Worn Out

I like the word journal.  It reminds me of hours and hours poring over JSTOR (and spending a shitload of credit on printing out 40 pg articles) and when I found a good article I could get my teeth into, I'd leave bum imprints in a library seat because I've sat there so long.  Seeing as fashion didn't feature in my academic studies at all (discounting the art of cotton spinning in the 18th century), I never got to dig my teeth into lengthly polemics about fashion and I gather 40 page articles on subjects like the history of the glove do exist. 

Angie Montreal of Norwegian Wood (I realise I need to stop calling her Angie Montreal at some point but that's how badly commentors' names get drummed into my head...) sent me a wee package, one half of which I will be exploring later on and the other half I gobbled up yesterday.  That is to say I read it voraciously.  Worn is a biannual fashion journal that is based in Toronto and with Worn's opening paragraph to its ethos, I think it sums it up quite nicely...

"The word “fashion” shares the same roots as “fasten” and “facilitate,” and it once meant something along the lines of “creation by means of bundling and tying.” In the last 50 years or so fashion has come to be synonymous with “trendy.” Styles go in and out of fashion. Worn is determined to root through the archives, debates, and gossip to discover the lasting value of clothing and style in its past, present, and future."

So what we have is an actual journal of articles that whilst aren't 40 pages long are nice and chunky.  No 800-1000 word limits here.  In issue 5 which Angie sent me, I was enamoured with the personal tales, well researched articles and opinion pieces on a variety of subjects that with some historic or technical string are related to fashion, but are definitely unexpected and in some cases unexplored.

A proper guide to Elsa Schiaparelli...

A lengthly article about the history of the print Toile de Jouy or simply known as Toile // Five female artists one of which is an illustrator I particularly loved - Amber Albrecht

Fashion dolls but not as you know them...

Delving into the life of Countess Virginia Oldoini de Castiglione, possibly the world's first fashion photographer/personal style blogger who took five hundred self portraits. // Fashion Exhibitions and the way they're set up, displayed and communicated to the media. 

I didn't wholeheartedly love all the articles, not because of the way they're written but because of the points they make - like Emily Raine's argument that by wearing vintage she can be a fashion loving feminist.  Oh, the can of worms that brings up... practically prompts me to write a reply-back article...

The current issue holds treats like the history of the mannequin, how the gem sweater launched the female Elvis and getting dressed in the global village.  Subscribing seems to be the only way for me to get stuck in to these 3000 word articles every six months and that's what I'm off to do now..