The Yackety Jacket is a new long term project I launched in the Autumn of 2022. The jacket has been designed to record all of the things it experiences within its lifespan.
The project was born from the belief that clothes should be designed to last and not be victim to a throwaway culture that aims to replace an entire wardrobe of clothes every season. I want to highlight the emotional attachment that can form with treasured items of clothing.
Clothes that are worn and re-worn become infused with the memories and occasions they have been exposed to. They feature in cherished photographs, can be tied to particular events (a special day, a holiday, a season) or provide links to otherwise forgotten sense memories. When you wear a treasured item, you carry all of those associations with you. My intention with this piece is to make these hidden memories visible.
Each time I wear this jacket I will record the experience on the jacket itself, which in time will become filled with patches and labels about the everyday adventures it has been on. I will record special moments alongside mundane ones, create tallies of walks to work, coffees drunk, people seen. I want to record the journey that this piece of
clothing has been on with me.
Clothes that are worn and re-worn become infused with the memories and occasions they have been exposed to. They feature in cherished photographs, can be tied to particular events (a special day, a holiday, a season) or provide links to otherwise forgotten sense memories. When you wear a treasured item, you carry all of those associations with you. My intention with this piece is to make these hidden memories visible.
Each time I wear this jacket I will record the experience on the jacket itself, which in time will become filled with patches and labels about the everyday adventures it has been on. I will record special moments alongside mundane ones, create tallies of walks to work, coffees drunk, people seen. I want to record the journey that this piece of
clothing has been on with me.
Above: The blank jacket ready for its first adventure!
I designed the jacket as a blank surface ready for decoration. It has been made from undyed linen with a bamboo wadding, quilted with a diamond pattern, with large front pockets (for keeping a notebook in to record the data).
The internal seams have been bound with bias tape to extend the life of the jacket.
I plan to wear the jacket in the normal course of my life eg. when the weather and occasion is suitable. I won't be manipulating the outcome by only wearing it on special occasions, or wearing it everyday for a few months until full of patches. It want it to feature my genuine experiences.
To make a start on the project I took the jacket with me on holiday when I stayed on this converted school bus. These photos are the first time I'd worn the jacket and it was a good opportunity to create an interesting first patch (see below). The patch was made with a stencil and yellow fabric paint that was outlined in embroidery thread. The patch has been stitched to the front right pocket and labelled.
I will be continuing with this project for the length of the lifespan of the jacket - which could be some years!
3rd May 2023
15th April 2023 - The Garlic Farm, Isle of Wight
22nd October 2023
22nd October 2023
7th June 2024