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How to Avert Environmental Disaster One Bra at a Time and Build a New Consumer Identity in the Process (4/4)

Ms Pomelo

A vivacious character living her life to the fullest http://mspomelo.com

Ms Pomelo

A vivacious character living her life to the fullest http://mspomelo.com

05/09/19

This is Part 4 of our Environmental Series. Read Part 3 here.

The Game Plan (cont’d)

Step 4. Use cultural heritage to craft your identity.

Japanese Sashiko stitching provides a very interesting example of treating clothing as a living energy. In Japan during the Edo era the lower classes were forbidden to adorn their clothing. They primarily wore indigo-dyed cotton and linen, which due to bactericidal properties had a ward status. There was little opportunity to replace old clothes with new, and so the Sashiko stitching, a beautiful darn for mending the damaged pieces, was born. Despite the Spartan conditions of the period, the Sashiko stitching provided not just a unique adornment but also enabled clothing to serve multiple generations. Families developed a culture of respect towards clothing and a philosophy that multi-generation family energy empowered one’s life; clothes became family talismans. Soon the concept spread to the more powerful classes and a culture emerged around not throwing anything away, treating clothing with respect whilst they served their owner, and saying goodbye with dignity when it was time.

This concept is very much alive in Western culture. We all have things we love, whether it’s a toy we carried around as a kid, or a bra that is beat up and greyish, but we insist on wearing as our lucky bra.

The idea of how old can convert into a very useful new, without feeling like creativity brought on by clothing rationing, is having a renaissance and is championed by various figures. In her recent post blogger Sonalini Chaudhry (aka @theroundgirl) shared how after going 2 sizes up she converted her old dhoti pants “with a few deft turns of needle and thread”, and how she learnt to mix older items in her closet with newer ones to achieve fresh results. Another example is the adventurer and TV presenter Alexandra Tolstoy who shared how she patched up squab cushion to revitalise her family sofa (photos below).

It is silly to talk about passing a bra from generation to generation – bras are individual things. But imagine finding somewhere in the family bins your grandmother’s bra and bloomers with amazing embroidery and delicate seams? You might not even be sure what the bra is made of – it looks translucent and could be fine cotton or even organza. You realise your grandmother was not some ancient creature with a cane. She was spectacular. And suddenly you feel the warm support of previous generations and feel ignited to live a life that’s meaningful and extraordinary.

These values are universal. It is our heritage and collected energy that give us perspective as humans. Find that point in your history and in your wardrobe and set the course that rings true.

On the photos

The Sashiko Stitch. Illustration by Ms Pomelo.

Zack MacLeod Pinsent makes his own clothes and dresses in Regency style. Photograph: Antonio Olmos/The Guardian. Nora Thoeng’s style is inspired by 40’s and 50’s: ‘Dressing up brings so much joy into my life.’ Photograph: Nora Finds. From the man who wears 17th-century clothes to the woman whose outfits are straight out of the 1950s, six people explain their deep devotion to period dress. The Guardian.

How to Avert Environmental Disaster One Bra at a Time and Build a New Consumer Identity in the Process (4/4)

The Game Plan (cont’d)

Step 4. Use cultural heritage to craft your identity.

On the photos

Further reading