sweater vests, cardigan sweaters, basketweave loafers, madras plaid, and narrow brimmed irish walking hats and trilbys. the style remained fashionable in america until it was supplanted by more casual everyday clothing influenced by the hippie counterculture during the late 1960s and early 1970s.