CHARLIE PORTER

Celebrating 100 years Belstaff has been dubbed the coolest British outerwear brand of all time by Maxim magazine

p Why do we wear what we wear To answer this question we must go back and unlock the wardrobes of the early twentieth century when fashion as we know it was born br br In i Bring No Clothes i acclaimed fashion writer Charlie Porter brings us face to face with six members of the Bloomsbury Group the collective of creatives and thinkers who were in the vanguard of a social and sartorial revolution Each of them offers fresh insight into the constraints and possibilities of fashion today from the stifling repression of E M Forster s top buttons to the creativity of Vanessa Bell s wayward hems from the sheer pleasure of Ottoline Morrell s lavish dresses to the clashing self consciousness of Virginia Woolf s orange stockings from Duncan Grant s liberated play with nudity to John Maynard Keynes s power play in the traditional suit As Porter carefully unpicks what they wore and how they wore it we see how clothing can be a means of artistic intellectual and sexual liberation or conversely a tool for patriarchal control br br As he travels through libraries archives attics and studios Porter uncovers new evidence about his subjects revealing them in a thrillingly intimate vivid new light And as he begins making his own clothing his own persp

He makes us see a subject we thought we knew so well from a completely different angle in writing that is deeply researched but inviting warm and full of personality Katy Hessel Charlie Porter is a magician Olivia LaingWhy do we wear what we wear To answer this question we must go back and unlock the wardrobes of the early twentieth century when fashion as we know it was born In Bring No Clothes acclaimed fashion writer Charlie Porter brings us face to face with six members of the Bloomsbury Group the collective of artists and thinkers who were in the vanguard of a social and sartorial revolution Each of them offers fresh insight into the constraints and possibilities of fashion today from the stifling repression of E M Forster s top buttons to the creativity of Vanessa Bell s wayward hems from the sheer pleasure of Ottoline Morrell s lavish dresses to the clashing self consciousness of Virginia Woolf s orange stockings As Porter carefully unpicks what they wore and how they wore it we see how clothing can be a means of artistic intellectual and sexual liberation or conversely a tool for patriarchal control Travelling through libraries archives attics and studios Porter uncovers fresh evidence about his subjects revealing them in a thrillin

FINALIST FOR THE LAMBDA LITERARY PRIZE 2026A FOYLES AND GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEARSHORTLISTED FOR THE GOLDSMITHS PRIZEA work of genius Philip HoareOne of the best things Ive read in many many years Hilton AlsBeautifully provocative Eimear McBrideA story of loss and grief, sex and love, and refusing to relinquish dreamsHe said he would understand if it was too much for me, that I could leave him, that I was young, I should be living, I said to him, I am living.Johnny Grant faces stark life decisions. Seeking answers, he looks back to his relationship with Jerry Field. When they met, nearly thirty years ago, Johnny was 19, Jerry was 45. They fell in love and made a life on their own terms in Jerrys flat: 1, Nova Scotia House. Johnny is still there today but Jerry is gone, and so is the world they knew.As Johnnys mind travels between then and now, he begins to remember stories of Jerrys youth: of experiments in living; of radical philosophies; of the many possibilities of love, sex and friendship before the AIDS crisis devastated the queer community. Slowly, he realizes what he must do nextand attempts to restore ways of being that could be lost forever.Nova Scotia House takes us to the heart of a relationship, a community and an era. It is both a love story and a lament; bearing witness to the enduring pain of the AIDS pandemic and honouring the joys and creativity of queer life. Intimate, visionary, and profoundly original, it marks the debut of a vibrant new voice in contemporary fiction, and a writer with a liberating new story to tell.

He makes us see a subject we thought we knew so well from a completely different angle; in writing that is deeply researched, but inviting, warm, and full of personality Katy HesselCharlie Porter is a magician Olivia Laing Why do we wear what we wear? To answer this question, we must go back and unlock the wardrobes of the early twentieth century, when fashion as we know it was born.In Bring No Clothes, acclaimed fashion writer Charlie Porter brings us face to face with six members of the Bloomsbury Group-the collective of creatives and thinkers who were in the vanguard of a social and sartorial revolution. Each of them offers fresh insight into the constraints and possibilities of fashion today: from the stifling repression of E. M. Forsters top buttons to the creativity of Vanessa Bells wayward hems; from the sheer pleasure of Ottoline Morrells lavish dresses to the clashing self-consciousness of Virginia Woolfs orange stockings; from Duncan Grants liberated play with nudity to John Maynard Keyness power play in the traditional suit. As Porter carefully unpicks what they wore and how they wore it, we see how clothing can be a means of artistic, intellectual and sexual liberation, or, conversely, a tool for patriarchal control.As he travels through libraries, archives, attics and studios, Porter uncovers new evidence about his subjects, revealing them in a thrillingly intimate, vivid new light. And, as he begins making his own clothing, his own perspective on fashion-and on life-starts to change. In the end, he shows, we should all bring no clothes, embracing not just a new way with fashion but a new philosophy of living-one which activates the connections between the way we dress and the way we think, act and love. Now with a new Afterword by the author

*A Financial Times Book of the Year* The first time I opened What Artists Wear, I gasped with pleasure. Imagine it as a kind of punk cousin to John Bergers Ways of Seeing, liberally illustrated with the most astonishing images of artists, decked out in finery or rags ... It transported me to somewhere glamorous, exciting, even revolutionary Olivia Laing, GuardianMost of us live our lives in our clothes without realizing their power. But in the hands of artists, garments reveal themselves. They are pure tools of expression, storytelling, resistance and creativity: canvases on which to show who we really are.In What Artists Wear, style luminary Charlie Porter takes us on an invigorating, eye-opening journey through the iconic outfits worn by artists, in the studio, on stage, at work, at home and at play. From Yves Kleins spotless tailoring to the kaleidoscopic costumes of Yayoi Kusama and Cindy Sherman; from Andy Warhols signature denim to Charlotte Prodgers casualwear, Porters roving eye picks out the magical, revealing details in the clothes he encounters, weaving together a new way of understanding artists, and of dressing ourselves.Part love letter, part guide to chic, and featuring generous photographic spreads, What Artists Wear is both a manual and a manifesto, a radical, gleeful, inspiration to see the world anew-and find greater pleasure and possibility in the clothes we all wear.

A Financial Times Book of the Year* 'The first time I opened What Artists Wear, I gasped with pleasure. Imagine it as a kind of punk cousin to John Berger's Ways of Seeing, liberally illustrated with the most astonishing images of artists, decked out in finery or rags ... It transported me to somewhere glamorous, exciting, even revolutionary' Olivia Laing, GuardianMost of us live our lives in our clothes without realizing their power.But in the hands of artists, garments reveal themselves. They are pure tools of expression, storytelling, resistance and creativity: canvases on which to show who we really are. In What Artists Wear, style luminary Charlie Porter takes us on an invigorating, eye-opening journey through the iconic outfits worn by artists, in the studio, on stage, at work, at home and at play.

A work of genius Philip Hoare One of the best things I ve read in many many years Hilton Als Beautifully provocative the most compelling exploration of life death love and resistance that I ve read for a very long time Eimear McBrideA story of loss and grief sex and love and refusing to relinquish dreamsHe said he would understand if it was too much for me that I could leave him that I was young I should be living I said to him I am living Johnny Grant faces stark life decisions Seeking answers he looks back to his relationship with Jerry Field When they met nearly thirty years ago Johnny was 19 Jerry was 45 They fell in love and made a life on their own terms in Jerry s flat 1 Nova Scotia House Johnny is still there today but Jerry is gone and so is the world they knew As Johnny s mind travels between then and now he begins to remember stories of Jerry s youth of experiments in living of radical philosophies of the many possibilities of love sex and friendship before the AIDS crisis devastated the queer community Slowly he realizes what he must do next and attempts to restore ways of being that could be lost forever Nova Scotia House takes us to the heart of a relationship a community and an era It is both a love story and a la