Laurel's shirt

10.01.2025
In the previous entry I mentioned Laurel's shirt for the first time and my plan to recreate it. It's almost a year now since she asked me if I could and I know she will be in Europe to visit Naive Yearly in September. Her visit became my deadline and if spurred me into action. I've made a detailed account of all I did on this Are.na channel that Laurel set up especially for this shirt. I hope that we can publish the pattern in the future so that everyone can make it too.

Laurel's shirt

24.01.2024
Back in October Laurel visited Rotterdam. When we met in Copenhagen for Naive Yearly she told me about this much loved shirt she bought 8 years ago which is now quite worn. And how she was dreaming of creating a pattern for it or replicating its essence somehow.

When she came to R'dam she brought the shirt with her to show me. We talked a great deal about clothing and identity and how clothes support the various roles we play in life, the people we aspire to be, or the character traits we'd like to have when we wear them. Similar to how I have always opted wearing the same boxy buttoned-up shirt whenever I feel nervous about the day ahead. That shirt has become a uniform of sorts, providing a sense of reassurance and making me feel more ok.

Laurel's shirt & my shirt, side by side

It was really nice to reflect together on the use of her garment, the energy it carries, and what it would mean to recreate it. She has loved and worn it for years now and along the way the shirt acquired some stains that can't be removed, a few holes here and there and some of the buttons have faded or went missing.

Different signs of wear