In September 1982, The Face magazine ran a cover story titled “Hard Times”. It was written by Robert Elms, now a radio presenter on BBC London. Elms pinpointed a tough, thrifty look that was emerging in London’s clubs: old torn Levi’s 501 jeans, tough leather boots, check shirts that had been “ripped to shreds”. It was the third year of Thatcherism in the UK. Elms wrote that “everybody who can feel is feeling pain right now”.
Forty years later, I am writing this piece at home in a scarf and sweater, not wanting to turn on the heating, in an attempt to save on energy bills. There are economic parallels: 1982 was the last time UK inflation was over 9 per cent. Back then I was a kid with no responsibilities, looking to fashion as a means of self-expression. Today I have a family and a mortgage.