Take the time to look closely enough and a garment can be read almost as clearly as words on a page. In this way, archives of garments can provide a unique window into the past, revealing valuable clues to how previous generations shopped, dressed and laundered their clothes. Intact department store tags allow us to... Continue Reading →
Pretty much everyone who knows me is now aware that, a few years ago, I did an MA part-time alongside my job and my Master's dissertation was on technology and the bra in the twentieth century. Since then, I have been looking for ways to share this research as I love talking about the things... Continue Reading →
I'm very pleased to announce that the exhibition I have curated for The Underpinnings Museum is now live on the site! Lift & Separate: Technology & the Bra features over 30 beautiful and fascinating historic objects, exploring some of the many innovations in pattern cutting, padding, wiring, fabric and fibre technology that were behind the... Continue Reading →
Some days (or weeks, months, years) everything can seem like A Lot, and so often a coping strategy is needed. Ignoring the news, trying to forget about your bank balance, and curling up under a blanket are all valid forms of self-care in 2022, but I can also recommend taking time to think about the... Continue Reading →
As everything's a bit dark and gloomy and we're approaching the shortest day of the year, in addition to getting some fairy lights to brighten up my home I figured it was time to unveil my Super Humans to cheer up the blog too. Every year since 2011, I have shared a list of the... Continue Reading →
Back in July 2008, I joined a relatively new ‘microblogging’ website and set about finding all of my online friends who I’d met through various hobbies like blogging or Lomography. Having moved to London a couple of years before, I’d pretty much run out of time and ideas for writing full blog posts due to... Continue Reading →
Have you ever looked back at Past You and cringed? Maybe you found an old photograph and wondered what possessed you to buy, let alone wear, that hideous outfit. Perhaps Facebook showed you a post you wrote nearly a decade ago and you couldn't quite believe you were that naive back then. You might have... Continue Reading →
As long-time readers of my ramblings will know, I have strong opinions about brunch. It is a meal that brings me great joy and, when done well, can be one of life's purest pleasures. I spent three years reviewing some of London's many and varied brunch spots with my lovely Brunch Club gang and, back... Continue Reading →
There are many things that can be learnt about fashion history by studying surviving garments, but there is one question that I always get asked when I show my own personal research collection which is really tricky to answer simply by looking, or by touching the fabric with your fingers. How does it feel to... Continue Reading →
I'm a big fan of slow fashion. Buying garments because I truly love them, waiting for exactly the right thing rather than impulse purchasing and, wherever possible, investing in well-made lovingly-designed pieces that will remain in my wardrobe for years. Sometimes you need to spend a little bit more to get something that's just right... Continue Reading →
I'm not someone who usually does much exercise but, having recently moved to a building which has a gym, I thought I'd make a bit more effort to get myself moving. As I only have one top that's suitable for a workout, I headed to TK Maxx as I didn't want to spend too much... Continue Reading →
It might surprise you to learn that 80% of people are wearing the wrong clothes size*. When was the last time you measured yourself and checked if all your clothing is actually right for your body? The shocking fact is that many of is never do, we just choose the size we think we are... Continue Reading →
In the 13 years I have been writing on this particular iteration of my blog, I've considered closing it down many times and for many different reasons. Mostly it's been because I've run out of ideas of things to write about, but occasionally I will find myself thinking that a particular social media platform has... Continue Reading →