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.
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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.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/fde994d4-562d-4d93-acff-095adff25c25/7065433c-c8e3-4b78-8c29-8aca69f82b67_rw_1920.jpg?h=53d8a045129a6daf03ec43305d9fe80b)
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.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/fde994d4-562d-4d93-acff-095adff25c25/7a0d9e3a-4a44-4fc8-a893-1ff8e271b1e8_rw_1920.jpg?h=ac818676f8a87ead3fa858e1216377f2)
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.
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I will be continuing with this project for the length of the lifespan of the jacket - which could be some years!
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3rd May 2023
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15th April 2023 - The Garlic Farm, Isle of Wight
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22nd October 2023
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22nd October 2023
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7th June 2024