Today in the Lockdown Clothing project we're catching up with Celina McGinnis, who answered the original questions back in April 2020. It turns out she had a lot that she didn't tell us the first time round! 1) Has your approach to clothing changed since you submitted your story to us? In doing your project,... Continue Reading →
As the first few weeks of lockdown unfolded, I found myself rediscovering the joys of Twitter - not just history Twitter and museums Twitter but also mainstream Twitter. What was once a stream of people screaming into the void or trying to look like they were living perfect lives, slowly became a more truthful timeline... Continue Reading →
Twice a year, I pack up all my unseasonal items of clothing and get the more appropriate ones out of hibernation. I wrote about it back in 2015 for this blog, and have also videoed myself opening the suitcase and getting excited about things I'd forgotten I owned. As I'm currently packing for a somewhat... Continue Reading →
I really enjoy sewing and love making things, but I have very few clothes in my wardrobe that I made myself. The reason for this is a) finding the motivation is hard, and b) even when I've done something before, I don't often recall exactly how to do it. This is why I really enjoy... Continue Reading →
I recently realised that it's been a while since I wrote about my adventures in sewing for Rarely Wears Lipstick, even though I've been doing a fair bit. I did a one-day feminist embroidery workshop in January 2017, a tie-making workshop at the Jewish Museum in April 2016, and a one-day introduction to embroidery at Hand... Continue Reading →
Whether or not you wear them, chances are you probably don't realise just how complicated bras are to design and how difficult they are to manufacture. Many people, confused by the low prices and speedy turnaround of fast fashion retailers, expect that all brands should offer all sizes and that anything over £20 is horribly... Continue Reading →
While at the V&A for a study weekend in conjunction with their current Undressed exhibition, one of the attendees asked if I'd seen the contestants on this year's Great British Sewing Bee trying their hand at making a bra. I hadn't seen any of the current series and so, when I got home, headed over... Continue Reading →
Knowing that I have an academic interest in fashion history and a love of mid-twentieth century clothing, a friend of mine recently asked if I had seen a recent 1950s themed episode of the Great British Sewing Bee. Now in its third season, the basic premise of the format is much the same as the... Continue Reading →
Anyone who knows me will be aware that I am a big kid at heart. I love cute silly things and have a bit of a soft spot for pigs (and pugs, but Manda reckons it's because they are the canine version of pigs). Anyone who has read this blog for a while will know... Continue Reading →
When I heard that the woman who brought craft to the Guardian's website had written a book on the subject, I was rather excited. I was a big fan of Perri Lewis' craft column and even blogged about it back in 2010 when I found a few useful tips and some comments from people who... Continue Reading →