"My Inspiration for Getting Dressed Is Looking Like a Clean Pile of Wrinkled Laundry."
Our first Style Questionnaire with Aja Barber
I’m so excited to bring you Big Undies’ first Style Questionnaire with Aja Barber!
But first: If you have feelings about shorts, I would love to hear them! Fill out this short survey.
Aja is 40ish and a writer and contributing editor in the UK. She is the author of Consumed: The Need for Collective Change: Colonialism, Climate Change, and Consumerism. You can find her sharing the best slow fashion brands and articles to help you make the most of your wardrobe in her wonderful community on Patreon. She also works with Lora Gene on a plus size capsule collection.
I first encountered Aja on Instagram where I fell in love with her vibrant style and her singleminded dedication to buying higher quality, ethically made clothes.
Aja is the little voice on your shoulder arguing against fast fashion.
What are you wearing right now?
I’m wearing a Ricorrrobe dress that I got on resale for a song. It’s big and poofy and my cat likes to hide under it.
What was the last item of clothing you bought?
A pair of trousers that I found on Depop, secondhand from a brand I really like. They’re red and white striped. They’ll be so fun to wear this summer.
If you had to wear a uniform (same thing every day) what would it be?
I like big floaty dresses. My inspiration for getting dressed is looking like a clean pile of wrinkled laundry.
Where did you get clothes as a kid? What was a favorite childhood outfit?
A lot of my clothing was hand-me-downs. When I was ten I was at a classmates house and our clothing got wet (I can’t remember why), so she gave me this bright orange outfit. It had a swingy top and matching bike shorts. I was obsessed. I could also tell it was expensive—even then I was hooked on gently used nice secondhand clothes. She gave me the outfit because she didn’t like it or wear it. I wore it to pieces until it no longer fit.
Do you have any items of clothing that you wear only to do a specific activity?
Some of my favorite soft t-shirts are my ballet shirts, which I wear to dance in. They’re usually t-shirts I once wore, but when they get too old and holey they are relegated to the “ballet clothes” pile so I can wear them a bit longer. They’ve been washed so much that they’re all really soft but hold lots of memories.
What did you wear to the last party you attended?
My friends threw me a surprise birthday lunch and I wore a neon green dress from Faith Rowan Leeves that is made from deadstock fabric.
What do you wish you had in your wardrobe that you don’t?
I am actually so delighted with my wardrobe. I have no needs, but I do look for certain slow fashion brands on resale constantly and I usually find them. Because I do a collaboration with Lora Gene, if there’s anything I really, really want we’ll make it.
Tell me about an experience that changed your relationship to clothing or getting dressed.
When I was in my twenties I began to view fast fashion as a waste of my money. I never wore a fast fashion item for as long as some of my pricey pieces and sometimes it wouldn’t look so nice after a year. So I stopped buying fast fashion and started investing in pieces I would wear for a lifetime. This was a habit change. I don’t buy as much clothing as I used to, but when I do, I spend a bit more money and get something that will last for years and years.
Tell me about an accessory or piece of clothing that you lost or ruined but still think about.
I bought a pair of Daniela Gregis sunglasses on eBay and I think I’ve lost them. They were bright red and perfect and I cannot find them anywhere which makes me so sad. They were awesome. Let’s hope they magically appear.
What’s your 2024 summer must have?
A good summer dress, of which I have plenty already!
Who do you think has good style?
I really love how Lisa Bonet dresses. Bob Marley is definitely a style icon. He could wear anything and make it stylish. Marvin Gaye, too. David Sedaris likes a lot of the same weird designers I like, and 90s Bjork remains on some of my moodboards.
Anything else you want to tell us about getting dressed?
Find a style that works for you. Think about the way you get dressed in non-fashion terms. Like for me, the clean pile of laundry aesthetic is deconstructed garments with lots of soft natural fibers (I avoid polyester these days if I can). Generous cuts and pieces that have a handmade feel to them.
Thank you Aja! Support Aja’s work by subscribing to her Patreon, following Aja on Instagram, and reading her book Consumed.
 | A guest post by
|
I love Aja for teaching me to love a giant, brightly colored dress AND for challenging me to keep working on my relationship to shopping and fast fashion. (Emphasis on "keep working on it!")
The sunglasses by the way were this EXACT pair. I paid £100 for them and I cry every time I realize what a deal they were: https://shop.danielagregis.it/en/product/40-jo16-ac-rss-melagrana-glass/