Prison Uniforms
A collaboration with Ear Hustle
Sorry this one is a little later in the day. We literally had to wait for approval from the warden to publish this. Because look who I got to make a story with:
It’s Ear Hustle! Which, if you don’t already know, is a Pulitzer-nominated show (/phenomenon) about life inside and outside prison. It’s one of my all-time favorite podcasts.
They came to me with the idea that we should make a show about prison uniforms, and it led to a huge discovery for all of us: there are a number of prisons around the world where they don’t have uniforms at all. Norway doesn’t have uniforms. England didn’t in the 1970’s… and… it turns out… neither did San Quentin. That’s right. There was an American carceral system without uniforms.
If you listen to the program, this is what early uniforms looked like in England. This symbol all over these outfits is called the broad arrow:
The broad arrow also used in penal colonies- like if you look closely at this etching, you’ll see these men are also branded with the broad arrow:
Admittedly, *by modern standards* some of the Australian convict uniforms are pretty cool. However it was not cool in the 1830s. This was clownish. And being dressed embarrassingly was supposed to be part of the punishment of being in jail. You became the butt of a joke.
And this is a similar thing to what happened in the US with the black and white stripes. It was silly-looking, and not quite by accident.
But that’s all I’ll say for now. Take a listen. We’re dropping this episode on both our feeds. This was a collaborative effort, and it was such an honor to work with the Ear Hustle team. Thanks so much for having me.
Other Articles Of Interest:
I wrote a piece for Bloomberg about where Gorpcore comes from. Surprise: it’s nothing new. Americans have always wanted to look more rugged than they actually are, while secretly just wanting to be comfortable. This was made with so much help from my “intern” (lol, he’s so much smarter than me) Charles McFarlane. If the military elements in this story interested you, check out Charles’ substack:
And now I reveal my other side hustle:
This is actually really exciting news. This whole last year, I’ve been secretly, behind the scenes, editing a podcast for The LA Times called Foretold. This week, it finally ends. Foretolde is a fascinating story about a Romani woman who was raised from birth to be a Fortuneteller… and then turns away from her community and turns her back on fate. It’s riveting.
The series finale just dropped yesterday (It’s a real shocker) and it is so good. I’m so proud of this incredible team. I already miss working on it. But! Since this is a fashion newsletter, this finale seems like a great way to highlight some Roma fashion designers.
Zita Moldovan. I love this convertable skirt
This shop, based in Budapest, has the largest collection of Romani designers. It’s gorgeous stuff.
But the way, if you’re not Roma and you’re wondering if it’s ok for you to wear these clothes- it is. Jess, a host of the Romanistan podcast, who gave me these recommendations, insisted “this isn’t appropriation. These clothes aren’t even traditional.” These designers are riffing on traditional themes and motifs, but anyone can wear them with respect. Support Romani businesses!
And if you’re wondering what Roma means… check out Foretold!
One last thing. My friend Julie is a product design professor, and she’s studying color (fun). If you’d consider taking her scientific survey about how different colors make you feel, you’d be contributing to science!
Ok. Until the next week after next!
Yours,
Avery
Hello Avery! I am listening to your Articles of Interest "Pockets" episode on Spotify right now and wanted to share your mind-bending / enlightening take on clothing trends in regards to gender and class on Substack Notes (think: water cooler gathering spot), but I cannot find your Pockets material on your @articlesofinterest.substack.com.
Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1DOoj31fyFFCCs2WJiKTPF?si=095199350e884332.
Substack also has a podcast option and I see you already put transcripts...might you wish to share that great Pockets content? Who knew such a long and controversial history of pockets, lol. Especially the gendered and valor aspects.
The Australian contestant on “Queen of the Universe” (Singing drag Queen competition show....) her opening costume featured broad arrow pattern as a heartening back to Australia’s identity at one point as a place where Britain sent its convicts. As an American, I was not familiar with the history of broad arrow. Thanks.