Stories of love for old clothes

File pic

Following the Partition in 1947, my grandparents had to start a new life in India. We had no physical assets to stake claim to, and so this heirloom Bagh shawl is the sole tangible link to my familial history. It has been with us for [at least] 100 years," says Urvashi Kaur. For the designer, the shawl is an intimate story of belonging, which she tells with disarming vulnerability. It does not have a buy date. It exists outside fashion, it is simply a beautiful evidence of her ancestry.

Clothes often become personal archaeology; reminders of past feelings, identity, refuge, meaning, and on occasion, take on the function of family and friends, keeper of secrets and lovers.

That denim jacket you threw over a slinky dress on a college date is now a scented, or scarred (depending on how it went) souvenir of a magical fable of adolescence, mawkish desire… a fleeting fairytale perhaps. That big soft hug of a woollen coat that caressed your body when you stepped out of JFK airport's doors, for the first time, on a frosty February morning, is something that stays with you.

For me, that garment has been the raglan long sleeve Les Misérables T-shirt that I have owned and worn since 2010 (my nightshirt of 11 years). A keepsake I picked up as a memory of my first West End musical - ever. Every time I wear it, I am somehow able to reconstruct the moment in some of its sensory detail and relive it. I am back there, amid the sights and sounds of Shaftesbury Avenue in London.

#LovedClothesLast is a campaign that Fashion Revolution, a global fashion activism movement, initiated with a mission to celebrate care, re-wear, love and repair to challenge mass-consumption. Every second, there is about one garbage truckload full of clothes that ends up in landfills around the world because people approach clothing with the habitual irony of consume-and-chuck. Suki Dusanj-Lenz, country head, Fashion Revolution India, says, "The days of bragging about one-time wear are over. Thrift buying and clothes swapping should be celebrated. Our founder Orsola de Castro speaks poetically about clothes when she says, ‘broken is beautiful'. We need to make a change for a more sustainable wardrobe one garment at a time."

The pandemic lockdown has been a great place to renew this romance with pieces already in your wardrobe. Amit Hansraj agrees. "I live alone in Delhi and during the lockdown, I used to get dressed up in my seven-year-old Pratap [designer Rajesh Pratap Singh] shirt, pour a drink, listen to music and just have an evening by myself at home," says the fashion merchandiser and founder, Inca clothing label.

Today's festival of hearts and roses should also celebrate the bond between owner and the outfit. These seven declarations of love for old clothes speak of a delicious pleasure of re-wearing outfits that have personal stories to tell - of family, companionship, solitude, new beginnings, of praising imperfections and the hands that made a jacket.

‘It's my constant companion'

Himanshu Shani, 40, founder - 11. 11 / eleven eleven
This classic handspun denim jacket from our prêt label has lived on me for over 300 wears since 2015. It has become second skin; often when it rests on a hanger, the sleeve drops like it would on my body. It is naturally Indigo dyed in Auroville, using the process of fermentation. Poonam, a hand-stitch artist worked on this jacket from fabric to final form over a span of 55 hours; her name is sewn on the tag. Each time I wear the jacket to work, my colleagues tease me, ‘doosre kapde nahin hai?' It's still in good shape barring minor abrasions on the elbows. I've attended weddings, parties, fashion weeks and events in it. I've worn it while trying my hand at block printing in Ajrakhpur, and even slept in it.

‘It's my tangible heritage'

Urvashi Kaur, 47, fashion designer
I am the youngest in the family. As a kid, I mostly remember dressing in second-hand, sometimes unisex, clothes. In fact, I owned my first dress of my choice when I was 16 during my trip to Paris. My mother is an artist, and she never differentiated between clothing for girls and boys. Her mantra; make it your own. I got married at 23, and this Bagh shawl was a gift from my mother, which she inherited from her mother on her wedding day. I am the fourth generation in the family to inherit it. And I will pass it down to my daughter when she marries. That's the tradition of Bagh shawls in Punjab. The shawl is made from chubby cotton in classical hues of ochre, red and green, and hand-embroidered in tribal-esque patterns by a community of women. Every time I wear it, I feel a sense of empowerment, responsibility, privilege and honour.

‘It's my love song'

Palak Shah, 29, CEO - Ekaya
This vintage silk Banarasi brocade saree, I've inherited from my mother. She wore it at her wedding reception in 1988. But repeated wear and cleaning made it brittle and it needed repair. As part of Ekaya's revival project in Varanasi, one karigar worked 480 hours to expertly recreate the design. I like to tweak and refashion old pieces with young, modern styles, like this sheer organza shirt and bralette that I have teamed it with, instead of a conventional blouse. I look forward to wearing it to my own wedding function. Re-wearing my father's old blazers and borrowing sarees from my mother's closet is a great way to make a surprising statement. It's my anti-trend inspiration.

‘It's my super shero'

Suki Dusanj-Lenz, 41, country head - Fashion Revolution India
This outfit by Twinkle Hanspal is a gift from Adhuna Bhabani. She signifies strength, grace, fun and kindness to me. The outfit also has a cape-like design that could be seen as angel wings. I often wear it to boardrooms and walk in with my super-shero swag - full of confidence and a ‘can-do' attitude. Other times, it accompanies me on the dance floor because it is designed to twirl. An all-rounder work-hard-play-hard outfit. I have already had to mend it when I split it as I strode too wide in it. The mend marks make me smile because it shows me value and love that I don't want to let go of. This outfit and I have miles to go, many more board meetings to attend in, and missions to accomplish.

‘It's my LBD'

Amit Hansraj, 40, fashion merchandiser and founder - Inca clothing label
This seven-year-old Rajesh Pratap Singh shirt has been forgiving even on days when I feel overweight; I simply layer it. I love the shawl detail and its buttery handspun cotton texture. I share an emotional connection with it because I bought it on my birthday. I am not someone who celebrates birthdays but I follow a tradition of wearing only white on the day. On days I feel low, this shirt lifts my mood. I wear it to work, events, sometimes even while I am lounging at home. I call it my LBD.

‘It's my good friend'

Anurag Tyagi, 39, country manager - Christian Dior Couture, India
I bought this Rajesh Pratap Singh shirt eight years ago at The Courtyard, the erstwhile fashion boutique at Colaba. I was looking for a dressy shirt to wear for a friend's 40th birthday party. I usually don't wear brown but I was fascinated by the soft, luxurious cotton fabric almost the texture of muslin, and the designer's signature pleats and pin tucks. My job entails dressing up in a jacket, Monday to Friday, and this shirt with its lighthearted, casual vibe has been a good friend on weekends and holidays to Goa and Kochi. Luckily, it still fits me. I don't shop regularly and when I do, I invest in pieces that will last me. In fact, it's a standing joke in my family that I'm the repeater of clothes.

‘It's my story'

Aparna Badlani, 42, co-founder - Atosa
The year 2007 was a life changing one for me. I launched my first multi-designer store Zoya in Mumbai, and, of course the ensemble for the opening night had to be extra special. When I saw this dress by Saviojon Fernandes on a model, it was love at first sight. Because Saviojon cuts each garment personally, there is a certain individuality about his designs - the dress in question is a result of attaching 100 fabric strips. I remember receiving a ton of compliments, and each time I have worn it since, to my cousin's wedding cocktail, brunch and magazine shoots, it takes me right back to that evening when I walked into my new store. It's not just an ensemble, it's my story.