Sometimes The Stories Behind Our Clothes Can Eclipse How They Look

In her new book, Worn in New York: 68 Sartorial Memoirs of the City, Emily Spivack describes, quite romantically, why wearing clothes in New York City is so different than almost anywhere else. In a four-page introduction, Spivack touches a certain nerve that only a metro-dwelling, clothing-conscious person could relate to, all while presenting the city itself with elements of both villainy and virtuousness. Take an average commute for example. The villainous city pins you smack up against the attire, personal hygiene, and fragrance choices of a dozen strangers. You’re flattened against the subway doors that you’re not supposed to lean on, slithering your hand down to your pocket to grab a buzzing phone, all while the unregulated temperature puts the breathability of what felt like a lightweight sweater this morning to the test. New Yorkers’ wardrobes take a beating, and often, those unique-to-New York moments of exhaustion yield stories that you don’t have to be a New Yorker to relate to. Read more at Esquire.