#robert elms

Papped! #MayfairMods Martin spotted in London, with Paul Weller, Tom O’Dell, Mark Baxter and J Simons and Robert Elms. Glad to see he still has The Hair and The Freebeard™.

Samantha Fox

Sam’s photographed just before doing an interview for BBC Radio at the Olympic Games in London, 2012.

Full interview below :-

How we Wore a Life in Threads

By Robert Elms

I have a soft spot for fashion, like many people I want to look my best. My dad is similiar although a thousand times more adventurous, and he often encourages me to go further out of my comfort zone than most. It’s much appreciated, which is why I take advice about literature from my dad as well. He recommended How we Wore, saying that it would give me a good perspective on style vs fashion. I agree with that sentiment but I think it’s more than just history it’s a well told story as well.

The subject of the book is the author Robert Elms, a sort of autobiography chronicling his youth from the early 60s to the late 80s. However it feels more like a story than biography, and I blame that on the colorful and expertly used language throughout. It’s easy to see that Robert knows a hell of a lot about clothes but also is adept at encapsulating a time period in just a paragraph. He is in fact a side character in this story, tertiary to Britain itself and the fashion that is born in the minds of youths.

Britain changes as much as he does and in fact changes with him, he makes sure to give context to the fashions of the time. Whether its race riots of the late 50s to football hooliganism that is spread throughout he makes it clear that Britain is unique in certain aspects in comparison to the rest of the modern world at the time. The downtrodden working class becomes a breeding ground for fashion as boys and girls only had their clothes and wanting to be like their idols or become idols. Roberts older brother Reggie is the first of these idols and one Robert chases during the first half of the book before breaking off and becoming a poster child for his own generation of clothing obsessed youth.

Despite the careful attention to historical detail it is the fashion that is the star. An always evolving primary character that goes through growing pains and is anthropomorphized with the vivid descriptions at every turn. Each aspect of a look is described, the seams, the hair, the shoes, the patterns fucking everything is brought under a microscope and analyzed. Some of it is remembered fondly like the original skinhead movement with close cropped hair and highly polished shoes with carefully chosen shirts. To less beloved phases like when jelly shoes were considered the height of fashion.

The language is complicated at times, specifically relating to the clothing, and the shifts between the clothing and the story. The story has british slang which contrasts interestingly with the technical jargon relating to jackets and trousers. Some may find it off putting, but I enjoyed it. It gave me a bit of insight into how the authors brain works, the analytical side he mentions a few times, combining with the more relaxed fondness of memory.  For others the language could be overwhelming or tedious, as someone who works in a similar way it was a cakewalk.

As much as I’d love to recommend this to everyone, I have to say that it really isn’t. It knows exactly what it is and is well written because it holds no punches. If you like british culture, you’ll like it, but more importantly if you love to look good then I think it’s definitely a book you’ll get a kick out of.

Robert Elms Oh, just a little Mustique one, we can let go of that...

Lesley-Ann Jones ...But very racist place I have to say.

Robert Elms Is it?

  Lesley-Ann Jones You know all the house owners are rich white people and all the people working in those homes are black people. You could understand why she didn't wanna keep that.

Ben River on BBC Radio London

Ben River released his third ep OF 2015 ‘Tomorrow’s Child’ on the 27th December 2015, he launched the EP at East London’s 93 Feet East recently played a live session on Robert Elms’ show on BBC Radio London LISTEN TO THE FULL SHOW ON BBC I-PLAYER The show will be available for 30 days LISTEN ON SPOTIFY BUY ON ITUNES Powerful track ‘Monday Love’ is one of our favorites” LCM “What a fine,…