Mod

Mary McNamara comes down hard on the resurgence of '60s mod outfits on runways, and my question is "Why?" ("Mod in America," by Mary McNamara, Style, July 30). How could anyone be against the coolest look of the century? Why must it die just because the '60s are over? What's wrong with girls and guys dressing in wildly colored, tight-fitting outfits that really make them look great? The best thing--fashion-wise--that could be done for the world, would be to bring back that stylish '60s look and get rid of the true bad joke of the '90s--the sloppy, baggy-pants-falling-down, oversized-clothes look--once and for all. Susan Ackerman San Pedro

Financially strapped homeowners who are close to foreclosure may want to face the music now rather than continuing to struggle with their monthly payments. There's a high probability of losing the house anyway, even with the government's help. According to a new report, people who take advantage of a key federal program to modify their mortgages in an effort to save their homes are defaulting "at an alarming rate. " The report from the special inspector general for the Treasury Department's Troubled Asset Relief Program doesn't say why an inordinately high percentage of owners who take part in the Home Affordable Modification Program, or HAMP, are unable to maintain their loan modifications.

EVENTS To go with its ongoing mod scooter exhibit, "Scooters: Size Doesn't Always Matter," the Petersen Automotive Museum celebrates the reissue of the Who's landmark 1973 album, "Quadrophenia," with a special listening party. View actual scooters from the golden age of mod while listening to the remastered rock opera, which was produced and overseen by Pete Townsend himself. Petersen Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. 6-9 p.m. Thurs. $10. (323) 930-2277. http://www.petersen.org.

There is vintage soul, and there's what the singer-songwriter James Hunter is up to. His voice evokes the '60s greats, but his sound traverses a vast swath of Van Morrison acoustic mysticism, mod-rock and tender ballads. He records in all-analog, and the rigor shows in his live performances. The El Rey, 5515 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. 8 p.m. Thu. $22. theelrey.com .

in an assortment of design-conscious motifs: geometric stripes, mod dots, flowering botanicals, even wildlife such as peacocks and roosters. Colorful and welcoming, these mats will add a whimsical note to even the most sedate of porches, and are durable enough to withstand the wear and tear of every season. -- Lisa Boone

The singer P!nk (born Alecia Moore) had a late-career renaissance with "The Truth About Love," a spiky collection of pop-rock bolstered by strong singles such as "Try" and "Blow Me (One Last Kiss). " Here she performs with mod-rockers the Hives. Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa Blvd., L.A. 8 p.m. Sat. $29.50-$99.50. staplescenter.com

There is vintage soul, and there's what the singer-songwriter James Hunter is up to. His voice evokes the '60s greats, but his sound traverses a vast swath of Van Morrison acoustic mysticism, mod-rock and tender ballads. He records in all-analog, and the rigor shows in his live performances. The El Rey, 5515 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. 8 p.m. Thu. $22. theelrey.com .

Invited to: Vespa Fashion Extravaganza celebrating the reintroduction of the Italian company's iconic scooter, on Cosmo Street in Hollywood. * Leader of the pack: "It's a really nice summer night, and they've turned this street into a party place," says "American Beauty's" Thora Birch, arriving over a blacktop ramp to the blatter of engines and the beeping of horns. Of course, she's hearing piped-in sound effects. The real scooters are all silent and stationary.

As a professional designer, devoted Angeleno and self-proclaimed fashionista, I was appalled and mystified by your fashion feature "Mod Goes Modern" (Women's Fall Fashion Issue, Aug. 14). The layout was a chaotic mix of indecipherable fashion and really bad hair. I found nothing mod or especially modern in the images of ratty-haired models crawling over one another in overdone velvet and silk dresses. (And the architectural environment of the John Lautner-designed Silvertop house in Silver Lake tended to compete with and not enhance the photos.

It is tempting to think of Laura Dean as a brand-new phenomenon, as a brash young child of the times--or, if you will, as a latter-day enfant terrible . Her choreography--an essentially orderly but ultimately hysterical fusion of spinning maneuver, stamping orgy and geometrical trance--looks mod, mod, mod. Rhythmic reduction remains the primary concern. Her minimalist music--Dean cranks out her own--seems comparably mod.

No one embodies the spirit of Mod quite like Peggy Moffitt, L.A.'s own 1960s-era muse. Moffitt, model and collaborator with modernist designer Rudi Gernreich, appears in a number of memorable images from the period, including this black-and-white gem from "Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?" the 1966 cult French film by director and photographer William Klein that is a satirical send-up of the fashion industry. Seated at the far left, Moffitt, plays herself. She appears in only two scenes in the film, including this one, depicting a group of young models dressed in stripes, against a backdrop of stripes, applying their Kabuki-like makeup.

The singer P!nk (born Alecia Moore) had a late-career renaissance with "The Truth About Love," a spiky collection of pop-rock bolstered by strong singles such as "Try" and "Blow Me (One Last Kiss). " Here she performs with mod-rockers the Hives. Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa Blvd., L.A. 8 p.m. Sat. $29.50-$99.50. staplescenter.com

There aren't many cars on the market today that can line up against this Cadillac in a drag race and run with it. Yes. You read that right. Hennessey Performance Engineering in Sealy, Texas, has turned out a heavily modified, turbocharged 2012 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe that's designed to dust nearly all the supercars that are out there. The car, dubbed 2013 VR1200 Twin Turbo Coupe, is the latest from Hennessey, the auto tuning company that modifies and creates high-powered cars.

Here is a roundup of alleged cons, frauds and schemes to watch out for. Tax refunds - As the tax-filing deadline approaches, the Internal Revenue Service said consumers should watch out for scam artists who offer to help them obtain tax refunds through the filing of bogus returns. In one common scheme, companies offer to help victims obtain a tax refund through the American Opportunity Tax Credit by claiming deductions for college tuition payments, even if the victim did not attend college during the tax period, the IRS said.

The ancient story of Samson and Delilah shows how important a man's hairstyle can be. The tale has inspired sculptors, composers and screenwriters, and Samson's long locks are part of a long list of classic men's hairstyles. What follows is a look at other memorable men's hairdos throughout history and in pop culture. -- 2200 BC | Egyptian men wore their hair very short or they shaved their heads. Wealthy men or members of the royal elite would cover their heads with elaborate headdresses, wigs or hair extensions.

Since she was a teenager, Long Beach resident Darma Elofson has considered herself a mod, part of a stylish subculture with roots in 1960s Britain that set itself apart from motorcycle-jacket-clad rockers. The mod revival that surged stateside and across the Pond in the late 1970s and early '80s introduced devotees like Elofson to its tenets of soul music, Italian scooters, and — above all — sharp dressing. "Typically, as a mod, your shirt would be buttoned up," she says. "It's a clean-cut kind of thing, nice and neat, '60s style.

Warm up your Vespa and put on your parka, because Rude Wednesdays, a mod, ska affair at Dizzie Debby, is turning Hollywood neo-retro. It's about time something new came on the dance-club scene--what Hollywood night life needed was a burst of new energy, and Rude Wednesdays is helping to provide it. Born out of the classic ska revival currently blossoming in East L.A., this club is attracting multiethnic crowds.

EVENTS To go with its ongoing mod scooter exhibit, "Scooters: Size Doesn't Always Matter," the Petersen Automotive Museum celebrates the reissue of the Who's landmark 1973 album, "Quadrophenia," with a special listening party. View actual scooters from the golden age of mod while listening to the remastered rock opera, which was produced and overseen by Pete Townsend himself. Petersen Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. 6-9 p.m. Thurs. $10. (323) 930-2277. http://www.petersen.org.

Bank of America Corp. told 2,500 mortgage origination staffers this week that they would be reassigned to loan modification duty, two weeks after the bank promised Congress to provide better service to distressed borrowers who sought help in avoiding foreclosure. The effort attempts to address a persistent complaint of borrowers caught in the 3-year-old foreclosure crisis: being bounced from bank employee to employee as they tried to work out a way to stay in their homes, often being told different things about their case in each conversation along the way. Bank of America, the giant Charlotte, N.C., lender, became the largest servicer of home loans in 2008, when it acquired Calabasas-based Countrywide Financial Corp.