My Life in Clothes

Vivid stories of clothing—stylish, sensible, sentimental—and the people inside them.

Despite my mother’s efforts to tame me, I resisted, holding onto my creature nature until the day she informed me I would no longer be running naked in the yard or showering with my dad. It took a few scoldings before I was transformed from colt to show-pony: a proper reflection of whichever laundered, starched, pressed, brushed, straightened, zippered, tied, and buttoned garment was placed upon me…

These stories explore the charm, tyranny, and preoccupation of clothes, on and off, bought, made, or found, fashion or function, projection or expression, body and soul turned inside out. From the serge dresses a Jewish grandmother wore long ago as a young secretary, to a shopping trip in London at the mecca known as Harrods, this collection captures the memories and the meanings attached to the many things we wear, and the occasional mismatch between our wardrobes and our inner worlds.

“Summer Brenner's wonderful vignettes magically led me back to my own memories, an entire era colored by the clothes I too wore: a ruffle on a vintage blouse, a cuff on a cowboy shirt, a red dress I designed for an actress, green cowboy boots with pink roses, a hat here, a bracelet there. These stories transported me. I urge other readers to join me on the same luxurious journey.” —Jacqueline West, Oscar-nominated fashion and costume designer