So good to hear your voice again 💕 This post harkened back to a seed you planted a while ago about giving yourself a small gift (Twin Peaks) which has been circling in my overthinking brain. So many gifts in this post!
I noted with interest that your shopping has waned as you experience other things. I shouldn’t be surprised as this is what I notice about my son’s screen time—-the best way to reduce is to supplant with engaging real world activity. The brain needs stimulation——maybe it’s time for me to unsubscribe to some fashion substacks. While I appreciate them so much more than Instagram posts (they really channel that editorial vibe pre social killing magazines) which I enjoy, they are likely injecting consumption into my brain.
I do love the sentiment of giving oneself small gifts. For the life of me I don't know why it's so easy to forget to make a mental note of them when you're in the moment!
"injecting consumption into my brain" -- yes! Getting off Instagram and shopping apps has helped tremendously. I still like to buy and have things, mostly old things, but there's no urgency or chase, just appreciation. I'll definitely need to write about this in more detail.
I wrote my doctorate on Wiener Werkstätte fashion! What a surprise to see it mentioned in this context. They were very ahead of their time in some respects, in others riding along with French fashion (Paul Poiret, specifically; they borrowed his style, he used their textiles). They did incredible (unrealized) designs for sportswear, including amazing skiing outfits (women in pants!) in 1914.
Oh wow, that's amazing! I didn't know that Poiret used Wiener Werkstätte textiles, that's so intriguing. I have a book about Poiret that I haven't looked at for a long time, and now I definitely must!
First of all, how did you get such a good black dye job? It’s amazing. Only once I was successful dyeing something black, but I have tried so many times and I still can’t really figure it out. What dye did you use?
I am emerging out of my black and white era slowly, so we’re going in opposite directions right now 😁 Just bought some fuchsia and some green linen to sew maybe dresses or maybe two piece sets that I can use interchangeably. Color may be a feeling that I’m really feeling right now 😊 But also when I wore just black, I got so many comments that people who wear black seem depressed. So far from the truth! I get so much joy from my black clothes!
I used a black dye I bought at the supermarket, the brand was called Nitor All In One, which comes with the color fastener. The whole packet of dye was barely enough for the two pieces of clothing and I think the sweater could have actually benefited from more dye. Overall the results were pretty good and the dye attached evenly. Unfortunately the dye stained the heck out of our washer, even though it wasn't supposed to. It took my husband an hour to scrub the parts that weren't metal clean! Next time I'm going to try a plastic bucket and a different type of dye (something less toxic, because the warning labels in Nitor freaked me out a little bit), but I have a feeling that it's going to be a lot more complicated...
I'm not entirely sure why I'm so interested in wearing black clothes right now. It feels calming, I guess? I still cherish my bright colors and prints, but I don't feel drawn to them, in terms of wanting to wear them. I know for a fact that the pendulum will swing back at some point though, as it always does. I love the thought of you in fuchsia and green linen!
Nitor doesn’t seem to be available in the US. Also, since you mentioned it, the toxicity of color dyes is a big issue that I am trying very hard not to think about. I can’t take any more anxiety fodder.
Love this! Where is the exhibition? I’m in Helsinki in end of July, start of aug for a conference and are planning some quality me -time when I’m not with 1000 of colleagues 🙃
This exhibition was at Villa Gyllenberg, but unfortunately it's already closed. There's an exhibition at the Design Museum in Helsinki called 'FIX: Care and Repair' that sounds really intriguing. I haven't seen it yet myself, but I'm hoping to, when I get a chance. I've also heard great things about Tommi Toija's 'Archeology of Emotions' exhibition at Taidehalli. There's so much to see in Helsinki! (Including me! Let me know if you want to meet up!)
YES to your observations about the antique workers' shirt! Several years ago I bought an antique Ukrainian vyshyvanka dress -- also linen, dating back to probably about 1900. Not only is it the sturdiest quality linen, but I also realized it is almost completely size-agnostic. Gained some weight? Belt it looser, who cares. Lost some weight? No problem, just pleat it a bit more as you put it on and belt it tighter.
Reflecting further, I noticed this kind of adaptability is common across many cultures' "traditional" clothes -- especially the ones that were typically made by everyday people for themselves. Sure, a tailored fit can be really nice, but who wants to have to make a whole new outfit every time your body changes a bit? Are clothing sizes just a capitalist scam?
OMG yes, the sizes of antique clothes are so intriguingly fluid! The shirts I have are incredibly roomy, but super easy to play with if I want them to fit differently. My early 1900s antique skirt has been resized so many times over its 120-year lifespan. There are additional pleats that have been added when the wearer was smaller, and even a fabric extension that has been sewn onto the waistband when the wearer went up a size or two. Your vyshyvanka dress sounds amazing, btw!
Also, that's a really interesting observation about folk costumes/traditional clothes. I find that even in homemade or seamstress-made 1960s vintage garments the seam allowances were so much bigger. You could easily let out the seam and gain two or three clothing sizes. It's most definitely not the same with mass-produced clothes of the same era.
I love "Worn" even if I think I felt quite depressed after reading it...could not look at clothes the same way again but I think it was for the better! The exhibition looks wonderful and the one you mentioned in the comments at the maritime museum sounds amazing...so many things in this list reminding me to slow down and appreciate the good moments in life.
I too have not really felt like buying things...even when I go on social media and am confronted with a barrage of other people's nice things, it's feeling all very distant, while the truly lovely things (like the mood of an Aldo Fallai photograph) cannot be bought. There are always one or two things I'm thinking about buying, but without that sense of urgency, so it all feels very nice and chill. I don't know why yet, and I look forward to your thoughts on this when you're good and ready!
"Worn" left me somewhat depressed, too. I have to say that I was a little disappointed in the conclusion. We need legislation, we need to ban fast fashion, we need unions, and I felt that it needed to be said louder. Still, it was a great read and I don't think I'll look at clothes the same way ever again either.
I'm trying to get my thoughts together about shopping for next week's Sunday. Currently my draft is a complete mess, but hopefully I'll get there!
I enjoyed this so much! Of course, I love the Dries pants. There's something about his prints that almost never feel dated. I missed having you on IG during Dries last show, to share your thoughts. What did you think of it? I thought it was beautiful, if a little understated for him. But probably a smart and classy move from him.
Thanks Christina! I thought the last Dries show had a stellar cast, a beautiful runway, great music, and pretty good clothes. It was a little underwhelming, perhaps? I was happy to see some embroidery, but the prints weren't his best. Still, some great looks in there, and as a whole I thought that the show was better than his last women's show, which I found disappointing.
Tiia, I love this post. Full of delights and positive moments (I have a hard time thinking positively, so this is wonderful). I especially love the antique work shirt and the image of the sunset at 11pm(!!!!) and the clouds...wow, that photograph and scene are beautiful! Finland, or at least where you live, looks like a fairy tale and wonderfully bucolic. Hope you're getting some sleep. ;-)
Thanks Lisa! I have a tough time focusing on positive things, too. It's a real challenge in the world that we live in, but I try! (It helps that I've actually slept a little better recently.)
I'm obviously biased but it is very pretty in Finland in the summer. The late sunsets are quite amazing. It's such a short time of the year that we get to enjoy them, which makes them extra precious. Ask me in 5 months' time how much I love living in Finland though -- the flip side is what feels like eternal darkness in the dead of winter. :-D
Such a radical place to live! I need to visit that part of the world at some point. Here's to us doing our best to stay positive in a challenging inner and outer world! :-)
Oh, this article was a delight! I love hearing about other people's wardrobes like this - the ways they change and take on their owner's personality, decoupled from consumption. Your antique shirts sound wonderful, and I'm really happy for your new black garments getting a second lease of life. 🖤
That exhibition also sounds fantastic and I'm sad I'm not local enough to come and see it. It sounds a bit similar to the recent Sargent & Fashion show I went to at the Tate - I really like that more museums are recognising fashion history as something people want to see, and finding creative ways to share that history with us.
Thanks Holly! I sometimes find that it's really complicated to talk about clothes without the aspect of consumption. Sometimes it feels almost impossible, and I kind of hate that!
I read about the Sargent & Fashion exhibit at the Tate, it sounded amazing! Clothing is so intricately linked to who we are, how we see the world, how we live... I'm always glad to see clothes being shown alongside other dimensions of art and life. I'm actually planning a trip to a maritime museum where the theme of the current exhibition is 'fashion and the sea', and they feature clothes from Gaultier, Chanel, Margiela, Iris van Herpen, and others. I can't wait!
Maison Martine (the design arm of Poiret) was heavily influenced by the WW: frankly, the Martine textiles were flat out derivative of the WW. (The more things change… the more things stay the same). And what I always thought was interesting, Poiret used WW textiles from circa 1908 in designs from the 1920s. I never had the chance to really follow that up, but there’s an interesting story about longevity (or postwar economic need to use dead stock fabric) there.
I wrote a super short essay for the Met’s Poiret catalog many years ago about this intersection. I’d be happy to send a PDF if you’re interested.
And thanks for reactivating this dormant part of my brain. You write a very smart newsletter.
So good to hear your voice again 💕 This post harkened back to a seed you planted a while ago about giving yourself a small gift (Twin Peaks) which has been circling in my overthinking brain. So many gifts in this post!
I noted with interest that your shopping has waned as you experience other things. I shouldn’t be surprised as this is what I notice about my son’s screen time—-the best way to reduce is to supplant with engaging real world activity. The brain needs stimulation——maybe it’s time for me to unsubscribe to some fashion substacks. While I appreciate them so much more than Instagram posts (they really channel that editorial vibe pre social killing magazines) which I enjoy, they are likely injecting consumption into my brain.
I do love the sentiment of giving oneself small gifts. For the life of me I don't know why it's so easy to forget to make a mental note of them when you're in the moment!
"injecting consumption into my brain" -- yes! Getting off Instagram and shopping apps has helped tremendously. I still like to buy and have things, mostly old things, but there's no urgency or chase, just appreciation. I'll definitely need to write about this in more detail.
I wrote my doctorate on Wiener Werkstätte fashion! What a surprise to see it mentioned in this context. They were very ahead of their time in some respects, in others riding along with French fashion (Paul Poiret, specifically; they borrowed his style, he used their textiles). They did incredible (unrealized) designs for sportswear, including amazing skiing outfits (women in pants!) in 1914.
Oh wow, that's amazing! I didn't know that Poiret used Wiener Werkstätte textiles, that's so intriguing. I have a book about Poiret that I haven't looked at for a long time, and now I definitely must!
I love this bouquet of joys. And also love you when you rant. And wearing a heavy shirt sounds so much better than working out 🤔
Thanks Rachel! Sadly I don't think that wearing antique shirts allows me to skip my exercise routines, but I can hope!
😂
Color is a sentiment. These are the words I have been looking for given the impact of navy blue on me. Thank you for writing them.
Yohji's wisdom is like nothing else, and I keep finding amazing quotes from him. The man is on another level from us mere mortals.
First of all, how did you get such a good black dye job? It’s amazing. Only once I was successful dyeing something black, but I have tried so many times and I still can’t really figure it out. What dye did you use?
I am emerging out of my black and white era slowly, so we’re going in opposite directions right now 😁 Just bought some fuchsia and some green linen to sew maybe dresses or maybe two piece sets that I can use interchangeably. Color may be a feeling that I’m really feeling right now 😊 But also when I wore just black, I got so many comments that people who wear black seem depressed. So far from the truth! I get so much joy from my black clothes!
I used a black dye I bought at the supermarket, the brand was called Nitor All In One, which comes with the color fastener. The whole packet of dye was barely enough for the two pieces of clothing and I think the sweater could have actually benefited from more dye. Overall the results were pretty good and the dye attached evenly. Unfortunately the dye stained the heck out of our washer, even though it wasn't supposed to. It took my husband an hour to scrub the parts that weren't metal clean! Next time I'm going to try a plastic bucket and a different type of dye (something less toxic, because the warning labels in Nitor freaked me out a little bit), but I have a feeling that it's going to be a lot more complicated...
I'm not entirely sure why I'm so interested in wearing black clothes right now. It feels calming, I guess? I still cherish my bright colors and prints, but I don't feel drawn to them, in terms of wanting to wear them. I know for a fact that the pendulum will swing back at some point though, as it always does. I love the thought of you in fuchsia and green linen!
Nitor doesn’t seem to be available in the US. Also, since you mentioned it, the toxicity of color dyes is a big issue that I am trying very hard not to think about. I can’t take any more anxiety fodder.
So true about Finnish strawberry. I had them in my garden while living in St.Petersburg♥️
They are truly the best!
There's nothing better than the elusive amazing strawberry! I hope someday to try a Finnish one!
Love this! Where is the exhibition? I’m in Helsinki in end of July, start of aug for a conference and are planning some quality me -time when I’m not with 1000 of colleagues 🙃
This exhibition was at Villa Gyllenberg, but unfortunately it's already closed. There's an exhibition at the Design Museum in Helsinki called 'FIX: Care and Repair' that sounds really intriguing. I haven't seen it yet myself, but I'm hoping to, when I get a chance. I've also heard great things about Tommi Toija's 'Archeology of Emotions' exhibition at Taidehalli. There's so much to see in Helsinki! (Including me! Let me know if you want to meet up!)
https://www.designmuseum.fi/en/exhibitions/fix-care-and-repair/
https://taidehalli.fi/en/events/tommi-toija-archeology-of-emotions/
YES to your observations about the antique workers' shirt! Several years ago I bought an antique Ukrainian vyshyvanka dress -- also linen, dating back to probably about 1900. Not only is it the sturdiest quality linen, but I also realized it is almost completely size-agnostic. Gained some weight? Belt it looser, who cares. Lost some weight? No problem, just pleat it a bit more as you put it on and belt it tighter.
Reflecting further, I noticed this kind of adaptability is common across many cultures' "traditional" clothes -- especially the ones that were typically made by everyday people for themselves. Sure, a tailored fit can be really nice, but who wants to have to make a whole new outfit every time your body changes a bit? Are clothing sizes just a capitalist scam?
OMG yes, the sizes of antique clothes are so intriguingly fluid! The shirts I have are incredibly roomy, but super easy to play with if I want them to fit differently. My early 1900s antique skirt has been resized so many times over its 120-year lifespan. There are additional pleats that have been added when the wearer was smaller, and even a fabric extension that has been sewn onto the waistband when the wearer went up a size or two. Your vyshyvanka dress sounds amazing, btw!
Also, that's a really interesting observation about folk costumes/traditional clothes. I find that even in homemade or seamstress-made 1960s vintage garments the seam allowances were so much bigger. You could easily let out the seam and gain two or three clothing sizes. It's most definitely not the same with mass-produced clothes of the same era.
I love "Worn" even if I think I felt quite depressed after reading it...could not look at clothes the same way again but I think it was for the better! The exhibition looks wonderful and the one you mentioned in the comments at the maritime museum sounds amazing...so many things in this list reminding me to slow down and appreciate the good moments in life.
I too have not really felt like buying things...even when I go on social media and am confronted with a barrage of other people's nice things, it's feeling all very distant, while the truly lovely things (like the mood of an Aldo Fallai photograph) cannot be bought. There are always one or two things I'm thinking about buying, but without that sense of urgency, so it all feels very nice and chill. I don't know why yet, and I look forward to your thoughts on this when you're good and ready!
"Worn" left me somewhat depressed, too. I have to say that I was a little disappointed in the conclusion. We need legislation, we need to ban fast fashion, we need unions, and I felt that it needed to be said louder. Still, it was a great read and I don't think I'll look at clothes the same way ever again either.
I'm trying to get my thoughts together about shopping for next week's Sunday. Currently my draft is a complete mess, but hopefully I'll get there!
I enjoyed this so much! Of course, I love the Dries pants. There's something about his prints that almost never feel dated. I missed having you on IG during Dries last show, to share your thoughts. What did you think of it? I thought it was beautiful, if a little understated for him. But probably a smart and classy move from him.
Thanks Christina! I thought the last Dries show had a stellar cast, a beautiful runway, great music, and pretty good clothes. It was a little underwhelming, perhaps? I was happy to see some embroidery, but the prints weren't his best. Still, some great looks in there, and as a whole I thought that the show was better than his last women's show, which I found disappointing.
Tiia, I love this post. Full of delights and positive moments (I have a hard time thinking positively, so this is wonderful). I especially love the antique work shirt and the image of the sunset at 11pm(!!!!) and the clouds...wow, that photograph and scene are beautiful! Finland, or at least where you live, looks like a fairy tale and wonderfully bucolic. Hope you're getting some sleep. ;-)
Thanks Lisa! I have a tough time focusing on positive things, too. It's a real challenge in the world that we live in, but I try! (It helps that I've actually slept a little better recently.)
I'm obviously biased but it is very pretty in Finland in the summer. The late sunsets are quite amazing. It's such a short time of the year that we get to enjoy them, which makes them extra precious. Ask me in 5 months' time how much I love living in Finland though -- the flip side is what feels like eternal darkness in the dead of winter. :-D
Such a radical place to live! I need to visit that part of the world at some point. Here's to us doing our best to stay positive in a challenging inner and outer world! :-)
Oh, this article was a delight! I love hearing about other people's wardrobes like this - the ways they change and take on their owner's personality, decoupled from consumption. Your antique shirts sound wonderful, and I'm really happy for your new black garments getting a second lease of life. 🖤
That exhibition also sounds fantastic and I'm sad I'm not local enough to come and see it. It sounds a bit similar to the recent Sargent & Fashion show I went to at the Tate - I really like that more museums are recognising fashion history as something people want to see, and finding creative ways to share that history with us.
Thanks Holly! I sometimes find that it's really complicated to talk about clothes without the aspect of consumption. Sometimes it feels almost impossible, and I kind of hate that!
I read about the Sargent & Fashion exhibit at the Tate, it sounded amazing! Clothing is so intricately linked to who we are, how we see the world, how we live... I'm always glad to see clothes being shown alongside other dimensions of art and life. I'm actually planning a trip to a maritime museum where the theme of the current exhibition is 'fashion and the sea', and they feature clothes from Gaultier, Chanel, Margiela, Iris van Herpen, and others. I can't wait!
Maison Martine (the design arm of Poiret) was heavily influenced by the WW: frankly, the Martine textiles were flat out derivative of the WW. (The more things change… the more things stay the same). And what I always thought was interesting, Poiret used WW textiles from circa 1908 in designs from the 1920s. I never had the chance to really follow that up, but there’s an interesting story about longevity (or postwar economic need to use dead stock fabric) there.
I wrote a super short essay for the Met’s Poiret catalog many years ago about this intersection. I’d be happy to send a PDF if you’re interested.
And thanks for reactivating this dormant part of my brain. You write a very smart newsletter.