Have you ever held on to a torn-up shirt, unable to throw it out? Or does the sight of a particular pattern elicit a gut reaction? Clothing holds a wealth of memory, whether it was tied to the wearer, an experience, or a time and place in which one article of clothing originated. It also holds cultural stories, traditions, and meaning.
As someone who has been constantly on the move my whole life, and has just recently moved to NY last year, I found some clothes I clung to and some I was quickly to discard. Although I’ve never worn it, I have a Malaysian kabaya that’s always in my closet.
Join drafts studios, as part of Fabrics of Time, in discovering what makes some pieces so special and the memories behind them. Not only do we get to preserve history, but also wear it out in the world to share and potentially connect with others.
We asked people to submit an image of a piece of clothing or textile that brings back a memory or a piece of your culture for this crowd-sourced exhibition.
Malaysian Women’s Kabaya
I wore another version to my high school graduation, along with my friends who also their families’ traditional cultural clothes. However, I find few occasions to wear it but feel like i should keep it nearby, so that if I want to put it on and express my culture, I can do so at any time.
My sister brought back a traditional Kabaya dress from Malaysia. I’ve been meaning to wear it to special occasions, or even regular days. The top and bottom can be worn separately.
Mom’s Memory Quilt
My mom could always been seen in one of her signature shirts, purchased in a discount store mall frequented by new immigrants in the neighborhood. Her Chinese frugality mindset would allow her to care for and wear the shirts for years, even decades, often sharing with her own mom. After she passed, we collected all her shirts and made them into memory quilts for my dad and siblings. A perfect way to remember her.
Saree
My textile is a saree, a cultural Indian “garment”. But it’s been worn as a saree exactly one time in the last 10+ years I’ve had it because I use it as a blankie 🙂 This is the third saree blankie I’ve possessed since my toddler years! My OG blankie, which I call “killie” (which was my baby speak for the Tamil word for pinch/scrunch), was my grandma’s old saree. This one my mum bought to wear but I claimed for myself because it was oh so soft! As a highly anxious person who has had trouble sleeping for as long as I can remember, holding it close has always been grounding and comforting. Over the years I’ve felt the cotton soften further from the constant holding and the colour fade at the creases from being folded the exact same way all the time. My other two I kept till the fibres gave way and ripped. This one has been the most resilient so far 🙂 An ode to my growing resilience as an adult perhaps?
Bazaar Bag
During my undergrad, my friend and I had our first foray into entrepreneurship. We participated in a bazaar (market) organized by our college — made and sold tote bags! Back when tote bags were not even all that trendy! We hunted interesting fabrics, designed patterns, hired local tailors, managed inventory and even made some profit. We turned an opportunity into a really cool learning and bonding moment. Such a formative moment in our friendship — we rode on my almost broken scooter around town figuring out logistics for this event. It was so much fun!
This was in 2009, but I think that entrepreneurship bug and deep interest in fashion has remained with me since. We sold most of the bags we made. One of them is still kicking around. My mom uses it on her bazaar runs.
Dastkar Dupattas
This takes me back to my most cherished times with my best friend — Radhika! Going to seasonal pop up markets was OUR THING! We’ve been some of the biggest and some really obscure ones too. One of the markets we’d wait for is the annual Dastkar (an non-profit that organized local arts and crafts markets) market. Obviously, we didn’t have a lot of disposable income back then, so most of what we did was window shopping and people watching. But every once in a while, we’ll find something that we love too much. There were times we both fell hard for the same piece and we’d fight over who gets to buy it. But, I think we’ve also co-bought/ owned quite a few pieces too.
These dupattas were 2 dupattas I bought during our visits to these markets. I’m guessing both were bought at a Dasktkar market, but I’m a little fuzzy about the exact details. Every time I wear these, I’m taken back to the time spent with Radhika at local craft markets being dizzy with excitement.
Dupattas are long scarves.
Heirloom Sari
Heirloom Sari
I inherited this beautiful traditional mono chrome, checked sari with gold zari from my mom in law. This is one of the oldest saris she owns and gladly handed it down to me. Super grateful to her for the gift!