Wardrobe Theory Project Annual Subscription

Our essay segment invites a unique voice to share personal insights and reflections on their relationship with clothing and style. These essays offer readers an intimate, often nostalgic exploration of how the pieces we choose to keep—or rediscover—become often woven into the stories of our lives. Through thoughtful storytelling, each contributor delves into themes of sustainability, identity, and the enduring value of cherished garments, aiming to inspire a shift in perspective: from seeing clothing as mere utility or trend to appreciating it as an integral part of our personal histories and values.

In Issue 002, Edy Guy contributes her musings on biodegradable footwear concepts, shopping secondhand, and the powerful notion of the gift economy—showcasing the power of how we're all interconnected through shared memories.

Some call it the “s-word.” The “big S.” In context, these phrases recall corporate designers, technicians and marketeers talking about how—Sustainability practices, with a capital S—are all phony. For the sake of this generation, much of what’s been previously said and promised—as many “net zero” corporate missions have yielded—amounts to worse than nothing. What is corporate sustainability? We just don’t know.

What we do know: there are still brands and companies working to sustainably serve, sell, and scale their trades, projects and practices. Their existence – their will, process and art—is what WTP covers through "Sustainable Practice Spotlight" [SPS]. So who else could better show us the answers to shared questions about our relationship to sustainability—either individual or corporate? With each SPS feature, the symbiotic impact of product, people and planet are at the forefront. No “carbon capture” promises—all straight SPS here.

For our second spotlight, we continue to bring focus to the past for future lessons in sustainability. In a world obsessed with what is new and what is next, Transnomadica gains its' power from what came before. Maurizio Donadi, the founder, has been collecting garments for nearly 40 years, and his archive of 16,000 pieces fills his LA warehouse space and helps inform what he describes as an adhocracy, not a brand. An archive and atelier in one, this is where design, collecting and curation combine into one powerful and inspirational practice.

“Lost Art” is a series of stories celebrating the services, businesses and trades that restore, renew and repair our things. With their expertise, they critically keep our clothing items and objects in use over time, promoting sustainability and intentionality with style and spending practices.

Within every pair of old shoes, a new type of afterlife is possible through a cobbler’s hard work and imagination. Including a solution for that cooked midsole. Today’s cobblers solve our impossible product problems through their craft and design—true solesmiths of the future.

Sometimes, the best fashion design isn’t on runways or on Instagram feeds, but inside of workshops worth searching for and seeking out. Save a trip to the mall and ignore algorithms when hunting for new footwear. Instead, go searching deep inside your closet, rediscover an old memory, and visit a cobbler to revitalize your grails. It’ll be worth the trip. 

For our latest “Lost Art” spotlight, we visit the Downtown Los Angeles studio of Goods & Services for an inside look within the old-world cobbling practice of creating new, functionally modern shoes with what we already have.

In a pinch? Need a quick fix for a sudden problem that won’t go away? You may need to see a doctor for that, but otherwise, bookmark this section. We’re at your service and can see you now! WTP’s "How To" guides will highlight simple, yet effective handiwork methods you can do today to update and prolong your clothing items. Combining utility and self-discovery—sometimes an easy hem or stitch repair can lead to custom garment alterations and new styles to discover—let’s remind ourselves that we’re never too old to learn new things, or see old things in a new light.

And hey, if you really need help with that clothing or sneaker project? Hit up a tailor or cobbler in your local area. We promise, they gotchu. For now, "How To" is here.

In our second issue, we have built a guide to show you how to keep your suede shoes clean. We use Clarks Wallabees as our example, but the details within can be applied to nearly all types of suede footwear in general. Suede is an interesting material that is beautiful, luxurious and durable, but it can also fall apart quickly if not cared for properly. Simple steps can help you grow alongside your suede footwear for years, and maybe even decades from now.

The wardrobe section is where we narrow each person’s closet down to their fifty most used and favorite/sentimental pieces—diving into when and where each piece was obtained, technical details, style insights, and why it means so much to them. Subsequently, we then go beyond documentation, curating the items to better understand and unpack each person’s system of dress. By providing analytics that show data and visuals that prove possibility.

Bryce Wong is our second person of focus. He is a prolific creative and athlete that is always on the move. From painting, building motorcycles, training jiu jitsu and skateboarding, it's hard to pin him down. As a day job designing footwear for Nike keeps him busy on top of his endless hobbies, Bryce's creativity knows no limits. His favorite items are a result of cultivated friendships, cherished memories, and his maker mentality. At the end of the day, he is simply just trying to have fun, and is damn good at it. This is a wardrobe focus you won't want to miss.