Caring for what you buy
I want to use the first ever post on TORN to share why I even care about making this magazine in the first place. I cannot pinpoint when I became obsessed with what I wear, although I suppose an early influence could be attributed to Emma Chamberlain. I have my sister to thank for introducing me to Chamberlain’s videos. After watching her many ‘thrift hauls’, I quickly began to do the same myself- except the British equivalent, charity shop hauls. To this day I still cherish that euphoric feeling of finding a piece of clothing in a charity shop that I know will become a part of my presentation to the world for a long time. Of course, charity shops are limited in selection and cost time, so now that I have a slither more of money than I used to, I can indulge myself in occasional purchases of new clothes. I recently purchased a suave black woollen overcoat from Marks & Spencer’s for £200 - an item costly upfront but cheap as chips once worn for decades.
My entire wardrobe consists of a cacophony of stories and significant moments in my life so far, as clothing should be. As I sit in my actual box-sized room in London writing this, I can look at a novel of clothes hung up on the railing at the end of my bed. A green and yellow stripped woollen fleece obtained for 50 pence in a charity shop, that I have worn almost every day for the past year. A subtly oversized black leather jacket that I bought from a vintage store when I lived in Newcastle, which I spent hours cleaning as it was embalmed in cigarette smoke. A see-through purple lace shirt that has seen me through many a drunken nights in Heaven. A gorgeous vintage Versace jacket, black with the Versace logo embroidered all over - my first ever piece of designer clothing, which I stumbled across in a vintage store in Brooklyn. I want to rid this modern materialistic concept of clothes for the sake of clothing. I do not approach my previous sentence with judgement, I understand that not everyone cares about fashion. What I mean is that everyone should build a closet that they can look at and feel joy. That does not mean expensive. I do not care what brands people enjoy, how much their clothing cost, or whether I personally like a persons style. What matters is that they love it and care for it, for this is the only way to end this cycle of ‘trends’ and fast fashion. By caring for what you buy.
This is an image of me in Cardiff Bay wearing a Christmas jumper that I bought second hand for £5. I have owned and worn the jumper regularly for six years. It is such a simple woollen jumper that I adore and will wear for as long as is physically possible.
Since moving to London, I have been positively blinded by the fashion scene, and history, here. I must share that my favourite place in the whole city is the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A). If you have not been then I implore you to find time to go and visit. Located in Albertopolis, this museum is a haven of history and art. It houses collections of art, architecture and fashion from throughout British history, and is home to, I believe, the world’s best display of fashion. Below is an image taken on my Google Pixel of my favourite design on display in the VnA, a beach trouser suit designed by Arnson in 1936-37. The woollen suit is such a genius creation of relaxed formality, and the subtle cinching of the waist with buttons, combined with the wide-legged trousers with about 3 inches of the cuffs turned up, and the classic narrow stripe design, offers a pleasing balance of class and freedom.
Beach Trouser Suit desgined by Arnson 1936-37: Rhys James
If you do visit the V&A, then I also implore you to make a stop to the gift shop. Usually I find gift shops a tad futile. Why would I need another key chain or bookmark? This is not the case with the V&A. In the shop you can find beautiful silk scarfs, practical leather gloves, wonderous home decorations, and, my favourite bit, a curated selection of fashion designers (auto)biographies. A recommendation of mine would be ‘King of Fashion’ by Paul Poiret. The insanely influential Parisian designer pioneered women’s modern fashion - including being an advocate against corsets and instead designing high-waisted trousers which create the same hourglass shape.
Me sporting my favourite fleece in front of Marco’s Cafe in Barry
Here is a picture of me becoming a member of the Gavin and Stacey cast (just a quick note that I loved the Christmas finale) following a breath-takingly cold boxing day swim at Barry Island. I have included the image of myself above not because of its high-art concept or the fact that my toes are out, but because it is the only image of myself wearing the two pieces of clothing which I wear almost every day. The aforementioned GSL green and yellow striped fleece. and my tan Ralph Lauren trousers which I found in a vintage shop for £20. These two items are not my most extravagant pieces of clothing, or even pieces that I get that rush of excitement about wearing, but they are pieces which I can always rely on and that give me joy in their stability. I wore the trousers to my first day working at The Sun. I also wore them on my first ever solo-flight, which was to New York. The fleece has been a comfort for me through many stressful periods of my adult life. I wore it every day when walking to the library in Newcastle to write my final year dissertation. It also saw me through my move to London, and becoming an actual independent adult for the first time in my life. I am also wearing a hat made by hand with Alpaca wool- bought for me by my sister when she went travelling across South America.
The significance of the image is to encapsulate what I want TORN to represent - clothing with stories and purpose, not pretentiousness and wealth. I hope that this becomes a space to share thoughtful and meaningful clothes that are currently being made and worn around the great city that is London.
